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City of Ratzeburg (Germany)

Stadt Ratzeburg, seat of Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg, Schleswig-Holstein

Last modified: 2017-11-11 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: ratzeburg | castle(red) | stripes(7) |
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[Ratzeburg city flag] 3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 1 Sep 2006
approved 27 February 1964 See also:

City of Ratzeburg

Ratzeburg City Flag

Ratzeburg Coat of Arms

Description of flag:
The ratio is 3:5. The hoist side displays the coat of arms without shield. The flyend is horizontally divided into seven alternating black and yellow stripes.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Feb 2013

Description of coat of arms:
In the silver shield is a red castle masoned black. The castle consists of an embattled wall, topped by three embattled towers. The central tower is roofed blue. The roof is topped by a red ball. The castle has an open gate with golden (= yellow) wings. At the base of the castle are six golden (= yellow) palisades, three on either side.
Meaning:
The arms are based upon the oldest seals around 1350. The settlement was built up by Heinrich von Badwide -the first count of Ratzeburg- since the middle of the 12th century and gained city rights in the 13th century. Since the 16th century the castle appears on coats of arms. The design was temporarily changed in the 15th and 16th century. The form of the oldest seal was fixed in 1962 on occasion of the 900-years-anniversary of Ratzeburg. The colours of stripes allude to the dukes of the Askanian kin, who ruled the duchy from 1296 until 1689. In 1616 Ratzeburg became the capital of the duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg and is today the seat of the county.
Source: Reißmann 1997, p.284 and Stadler 1970, p.107

The flag was approved on 27 February 1964. The coat of arms was approved on 28 August 1962. The artist is Erwin Karsten from Ratzeburg.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Feb 2013


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