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Lauchhammer City [Sorbian: Łuchow] (Germany)

Stadt Lauchhammer, Landkreis Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Brandenburg

Last modified: 2019-11-17 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: lauchhammer | hammer mill | lion(white) | hermit |
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[Lauchhammer city flag 1991]
3:5 image by Stefan Schwoon, 15 April 2001
[Lauchhammer city flag 2001]
3:5 image by Stefan Schwoon, 15 April 2001
   

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Lauchhammer City [Sorbian: Łuchow]

Lauchhammer Flag

Lauchhammer used a green, swallowtailed flag with the arms in the centre, before 2001 with mural crown (see left image above).
Sources: this online catalogue, Günther 1996c and §2(2) of Hauptsatzung of Lauchhamer City, version 25 February 2004
Stefan Schwoon, 15 April 2001

Lauchhammer Banner

[Lauchhammer city banner 1991]
5:3 image by Stefan Schwoon, 15 April 2001
[Lauchhammer city banner 2001]
5:3 image by Stefan Schwoon, 15 April 2001
   

Lauchhammer used a green, swallowtailed banner with the arms in the centre, before 2001 with mural crown (see left image above).
Sources: this online catalogue, Günther 1996c and §2(2) of Hauptsatzung of Lauchhamer City, version 25 February 2004
Stefan Schwoon, 15 April 2001

Lauchhammer Coat of Arms

Shield abased parted per fess; above parted per pale, at dexter Gules a sinister facing lion rampant guardant Argent, at sinister Vert, a hermit issuant proper, dressed Argent, holding a mattock Argent hafted proper and flanked by six grain ears Or; beneath Or a hammer mill Sable.
Meaning:
In 1725 a furnace and a smeltery had been built by Baroness Benedicta Margareta von Löwendal near the leak mill (German: Lauchmühle). After she had died in 1766 the Counts of Einsiedel became owners of the industries. Business boomed and until 1791 five hammer mills had been built. After 1815 further metallurgical plants were established and since 1844 brown coal mining became an additional business line. The family owned industries were changed to a public limited company in 1872 and became part of Flick enterprises in 1926. At that time a brown coal pit and a power station were part of the complex. After WW2 it was transformed to VEB Schwermaschinenbau, which mainly produced conveyor bridges and dredging equipment. In 1951 a big coke oven was added, which produced worldwide the first coal briquettes made from brown coal. Due to economic development Lauchhammer merged with four neighbouring villages and gained city rights in 1953.
The hammer mill is symbolising the importance of mining and metallurgical processing since the early 18th century. The lion is taken from the family arms of the Barons von Löwendal. The hermit is alluding to the Counts of Einsiedeln. In their family arms there had been a hermit dressed blue.
The old arms displayed in a shield Or a coal briquet Sable in base and in chief in an annulet Gules a hammer Sable in pale. Hammer and briquet were symbolising the local industries, the annulet the concentration of the working class in the so called "little red country".
Source: German WIKIPEDIA, Bensing et alii 1984, p.244 and §2(1) of Hauptsatzung of Lauchhamer City, version 25 February 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Nov 2019

The old arms were adopted in 1953 on occasion of becoming a city. The current arms were adopted on 3 June 1992 with a golden mural crown. On 24 October 2001 the arms were officially approved, but without the crown. Flag and banner were in use since August 1991 and approved probably also on 24 October 2001.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Nov 2019


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