Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms: |
The Initial coat of arms of the
Ascanians is the black-white checkerboard patterned shield with 12 fields. It goes back to
the family which first lived in the castle "Askania", and which as "The
Ascanians" acquired large landholdings, and became the most powerful families of the
German Empire, between the 10th and 14th century. The name "Askania" is the
Latin name of the place Aschersleben. |
The castle Askania was destroyed
already in the 12th century, and the emphasis of government shifted to Ballenstedt castle,
which also became evident in the coat of arms. When the Ascanians became the Margraves of
Brandenburg in 1157, they used a splited shield, to the left Brandenburg and on the
right Ballenstedt, and as they became even the Dukes of Saxony in 1180, Ballenstedt was
replaced by Saxony, and the until today used small coat of arms of the House of Anhalt was
created, however, it later became a claim arms, because the Princes and Dukes of Anhalt
were and are related by marriage with the Electors of Brandenburg and as well with those
of Saxony, and claimed inheritance rights in both countries. They combined in their arms
the crests of the two often feuding countries, in a so-called claim arms. In this way were
not only combined the arms of Saxony and Brandenburg for Anhalt, but also the since 1863
in the Duchy of Anhalt used colours red, green and white are a combination of the colours
of Saxony (white and green) and Brandenburg (red and white). |
The coat of arms of the Duchy of
Saxony, which is until today the emblem of the Free State of Saxony, was created about
1180, as the Ascanians, Margraves of Brandenburg and Counts of Ballenstedt became to the
Dukes of Saxony: over the coat of arms of Ballenstedt was placed a green diamond wreath. |
All lines of the House of Anhalt
used the same dynastic, big coat of arms, and even the same small coat of arms. In the
18th century arose for Anhalt-Zerbst and Anhalt Köthen deviations in the coats of arms.
Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Bernburg retained their same shaped coats of arms. |
The coat of arms of the since
1863 existing Duchy of Anhalt is the coat of arms of the only surviving line, the House of
Anhalt-Dessau. It is very abundantly partitioned and shows altogether twelve fields, which
reflect the heraldic smithereens of the familie's lines or territorial acquisitions: Duchy
of Saxony, Palatinate of Saxony, Duchy of Engern, Beringen, Ballenstedt, Askanien,
Waldersee, Warmsdorf, Mühlingen, the red regalia field (display of blood jurisdiction)
and Bernburg. In the middle of the coat of arms, over field no. 5, a heart-shield. That
shows the smaller coat of arms a splited shield, to the left Brandenburg and on the right
Saxony. |
The coat of arms of the Free
State of Anhalt showed the bear of Bernburg, who played a larger role in the heraldry of
all lines of the House of Anhalt, and it oftenly appeared on coins of the Anhalt states. |
Source: Heraldique
Europeenne, Volker Preuss |
|