| Munich Free state of Bavaria | |
|---|---|
| |
| Blazon | |
| Small Coat: Argent, a boy monk proper habited in a cowl Sable trimmed Or, his dexter hand in the act of benediction and his sinister hand holding a book Gules
Large Coat: Argent, a city gate double-towered Gules the towers with spires barré dancetté Or and Sable, issuing from the battlements a demi-lion rampant crowned Or and standing in the portal a boy monk proper habited in a cowl Sable trimmed Or, his dexter hand in the act of benediction and his sinister hand holding a book Gules | |
| Basic data | |
| Introduction: | 13th Century Royal Seal: 1304 |
| Legal basis: | Main seal: 1239 City council ruling: 1957 |
| Supporting Documents: |
11 June 1865: 24 December 1936: 17 December 1957: |
| Alterations: | 1808, 1818, 1834, 1865, 1936, 1949 |
| Armiger: | Dieter Reiter, Lord Mayor of Munich |
| Former municipalities with their own coat: |
Au, Aubing, Feldmoching, Milbertshofen, Obermenzing, Pasing, Schwabing, Untermenzing |
The coat of arms of Munich (Münchner Wappen) depicts a young monk dressed in black holding a red book. It has existed in a similar form since the 13th century, though at certain points in its history it has not depicted the central figure of the monk at all. As the German name for Munich, München, means Home of Monks, the monk in this case is a self-explanatory symbol (canting arms) who represents the city of Munich.
Appearing on a document of 28 May 1239, the oldest seal of Munich has a picture of a monk wearing an open hood. While all seal impressions show the monk with the book in one hand and three outstretched fingers in the other, the monk has varied slightly, appearing in profile, then later full-faced and bare-headed. By the 19th century the figure was portrayed as youthful and became known as the Münchner Kindl or Munich Child. The coat of arms in its current form was created in 1957 and is still an important symbol of the Bavarian state capital.