Hildesheim City (Germany)

Stadt Hildesheim, Landkreis Hildesheim, Lower Saxony

Last modified: 2017-09-09 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: hildesheim | himmelsthuer | quartered | demi-eagle | hildesia | antlers |
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• Hildesheim City
• Current Flag
• Coat of Arms
• Plain Flag reported 1970
• Plain Flag reported 1891


• Himmelsthür Borough
• Himmelsthür Flag
• Himmelsthür Coat of Arms

• County and Municipal Flags (Lower Saxony / Niedersachsen)
• Hildesheim County
• Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)
• Hannoverian Flags reported 1891
• Germany

Hildesheim City

Current Flag

It is a yellow over red horizontal bicolour with centred arms
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 Aug 2017

Coat of Arms

Description of coat of arms:
Shield parted per fess; above Argent, a demi-eagle issuant Sable, crowned and armed Or and tongued Gules; beneath quartered of Or and Gules.
Meaning:
In the 13th century the New Town (Neustadt) used seals displaying St. Lambert, while the Dammstadt used seals displaying St. Stephen and St. Nicholas. The Old Town (Altstadt) had a proper seal since 1217 displayed bishop St. Gotthard of Hildesheim between two embattled towers, all topped by the five towers of the cathedral. A simpler version was also displayed in a secret seal from the 14th century. At the same time the quartered shield was used in seals and architectural sculptures. The current shield with the Imperial Eagle was granted in 1528 by Emperor Karl V. The shield was topped by a helmet Argent with scarves of red and yellow and crested by a virgin issuant, dressed of the same, wearing a beret with plumes of red and yellow. She was holding a rosary in her hands. She was considered to be Fru Veye, a woman, who appeared every year on the Whitsuntide Festival. Others call her Hildesia, which would be an incarnation of the city disguised as a woman.
Source: Stadler 1970, p.49
Santiago Dotor, 8 Mar 2002

Plain Flag reported 1970

The city used a plain yellow-red bicolour. Hildesheim is one of the oldest cities in Lower Saxony and nowadays the seat of a county. Although destroyed in World War Two, the city has many cultural treasures. Two of its churches, the cathedral and St. Michael's church are part of Unesco's World Cultural Heritage list.
Stefan Schwoon, 23 Mar 2001

Plain Flag reported 1891

Description of  flag:
The ratio is given as 1:2. It was a yellow over red horizontal bicolour. The information is confirmed by Stadler 1970, p.49.
Source:H.Ahrens "Hannoversche Landschafts-und Städtewappen", 1891, plate XX
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Nov 2011

Himmelsthür Borough

Himmelsthür Flag

It is a yellow over red horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Aug 2017

Shield Gules, an antler Or in pale.
Meaning:
The arms are those of the Himmelsthür kin, havng been commissionaires of the Bishops of Hildesheim. Its existence is proven from seals from 1318 and 1377. Due to missing colours red and gold as colours of the bishopric were chosen. The bishop had large estates and had been the sovereigns of the area until the early 19th century. The flag colours are those of the Bishopric of Hildesheim.
Source: Stadler 1970, p.49
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Aug 2017

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