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Bieruń city (Poland)

Bedzin county, Slaskie vojvodship

image by Chrystian Kretowicz, 6 Nov 2008
adopted ?

Bieruń city flag
Bieruń Coat of Arms

See also:

Bieruń city flag

Bieruń - urban commune, Bieruń-Lędziny County, Śląskie Voivodship - German name: Berun.
Bieruń is a town in south Poland with 19,841 inhabitants (2003).
Situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Katowice Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Bieruń-Lędziny County.
In present-day Bieruń's vicinity, the ancient settlement of Leucaristus was located as marked on Ptolemy's (Claudius Ptolemaeus) map of AD 142-147.
City rights received in 1387 from Prince Jan II Żelazny (Raciborski). Until 1551 the city was in possession of the Silesian Piasts but held as fief by the Bohemians.
Since 1743 in the Prussian State (lost the city rights). In 1865 city rights recovered.
From 1922 to 1939 within the borders of Polish Second Republic.
!939-1945 under German occupation.
1975-1991 a subdivision of the City of Tychy.
1991 - separated from Tychy and obtains self-government as a town
Site of the major coal mine -"Piast".

Arms of Bieruń are based on the city seal of 1587 and probably on the seal even 100 years older.
The first legal Arms were decreed by the Minister of Internal Affairs on October 3, 1936.
"On the silver shield there is red deer running to the left on the green grass and having a pelican standing on its horns."
The Arms in this form existed until 1975 when the town ceased to be (after inclusion into Tychy).
After the restoration of the independence of the town in 1991, the Arms were changed to comply with the rules of heraldry and colors of Silesia.
The shield became blue, the deer - black and the grass - yellow.
It isn't clear what kind of bird is resting on the deer's horns.
The decree of 1936 calls it a pelican, but it surely looks more like a swan.

The city's Law ("Statut") doesn't mention the flag, implying there is none, but photographic evidence suggests otherwise, showing the local mountain climbers unfurling the city's flag on the summit of Mount Elbrus (Caucasus) in 2006.
That flag is white with the Arms in the center.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 6 Nov 2008

Bieruń Coat of Arms

image by Chrystian Kretowicz, 6 Nov 2008
adopted 1991