Borna

Heraldry of the World
Civic heraldry of Germany - Deutsche Wappen (Gemeindewappen/Kreiswappen)

BORNA

State : Sachsen
District (Kreis) : Leipzig (until 2008 Leipziger Land)
Additions : 1840 Haulwitz; 1934 Gnandorf; 1994 Eula; 2004 Wyhratal (1993 Neukirchen-Wyhra (1948 Neukirchen, Wyhra), Thräna, Zedtlitz)

Origin/meaning

The arms show in the upper right half the black lion of the Counts of Meissen, as the town was a longtime possession of the counts. The uppe rleft half shows the helmet and crest of the arms of the Counts of Meissen, the so-called Jew's Head, a male bearded head with a special hat.

The base shows a church. The oldest seals of the city showed a church as the main symbol, with the two other elements as small figures above the church. The chirch has been described as a symbol of the diocese of Merseburg, to which the city belonged.

Until the middle of the 19th century the city used arms, based on the oldest seals. These arms were still shown by Hupp in the 1920s (see images below). In 1897 the present arms were officially granted.

The arms from 1897

The main colours, gold and blue, are derived from the Wettin family, Counts of Meissen. During the DDR times the arms were iften shown with a black lower field and only one main tower. In the 1990s the colours were restored.