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Göttingen County (Germany)

Landkreis Göttingen, Lower Saxony

Last modified: 2021-07-17 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: goettingen(county) | osterode(county) | duderstadt(county) | lion(yellow) | lion(blue) | wheel | milrind | inescutcheon | tobacco(leaf) | horse(white) |
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[Göttingen County flag] 2:3 image by Jörg Majewski, 12 July 2021 See also:

Göttingen County

The county was enlarged twice. In 1973 the counties of Duderstadt and Münden were added, in 2016 the county of Osterode.
Jörg Majewski, 21 Dec 2007

On 1 November 2016 the former Osterode am Harz County and Göttingen County merged, new name is Göttingen County. The new symbols were designed by Hans Otto Arnold. On 22 February 2017, the local Council adopted the Flag Bill Act. Since 1 July 2017 flag and arms are official.
Jens Pattke, 6 Mar 2017
Source: here
Jens Pattke, 6 Mar 2017

Göttingen County Flag

It is a red over yellow horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: §2(2) of Hauptsatzung of Göttingen County, version 22 February 2017
Jens Pattke, 6 Mar 2017

Göttingen County Banner

[Göttingen County banner] 5:2 image by Jörg Majewski, 12 July 2021

It is a red over yellow vertical bicolour with arms shifted to top.
Source: presentation of Klaus Günther on 27 September 2020 in Schwarzburg (DVT28)
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 July 2021

Göttingen County Arms

[Göttingen County arms] image by Jens Pattke, 6 Mar 2017
adopted 22 February 2017

The shield is twice parted per fess. In chief in a field Gules is a lion passant sinister facing Or, armed and tongued Azure. In centre in a field Or is a lion passant guardant Azure [or: leopard], armed and tongued Gules. In base in a field Gules is a wheel Argent.
Meaning:
The upper part displays a modification of the lion of the Welfen dynasty, the centre a modification of the lin of the Dukes of Braunschweig. The wheel was taken from the arms of the Archbishops of Mainz, the former rulers in Duderstadt. The largest part of the district was part of the main possession of the Welfen dynasty since the 13th century.
Source: §2(1) of Hauptsatzung of Göttingen County, version 22 February 2017
Jens Pattke, 6 Mar 2017


Göttingen County Flag (1955 - 1973)

[ flag] 3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 July 2021

It was a red-yellow horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: presentation of Klaus Günther on 27 September 2020 in Schwarzburg (DVT28)
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 July 2021

Göttingen County Arms (1955 - 1973)

Shield parted per fess, above Gules a lion passant Or, beneath Or a milrind Gules.
Meaning:
The county consisted of the subcounties (German: Ämter) of Harste, Leineberg, Friedland, Reinhausen, Radolfshausen and Niedeck. They all had been possessions of the Welfen kin since the 13th century. They are represented by lion of the Braunschweigian duchies, here shown in the simplified version as displayed on seals from the 14th century. The millrind is taken from the family arms of the Counts of Plesse, who ruled the northern part of the county until 1571. Their county became a part of Hessen, after the kin had died out in 1571. This area was transformed to the Hannoverian subcounty of Bovenden. The remains of Plesse castle are a landmark of the northern part of the county until now.
Source: Stadler 1964, p.39
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 July 2021

The arms were approved on 25 October 1935 by Prussian Minister of State
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 July 2021


Göttingen County Flag (1973 - 2017)

[Göttingen County flag (1973-2017)] 2:3 image by Jörg Majewski, 21 Dec 2007

It was a yellow over red horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Jörg Majewski, 21 Dec 2007

Göttingen County Banner (1973 - 2017)

[Göttingen County banner (1973-2017)] 5:2 image by Jörg Majewski, 21 Dec 2007

It was a yellow-red vertical bicolour with arms shifted to the top.
Jörg Majewski, 21 Dec 2007

Göttingen County Arms (1973 - 2017)

[Göttingen County arms (1973-2017)] image by Jörg Majewski, 21 Dec 2007

Shield Or, ordered per pale 1) above an inescutcheon Gules parted by a pall reversed Argent, 2) a milrind Gules and 3) a plate covred by a wheel Gules; chief Gules charged with a lion passant guardant Or, armed and tongued Azure.
Meaning:
The arms show in the upper part the Welfen lion, as a common symbol for all three former counties. The lower part shows the milrind from the old arms, combined with the inescutcheon derived from the Münden county arms, and the wheel from the Duderstadt county arms.
Source: Ralf Hartemink's webpage
Jörg Majewski, 21 Dec 2007

These arms were approved on 8 November 1973 and the flag on 24 October 1973.
Jörg Majewski, 21 Dec 2007


Duderstadt County (- 1972)

Duderstadt County Flag

[Duderstadt county flag (- 1972)] 3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider,

It was a red-white horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: presentation of Klaus Günther on 27 September 2020 in Schwarzburg (DVT28)
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 July 2021

Duderstadt County Arms

Shield parted per fess, above Gules a horse salient Argent, beneath Argent a 6-spokes wheel Gules flanked by two tobacco leaves Vert, one in bend and one in bend sinister.
Meaning:
The county was established in 1885 by a merger of the subcounties (German: Ämter) of Duderstadt, Gieboldehausen and Lindau, which had been a part of the Osterode County. The wheel is the heraldic symbol of the Archbishopric of Mainz, which ruled the county as part of the Eichsfeld area until 1802. The county became a possession of the Kingdom of hannover as the "golden marsh" in 1815. The leaves are stressing local tobacco plantations. The horse is alluding to the fact that the county belonges to Niedersachsen after WW2 and is also referring to local horse breeding on the Pferdeberg (English: horse mountain) near Gerblingerode. Stud farms had been near Duderstadt since the times of German King Heinrich I (919 - 936).
Source: Stadler 1964, p.28
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 July 2021

The arms were approved on 27 May 1950 by Minister of Interior of Niedersachsen.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 July 2021


Osterode am Harz County (- 2016)

Osterode County Flag

[Osterode am Harz County flag (- 2017)] 3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 4 Jan 2008

It was a red-blue horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Jörg Majewski, 4 Jan 2008

Osterode County Banner

[Osterode am Harz County banner] 3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 4 Jan 2008

It was a red-blue vertical bicolour with arms shifted to top..
Jörg Majewski, 4 Jan 2008

Osterode County Arms (- 2016)

[Osterode am Harz County arms] image by Jörg Majewski, 4 Jan 2008

Shield enhanced parted per fess; above Gules a lion rampant guardant double queued Or, armed Azure and tongued Gules; beneath Azure a lion rampant double queued Or, armed and tongued Gules.
Meaning:
Flag and banner were approved on 13 September 1960. The arms were approved on 4 July 1936.
The arms show the lions of the Welfen family in the lower part and the arms of Hannover in the upper part. The main part of the district was the Principality of Grubenhagen, that was ruled by a branch of the Welfen family. The whole principality became later part of the Kingdom of Hannover.
Sources: Stadler 1964, p.72
Jörg Majewski, 4 Jan 2008


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