Talk:Swedish heraldry/Municipal heraldry

Municipal heraldry

There are 290 municipalities in Sweden, each with its own coat of arms. A local government reform in the 1960s–1970s made all cities part of a municipality. The city arms often—but not always—became the coat of arms of the new municipality. As some municipalities were created at this time by merging smaller communities, this led in some cases to arms consisting of two parts, each derived from one of the communities. Some new municipalities also lacked historical cities within, and therefore created wholly new coats of arms. Municipalities which carry the name of a former city can, if they choose, have a mural crown on top of their coat of arms. While no law forbids other municipalities from using the mural crown, it is customarily reserved for those bearing former city arms. Kalmar was the first to establish city arms in 1247, and Stockholm, Skara and Örebro were also among the first cities in Sweden to establish city arms. As recently as 2007, Härryda Municipality was among the last municipalities in Sweden to replace its logo with a newly registered coat of arms. Municipal arms may not use any colors (tinctures) other than argent, Or, gules, azure, sable and vert. As in other heraldic traditions, the rule of tincture applies and it is the blazon—not the image—that is legally registered.

Former city arms

The following is not an exhaustive list of the 133 historic cities in Sweden, but a brief list of cities that are notable and bear heraldic significance within the context of Swedish heraldry. Each is listed by the city name, in general chronological order with the approximate year of settlement or city charter. Note that most city arms originated in the Middle Ages as a city seal, and all were registered as municipality (kommun) arms in the 1970s.

Skara (established in 988) is the oldest city in Sweden. It has used various versions of its cathedral in its symbol since the 1600s, and received its current arms in 1963. Blazon: Argent, a shingled Romanesque church with apse and two towers gules, roofs pointed with crowning crosses, the right tower highest with door and windows argent.

Sigtuna (990), one of the oldest cities in Sweden, is known for its Viking Age history and rune stones. In medieval times, coins were minted at Sigtuna, and legend suggests it was the royal seat for a time, signified by the crown on its arms. The crown appeared in the city seal in 1311, and carried through to the municipal arms granted in 1971. Blazon: Azure, a crown Or between three mullets argent.

Visby (1000) is notable as the medieval walled city on the isle of Gotland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gotland Municipality has incorporated the city arms of Visby, depicting an Agnus Dei, the symbol of Saint John. It can be attested as far back as the 13th century. An important city in the times of the Hanseatic League, Visby was granted city rights in the 13th century, and early renderings of the city arms featured a semy of lilies (symbolic of St. Mary).

Kalmar (1100) has the oldest known city arms in Sweden, depicting a fortified tower (borgtorn) and dating to 1247. The two stars were added by the end of the 13th century, and the arms have remained vitually unchanged to date. Blazon: Argent, a tower embattled gules, with door and windows Or, issuing from a wavy base azure, between two mullets of six points gules.

Arboga (1200s), settled in the 10th century, has been a city since 1480 and was home of the first parliament of Sweden (Riksdag) in 1435. Arboga's city arms originated from a city seal dating from 1330. The original city seal showed an eagle with three roundels placed one on each wing and the tail, and a letter "A" between two stars. The "A" was omitted and the stars moved onto the eagle's wings in 1969, and the same arms granted to the municipality in 1974. Blazon: Argent, an eagle sable, beaked langued and armed gules, each wing charged with a mullet of six points Or.

Malmö (1250) is the southernmost, and third largest, city in Sweden. Malmö's arms, granted by Eric of Pomerania in 1437, survive virtually unchanged today and, together with Halmstad, are unique in having a helmet and crest included in the achievement of arms. Blazon: Argent, a griffin head [erased] gules crowned Or; the same upon the helmet, issuing from the crown a bundle of ostrich feathers argent.

Stockholm (1250) is the largest city and present-day capital of Sweden. The original city seal, dating to 1296, depicts a tower, to which more towers were later added, and in 1376, the third seal eschewed the towers in favor of a crowned head, said to represent Saint Erik. In the 1920s, the city arms were revised, based upon a church icon said to represent Saint Olaf, although the blazon clearly indicates Saint Erik as the intended subject, and these arms were officially granted in 1934. Blazon: Azure, a crowned head of Saint Erik [couped] Or.

Uppsala (1286) was the seat of power in Sweden from antiquity. Since the 12th century, it has been the ecclesiastical center of Sweden, and Uppsala University, founded in 1477, is the oldest university in Sweden. The origin of the city arms is somewhat obscure, but the lion has been featured on Uppsala's city seal since at least 1737, and in the city arms which were granted in 1943. Blazon: Azure, a crowned lion passant gardant Or, fimbriated sable and langued and armed gules.

Växjö (1342) received its city charter in 1342, but was already an important commercial center by AD 1000. It was an important religious center in the Middle Ages, and was the childhood home of 18th century botanist Carolus Linnaeus. Växjö has city arms depicting Saint Sigfrid, a national saint who died at Växjö and was buried in the cathedral. In the arms, he is depicted wearing traditional Catholic bishop equipment with some water beneath him. The meaning of the water is unclear, but it may refer to the spring which, according to legend, always sprang forth where a saint died.

Landskrona (1413) was established by Eric of Pomerania as an anti-Hansa city in competition with the Danish port cities of the time, shortly after Skåne had been conquered by Sweden. The city was originally symbolised by a gold "queen's crown" on a red field, in direct reference to Margrethe Valdemarsdatter, and the city received its present arms in 1880, based on a city seal from 1663 depicting a crown, a lion, a ship and a cornucopia on a quartered field. Landskrona is unique among Swedish municipal arms in having its own crown and supporters as part of its own achievement of arms. Since Landskrona was a city, the municipality has, in theory, the option to crown the shield with a wall crown, but this is not done since Landskrona already has its very own crown.

Gothenburg (1619), the second largest city in Sweden, was founded in 1621 by Gustav II Adolf. The city arms feature the Folkung lion of the Greater Coat of Arms of Sweden, but armed with a drawn sword and bearing the "Svea Rikes" shield (a blue shield charged with three gold crowns). The lion, king of the animals, stands for power and agility. The direction of the Gothenburg lion and the crown have been especially controversial. The blazon received in 1952 read: "Azure, three wavy bends sinister argent, overlaid with a lefthanded lion crowned with closed crown Or, with forked tail, langued and armed gules, swinging with the right forepaw a sword Or, and maintaining in the left a shield azure with three crowns Or, arranged two and one."

Kiruna (1948), an iron mining town in the 20th century, became chartered as the northernmost city in Sweden in 1948 and is the seat of Kiruna Municipality, which also includes the annually rebuilt ice hotel in nearby Jukkasjärvi. The city arms of Kiruna were granted in 1949, and the municipal arms were registered in 1974. Blazon: Party per fess: Argent, the Iron alchemical symbol azure; Azure, a ptarmigan argent. Sparking local political controversy, the ptarmigan received red claws and beak in 1971.

Other municipal arms

Oxelösund is one example of a municipality emerging from a split between two cities – in this case, Nyköping and Oxelösund, which are now in neighboring municipalities since the splitting of Nikolai rural municipality in 1950. The town of Oxelösund was established in 1900 and became a city in 1950, when it became a separate municipality from Nyköping.

Stenungsund is one example of a municipality that, having no historic city arms, created wholly new arms in the 1970s. This device, displaying a hydrocarbon molecule, alludes to the area's petrochemical industry, and is also an example of distinctly modern arms. The arms, registered with the PRV in 1977, display: Argent, a hydrocarbon molecule of three pellets conjoined with six bezants gules, over a base wavy azure.