The coat of arms of Schleswig or Southern Jutland ( da, Sønderjylland or Slesvig ) depicts two blue

lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...

in a

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

en shield. It is the

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

symbol of the former Duchy of

Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ...

, originally a Danish province but later disputed between Danes and Germans. The region has been divided between Germany and Denmark since 1920 and the symbol consequently appears in official heraldry in both countries. It is derived from the national

coat of arms of Denmark The coat of arms of Denmark ( da, Danmarks rigsvåben) has a lesser and a greater version. The state coat of arms () consists of three pale blue lion (heraldry), lions attitude (heraldry)#Passant, passant wearing crown (heraldic charge), crowns ...

and has been dated to the middle of the 13th century, first known from the arms of Erik Abelsøn, Duke of Schleswig. Throughout the ages, the design has featured both crowned and uncrowned lions, the lions have occasionally been accompanied by heraldic hearts, and usage between heraldic lions and

leopards The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus ''Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...

has shifted. The far most common version was to omit both crowns and hearts and this version has been used exclusively for several centuries. The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vi ...

terms is: ''Or, two lions passant in pale Azure armed Or langued Gules.''

Current use

Denmark

The unmodified arms of Schleswig is represented in the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of Denmark's royal family. The symbol has been located in the top-right corner since 1819 as specified by royal

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...

. The current version was specified by royal decree on 5 July 1972. A modified form of the symbol was used by the

South Jutland County South Jutland County ( Danish: ''Sønderjyllands Amt'') is a former county ( Danish: ''amt'') on the south-central portion of the Jutland Peninsula in southern Denmark. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, comprising the former counties of A ...

from 1980 until the

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

was dissolved effective January 1, 2007. The county originally wished to use the historic arms, but official authorisation was withheld to avoid confusion with both the royal coat of arms and the arms of the German ''Bundesland'' Schleswig-Holstein. This modified version showed the two lions jointly holding a Danish pennant. This was inspired by the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

Eric of Pomerania Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (1 ...

in which the three lions jointly hold the

Danish flag The national flag of Denmark ( da, Dannebrog, ) is red with a white Nordic cross, which means that the cross extends to the edges of the flag and the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. A banner with a white-on-red cross is ...

Germany

The

coat of arms of Schleswig-Holstein The coat of arms of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein is vertically divided: in the heraldically right field, i.e. left as seen by the viewer, two blue lions are depicted on a golden background, facing the other half. The lions of Schleswi ...

is a combination of the historic insignia of

Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...

and a slightly modified version of the Schleswig arms. This symbol was used by the secessionist German administration of the two duchies during the First War of Schleswig (1848–51) and depicted on the currency issued by this administration. At this time, the lions faced left. The area became a

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

following the Second War of Schleswig (1864) and the symbol was restored. The lions have faced right since the 1880s. According to legend, this change was ordered by Otto von Bismarck who noted that it was "impolite" of the Schleswig lions to turn their backs on Holstein. The official insignia is reserved for the government of Schleswig-Holstein, but a slightly modified version is allowed for use by the general public.Official website of Schleswig-Holstein
The lions also appear in the coats of arms of the city of Flensburg, and the ''Kreise''

Schleswig-Flensburg Schleswig-Flensburg (; da, Slesvig-Flensborg) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the south and clockwise) the districts of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Dithmarschen and Nordfriesland, the Region Syddanmark in Denma ...

and Rendsburg-Eckernförde. Many municipal arms in the German part of Schleswig also use insignia featuring either the two lions or the Schleswig colours, blue and yellow.

Gallery

Royal_coat_of_arms_of_Denmark.svg, The original coat of arms of Schleswig is represented in the top-right corner of the arms of the

Danish royal family The Danish royal family is the dynastic family of the monarch. All members of the Danish royal family except Queen Margrethe II hold the title of ''Prince/Princess of Denmark''. Dynastic children of the monarch and of the heir apparent are accor ...

Coat of arms of Schleswig.svg, In Danish heraldry, the Schleswig lions normally appear with red tongues and golden claws. Royal Coat of Arms of Greece.svg, The original coat of arms of Schleswig is represented in the top-right corner of the small crest on the arms of the

Greek royal family The Greek royal family (Greek: Ελληνική Βασιλική Οικογένεια) is a branch of the Danish royal family, itself a branch of the House of Glücksburg, that reigned in Greece from 1863 to 1924 and again from 1935 to 1973. It ...

. Coat of arms of the Duchy of Schleswig.svg, Coat of arms of the Duchy of Schleswig on the Geographia Blaviana (1659). DEU Schleswig-Holstein COA.svg,

Coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of the German ''Bundesland''

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

Hertug Hans Church Haderslev Denmark Coat of arms.jpg, Coat of arms of Duke Hans the Elder of Schleswig-Holstein-Haderslev (a son of

Frederick I of Denmark Frederick I (Danish and ; ; ; 7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533) was King of Denmark and Norway. He was the last Roman Catholic monarch to reign over Denmark and Norway, when subsequent monarchs embraced Lutheranism after the Protestant Re ...

) DEU Flensburg COA.svg, Coat of arms of Flensburg Wappen Kreis Schleswig-Flensburg.png, Coat of arms of Kreis

Wappen Kreis Rendsburg-Eckernfoerde.png, Coat of arms of Kreis Rendsburg-Eckernförde Boeklund-Gemeindewappen.png, Coat of arms of Böklund Busdorf-Wappen.png, Coat of arms of Busdorf Handewitt-Wappen.png, Coat of arms of

Handewitt Handewitt ( da, Hanved) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the border with Denmark, approx. 7 km west of Flensburg. Handball The Handball-Bundesliga team SG Flen ...

Langballig Amt Wappen.png, Coat of arms of Amt Langballig Munkbrarup-Wappen.png, Coat of arms of Munkbrarup Flensburg Kreis Wappen.png, Coat of arms of the former Kreis Flensburg-Land Husum Kreis Wappen.png, Coat of arms of the former Kreis Husum Rendsburg Kreis Wappen.png, Coat of arms of the former Kreis Rendsburg Flensborghus.JPG, Flag used by the ''South Schleswig Association'', representing the Danish minority in Germany

Current use

Denmark

Germany

Gallery

References

See also