Coat of arms of Rotterdam
Encyclopedia
The coat of arms
of Rotterdam
is the official symbol of the city of Rotterdam. It consists of a shield and has a green band of the original weapon of Wena, bisected by a white band symbolizes the Rotte
, two golden
lions
, and four lions, two black and two red on a gold field, and the motto
of Rotterdam.
To the surrender of Rotterdam
, the weapon was given by William I, Count of Holland
and Hainaut in thanks for the support of the lords of the Court of Wena in its fight against Flanders
in 1304. The lions are the two red Dutch
lions and two black Hainaut lions.
In the coat of arms of Rotterdam, the field
of the escutcheon (heraldic
shield) is green
. The field is charged
with a white
pale
. The field and the pale result in three vertical bands in the colours green, white, and green.
of the escutcheon are two rampant golden
lions
. The compartment
the lions stand on is a stone pedestal
. The lions were added to the coat of arms in the 16th century.
of the Netherlands wanted to remember the role of the citizens of Rotterdam during World War II
and created a motto
consisting of the Dutch
words "Sterker door strijd", meaning "Stronger through struggle". The American
position Rotterdam, New York
also uses this motto. On January 1948, Wilhelmina presented the motto as part of the coat of arms of Rotterdam to the city government.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
is the official symbol of the city of Rotterdam. It consists of a shield and has a green band of the original weapon of Wena, bisected by a white band symbolizes the Rotte
Rotte (river)
The Rotte is a river the in Rhine-Maas-delta in the Netherlands. It rises in Moerkapelle in the so-called Green Heart. It flows past Bleiswijk and Bergschenhoek; in Rotterdam it flows into the Nieuwe Maas...
, two golden
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
lions
Lion (heraldry)
The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
, and four lions, two black and two red on a gold field, and the motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
of Rotterdam.
To the surrender of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, the weapon was given by William I, Count of Holland
William I, Count of Hainaut
William I, Count of Hainaut was Count William III of Avesnes, Count William III of Holland and Count William II of Zeeland from 1304 to his death...
and Hainaut in thanks for the support of the lords of the Court of Wena in its fight against Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in 1304. The lions are the two red Dutch
County of Holland
The County of Holland was a county in the Holy Roman Empire and from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area roughly corresponding to the current Dutch provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland, as well as the islands of Terschelling, Vlieland,...
lions and two black Hainaut lions.
Escutcheon
Field (heraldry)
In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the field. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures or furs. The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern....
of the escutcheon (heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
shield) is green
Vert
The colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period....
. The field is charged
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
with a white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
pale
Pale (heraldry)
A pale is a term used in heraldic blazon and vexillology to describe a charge on a coat of arms , that takes the form of a band running vertically down the center of the shield. Writers broadly agree that the width of the pale ranges from about one-fifth to about one-third of the width of the...
. The field and the pale result in three vertical bands in the colours green, white, and green.
Golden lions
The supportersSupporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
of the escutcheon are two rampant golden
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
lions
Lion (heraldry)
The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
. The compartment
Compartment
In heraldry, a compartment is a design placed under the shield, usually rocks, a grassy mount , or some sort of other landscape upon which the supporters are depicted as standing...
the lions stand on is a stone pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
. The lions were added to the coat of arms in the 16th century.
Motto
The QueenWilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
of the Netherlands wanted to remember the role of the citizens of Rotterdam during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and created a motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
consisting of the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
words "Sterker door strijd", meaning "Stronger through struggle". The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
position Rotterdam, New York
Rotterdam (town), New York
Rotterdam is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 28,316 at the 2000 census.The town of Rotterdam is in the south-central part of the county. It was founded by Dutch settlers, who named it after the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where many emigrants last...
also uses this motto. On January 1948, Wilhelmina presented the motto as part of the coat of arms of Rotterdam to the city government.
The coat of armsCoat of armsA coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
is the official symbol of the city of Rotterdam. It consists of a shield and has a green band of the original weapon of Wena, bisected by a white band symbolizes the RotteRotte (river)The Rotte is a river the in Rhine-Maas-delta in the Netherlands. It rises in Moerkapelle in the so-called Green Heart. It flows past Bleiswijk and Bergschenhoek; in Rotterdam it flows into the Nieuwe Maas...
