Last modified: 2010-02-27 by jarig bakker
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![[Krefeld city flag]](../images/d/de-nw-kr.gif)
3:5 image by Gunnar Staack, Stefan Schwoon at kommunalflaggen.de
See also:
A photo of
the flag, taken in Bischofstein Castle on 5 June 2001 by "hhschueller",
shows the flag of Krefeld as horizontally divided black-yellow with the
coat of arms in the middle.
According to the "Heraldry of the World" website, the arms of Krefeld,
granted on 3 July 1950, are a combination of the former arms of Krefeld
and Uerdingen (merged into Krefeld in 1930) combined per pale. These arms
superseded the arms adopted in 1931, made of the former arms of Krefeld
and Uerdingen combined per fess.
The former arms of Krefeld, known since the 14th century shows on a
background argent St. Dionysius, headless and nimbed or, holding his miter-wearing
head in his left hand and a bishop's crozier in his right hand; the
saint has a red cloak and a white robe, and an escutcheon "Or a fess sable"
placed at his feet, representing the arms of the Counts of Moers, once
lords of Krefeld.
St. Dionysius (Denis), first bishop of Paris, was martyred in 272 and
buried north of the town. Centuries later, the authors of popular "vitae"
(biographies) of the saint invented several missing historical details.
Beheaded on the hill of Montmartre (Mons martyrium), Dionysius took his
head under his arm, walked six kilometer
northwards, offerred his head to the pious Dame Catulla and fell dead
on the place where the St. Denis abbey and basilica was later erected.
In the 12th century, as a part of his political program, Abbot Suger
of St. Denis forged manuscripts and mixed the traditions of other saints
named Dionysius. The abbey became later "the" Royal abbey, where the kings
of France were crowned and buried.
The former arms of Uerdingen are "Per fess azure and gules two keys
or overall flanked by two escutcheons argent a cross sable". The keys symbolize
St. Peter, patron saint of the town and of the State of Cologne, to which
Uerdingen once belonged, also symbolized by the escutcheons.
Source: Ralf Hartemink's
website.
Ivan Sache, 28 Nov 2009