Altheim (Oberösterreich)

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of Austria - Österreichische Gemeindewappen

ALTHEIM

State : Oberösterreich
District : Braunau am Inn

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on September 8, 1969.

Altheim first received arms on July 6, 1581 by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bayern, at the same time as the town rights. The official description does no longer exist, but the composition is similar to the above arms. The arms show a letter A (in red on a blue field) and an eel in a bend (black on silver). The lower half, however, showed the silver and blue diamonds of Bayern. In the late 18^th century the diamonds were replaced by the pales of Oberösterreich, as the area was acquired by the Dukes of Austria. The new arms were officially confirmed (i.e. they were used already before) on April 1st, 1784. The only change in 1969 was the change of the colours of the eel, bend and letter A. These are now more conform the heraldic rule of tincture.

The eel (Aal) was a canting element for the first two letters of the name (which actually has nothing to do with eels, meaning old-homestead, not Aalheim). The letter A is the town's initial, the lower half thus shows the arms of Bayern and, later, Oberösterreich.

The arms in the Coffee Hag album +/- 1932

Literature : Baumert, H.E. : Oberösterreichische Gemeindewappen, Linz, 1996.