The Dynasty of Anhalt

one of the oldest domestic historical writers called the dynasty of the Askanier very aged and an ancient nobility, which had its origin in Swabia. The battles of the Teutons against the Slawen in this country lead into a regency later on. The dynasty of the Askanier itself has an extending approved history and genealogy over 900 years; therefore it is equal with the oldest German dynasties of princes

The first ancestor gentleman of the dynasty, known by name, is Esiko, Count of Ballenstedt; its descendants: Otto the rich, born 1123, Bernhard Duke of Saxony, born 1212 and Albrecht the Bear born 1179 - from whom also the bear in the Berlin coat of arms should descend, raised the fame of the dynasty and its possession. From the inheritance of Bernhard of Saxony the special principality followed, justified by Heinrich I 1212, which remained to the dynasty from all the large rule possession of the Askanier.

The country Anhalt originated in the 11./12. Century as possession of the aristocracy house of the Askanier and was part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The name decreases to the askanian master castle Anhalt at Harzgerode. The country was splitted several times in the course of the time by distribution of the estate (among other things to Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Aschersleben, Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Köthen, Anhalt-Zerbst and various further). The first united princedom Anhalt developed in 1570. .

In 1806 the remaining States of Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen were elevated to duchies. 1863, with the termination of the lines into Köthen and into Bernburg it came to an union of the duchies to the united duchy Anhalt with Dessau as capital

The name Anhalt is derived from "castle" at the "Halde" (dump). The old dynasty of Lower Saxony of the Askanien prevailed since the beginning of the empire in the central German area. Sophie Auguste Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst (1729 - 1796), the later Katharina II. (Katharina die Große), empress of Russia since 1762, was a direct descendant of the Askanian dynasty.

History of the seal and coat of arms of the anhaltinian cities

The large national coat of of the duchy Anhalt contains a two times split and three times divided main shield, with a heart shaped shield in the front. The latter contains the coat of arms of Anhalt.

 

The twelve fields of the main shield show the following coats of arms:

1. Herzogtum Sachsen - Duchy Saxonia

2. Pfalz Sachsen - Pfalz Saxonia

3. Herzogtum Engern - Duchy Engern

4. Beringersches Geschlecht - Beringer dynasty

5. presented heartplate with the coat of arms of Anhalt

6. Herrschaft Ballenstedt - Rule Ballenstedt

7. Grafschaft Askanien - County Askanien

8. Grafschaft Waldersee - County Waldersee

9. Hohe Grafschaft Warmsdorf - High county Warmsdorf

10. Grafschaft Mühlingen - County Mühlingen

11. Regalien - Regalia

12. Herrschaft Bernburg - Rule Bernburg

 

The seven clasphelmets resting on the shield are to be assigned as follows:

1. Grafschaft Mühlingen - County Mühlingen

2. Herzogtum Engern - Duchy Engern

3. Beringersches Geschlecht - Beringer dynasty

4. Dynasty Anhalt

5. Herzogtum Sachsen - Duchy Saxonia

6. Pfalz Sachsen - Pfalz Saxonia

7. Grafschaft Askanien - County Askanien

Around the shield hangs the chain of the house medal from Albrecht the Bear, which was donated on 18 November 1836 by the three dukes Heinrich of Anhalt-Köthen, Leopold Friedrich of Anhalt-Dessau and Alexander Karl of Anhalt-Bernburg as general house medal of the duchies of Anhalt. Two black bears with golden crowns have the purpose as supporters. The magenta canopy rising above the whole shield is crowned with a duke crown.

 

Dessau

The inscription of coats of arms of Dessau can be translated into the heraldic language as follows: "Divided; split above; in front silver, at the gap a half red eagle, in the back divided nine times of black and gold, covered by diagonally-right green lozenge ring (Anhalt); down of gold and red quartered." The squared shield, which constitutes the lower half of the town coat of arms, was the coat of arms of the former counts of Waldersee; the upper part of the coat of arms shows the old landmark of the princes of Anhalt. As the oldest seal, which is still preserved, it appears in 1323 with the following caption: "S. CIVIVM IN DISSOWE". One seal used in 1536 even contains the castle church, "which shows the town coat of arms above the gate".

Ballenstedt

Coat of arms: "Split, in the front seven times divided by gold and black, in the back seven times devided by black and gold." This coat of arms is a "modification" of the shield of the counts of Ballenstedt and it appears at first in 1560, when Ballenstedt became a town. It ist presumed that the "mistaken coloring" represents the old and the new city.

Bernburg

Coat of arms: "In silver a red castle with two towers, in the gate the shield of Anhalt (same as Dessau!); between the towers the anhaltinian helmet, from whose crown two staves squared by black and gold ascend crosswise, peacock fethers are attached on the diagonally crossed ends; Helmet: Covers on the right of red and silver, left black and gold." The old-urban seal, emerged after 1300, has only the helmet between the towers; on the later seal of the new city there is no castle, but contains the regular coat of arms of Anhalt, yet without the lozenge ring. The second old-urban seal known to us "puts the small shield below the castle", which then in 1536 is in the gate again.

Coswig

(Anhalt) coat of arms: "In a blue field, covered with golden stars, a crowned, silver dressed woman, with a golden helmet in the right hand and her left hand is resting on a shield: split, in front into black and five golden bars, in the back a half red eagle in silver at the gap." As Coswig was in the early years a domicile for duchy widows, maybe that is the reason why the woman was put in the seal field. In 1325 and 1512 the "S. CIVITATIS COSWIG" appears with the same picture. In the 19th. Century the Anhaltinien shield was revised by "changing the figures".

Hoym

During the foundation of the town (1928) there was no new coat of arms created, however this seal was taken.

Radegast

Coat of arms: "On the left a battlement tower in silver, with a wall on the right side, a bear which climbs the staircase." In 1772 Radegast was raised to a small marked town by Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau and at the same time it received this kind of the Bernburger coat of arms.

Wörlitz

Coat of arms: "A wall in silver with closed wall gates, on its pinnacle the bear of Bernburg walks to the right side." This coat of arms is obviously on of the later ones. We have seen that the heraldic animal of the old Askanian, the black bar, still lives on in the town coat of arms, though it appears not as frequent, as the red eagle does in the coats of arms of the former market counts of Brandenburg.

 

Further Information:

Pictures of castle Anhalt: [click here ].