Last modified: 2017-11-11 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: militia | buergerwache | st. catherine | jehova sun | rocaille | warrior | acanthus | women(armed) |
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St.Catherine was the parish of the fishermen and traders on the marsh islands of Cremon and Grimm in the South of the city. The parish was first mentioned in 1251. The attributes of St. Catherine are a crown, a broken torture wheel, a branch of palm tree and a sword. The flags of the regiment had been yellow. The regiment had 10 companies.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 May 2012
![[St. Catherine regiment flag of 1710]](../images/d/de-hh^c_710.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 4 Jul 2013
It is a yellow flag. In the centre is a black obelisk, nearly completely covered by golden military equipment. The obelisk is flanked by two women. At the hoist side is a woman in golden armour over a red garment and a blue helmet with golden junctions and white plumes. She bears a golden spear upright in one hand and a blue shield displaying a golden Hamburg castle in the other hand. The other woman also wears golden armour over a blue garment but without helmet. She has black hair and bears a staff with an eye at the top. Above the women is a dark blue cloud topped by a Jehova Sun. The rays are shining down on both women. Around the scene is an embowed circumscription in Antiqua "Gottes Schvtz dabey, trave schave wachsahm [sey]" (the last word is complemented/ thrice a "v" is written instead of an "u". Translation: "With the protection of God, confide, look and watch". The obelisk is placed upon a basement. On its front there is the coat of arms of civic captain Albert Wüllffken, appointed 1704, displaying a wolf coming out of a wood. Beneath the basement is in golden letters the date üAnno 1710ü. The flag has a bordure of spine acanthi. Within the bordure in the upper hoist corner is a tiny image of St. Catherine. The destroyed part (reconstructed) is depicted in a lighter shade.
Source: 1) photo located by Gudrun Hildebrandt, and 2) filing card no. AB84 Museum für hamburgische Geschichte
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 4 Jul 2013
![[St. Catherine regiment flag of 1721]](../images/d/de-hh^c_721.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 Dec 2011
According to filing card the ratio should be approx 5:4. But as a great part of the bottom had been completely destroyed the rest is nearly a square. The destroyed part (reconstructed) is depicted in a lighter shade.
It is a yellow flag decorated with Rocaille ornaments (creepers). In the centre is a 7-point radiant sun, superimposed by a 7-point star. The star is superimposed by a Jehova sun having the basic colour of the sheet. The sun is made by dark blue wavy beams with red edges. The seven points of the star nearly all have different colours and are bearing the name of one virtue in golden capitals each. The are edged by gyronnies golden-brown and silver.
![[St. Catherine flag of 1721 details]](../images/d/de-hh^c_721d.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 Dec 2011
Starting from the point to the flyend we have given ordered anti clockwise:
1) courage (FORTITVDO; red [237/28/36])
2) godliness (PIETAS; greyish blue [80/130/187])
3) steadfastness (CONSTANTIA; celestial blue [0/183/239])
4) concinnity (TEMPERANTIA; greyish blue [80/130/187])
5) cleverness (PRVDENTIA; dark red [201/16/26])
6) harmony (CONCORDIA; blue [16/61/137])
7) alertness (VIGILANTIA; blueish green [46/61/137])
The central element is enclosed by an uncomplete inscription in golden capitals (reconstruction in brackets; filing card gives no reconstruction) "PHOSPHORVS SALVTIFER REPUBL(ICAE HAM)BVRG" (= The morning star brings salvation to the state of Hamburg). According to my wife however it should be (more likely) "(HAM)BVRG PHOSPHORVS SALVTIFER REPUBL(ICAE)" (= Hamburg is the morning star bringing salvation to the state). In any case, it should be REPUBLICAE (dative or genitive).
In the upper hoist corner is the coat of arms of civic captain Johann Peter Reimbold, elected in 1713. His shield is divided per fess. Above in a celestial blue field is a green tree and a rampant stag in natural colour having an arrow in his mouth. Below the field is five times divided per fess into red and golden (=yellow) superimposed by two crossed arrows in natural colour. In the upper fly corner is another shield according to filing card blue with seven golden stars. In fact it is nearly completely destroyed. Maybe therein had been an image of patron saint Catherine.
Sources: 1) photo located by Gudrun Hildebrandt, and 2) filing card no. ABII455. Museum für hamburgische Geschichte
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 Dec 2011
![[St. Catherine regiment flag of 1740]](../images/d/de-hh^c8_740.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 Oct 2009
Description of flag:
The flags ratio is said to be approx. 10:8, which I couldn’t verify. It is a yellow flag. Hammonia is sitting in the centre on a pedestal, surrounded by military equipment. She is accompanied by a warrior, dressed like a Roman legionary. The warrior is said to be the God Mars. He holds a silver sword upright with his out stretched right arm while he is protecting Hammonia by holding a round shield above her head. Hammonia is holding a golden ring in her left hand. According to filing card it is a coronet crowned by red, masoned Hamburg castles. It’s so tiny, that you can’t even see it on the photo. Some are calling this ensemble a Hamburgian coronet (see detail below)
![[Hamburgian coronet 1740]](../images/d/de-hh^c8)740.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 Oct 2009
Above the couple is an embowed golden inscription "Pro Patria et Pace" (= for one’s country and peace). At both sides are golden inscriptions "Anno " (hoist) and "1740" (fly). In the middle of the top is a golden sun with God’s name "Jahwe" in Hebrew letters. This was a religious symbol used by protestants, who refused to depict any images of God in a personal form. In the upper hoist corner is a small coat of arms of Hamburg, in the upper fly corner is St. Catherine, sitting and holding a wheel, an instrument of torture. In the lower fly corner is a coat of arms showing a crowned obelisk, clasped by a black serpent, with a crest of the same pattern. It is the coat of arms of civic captain Johann Christian Crummel, appointed in 1739 (see also Lorenz-Meyer: "Hamburgische Wappenrolle", p.27, chart 26). In the centre of the pedestal is a shield, showing a rock in the water,
according to source crested by a ram and topped by initials "I.F.St.". Their meaning is not known.
Source: Museum für hamburgische Geschichte, filing card AB II 457 M 457.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 Oct 2009
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