, two goldenOr (heraldry)In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
lionsLion (heraldry)The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
, and four lions, two black and two red on a gold field, and the mottoMottoA motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
of Rotterdam.
To the surrender of RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, the weapon was given by William I, Count of HollandWilliam I, Count of HainautWilliam I, Count of Hainaut was Count William III of Avesnes, Count William III of Holland and Count William II of Zeeland from 1304 to his death...
and Hainaut in thanks for the support of the lords of the Court of Wena in its fight against FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in 1304. The lions are the two red DutchCounty of HollandThe County of Holland was a county in the Holy Roman Empire and from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area roughly corresponding to the current Dutch provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland, as well as the islands of Terschelling, Vlieland,...
lions and two black Hainaut lions.
Escutcheon
In the coat of arms of Rotterdam, the fieldField (heraldry)In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the field. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures or furs. The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern....
of the escutcheon (heraldicHeraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
shield) is greenVertThe colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period....
. The field is chargedCharge (heraldry)In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
with a whiteWhiteWhite is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
palePale (heraldry)A pale is a term used in heraldic blazon and vexillology to describe a charge on a coat of arms , that takes the form of a band running vertically down the center of the shield. Writers broadly agree that the width of the pale ranges from about one-fifth to about one-third of the width of the...
. The field and the pale result in three vertical bands in the colours green, white, and green.
Golden lions
The supportersSupportersIn heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
of the escutcheon are two rampant goldenOr (heraldry)In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
lionsLion (heraldry)The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
. The compartmentCompartmentIn heraldry, a compartment is a design placed under the shield, usually rocks, a grassy mount , or some sort of other landscape upon which the supporters are depicted as standing...
the lions stand on is a stone pedestalPedestalPedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
. The lions were added to the coat of arms in the 16th century.
Motto
The QueenWilhelmina of the NetherlandsWilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
of the Netherlands wanted to remember the role of the citizens of Rotterdam during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and created a mottoMottoA motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
consisting of the DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
words "Sterker door strijd", meaning "Stronger through struggle". The AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
position Rotterdam, New YorkRotterdam (town), New YorkRotterdam is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 28,316 at the 2000 census.The town of Rotterdam is in the south-central part of the county. It was founded by Dutch settlers, who named it after the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where many emigrants last...
also uses this motto. On January 1948, Wilhelmina presented the motto as part of the coat of arms of Rotterdam to the city government.
The coat of armsCoat of armsA coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
is the official symbol of the city of Rotterdam. It consists of a shield and has a green band of the original weapon of Wena, bisected by a white band symbolizes the RotteRotte (river)The Rotte is a river the in Rhine-Maas-delta in the Netherlands. It rises in Moerkapelle in the so-called Green Heart. It flows past Bleiswijk and Bergschenhoek; in Rotterdam it flows into the Nieuwe Maas...
, two goldenOr (heraldry)In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
lionsLion (heraldry)The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
, and four lions, two black and two red on a gold field, and the mottoMottoA motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
of Rotterdam.
To the surrender of RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, the weapon was given by William I, Count of HollandWilliam I, Count of HainautWilliam I, Count of Hainaut was Count William III of Avesnes, Count William III of Holland and Count William II of Zeeland from 1304 to his death...
and Hainaut in thanks for the support of the lords of the Court of Wena in its fight against FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in 1304. The lions are the two red DutchCounty of HollandThe County of Holland was a county in the Holy Roman Empire and from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area roughly corresponding to the current Dutch provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland, as well as the islands of Terschelling, Vlieland,...
lions and two black Hainaut lions.
Escutcheon
In the coat of arms of Rotterdam, the fieldField (heraldry)In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the field. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures or furs. The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern....
of the escutcheon (heraldicHeraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
shield) is greenVertThe colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period....
. The field is chargedCharge (heraldry)In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
with a whiteWhiteWhite is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
palePale (heraldry)A pale is a term used in heraldic blazon and vexillology to describe a charge on a coat of arms , that takes the form of a band running vertically down the center of the shield. Writers broadly agree that the width of the pale ranges from about one-fifth to about one-third of the width of the...
. The field and the pale result in three vertical bands in the colours green, white, and green.
Golden lions
The supportersSupportersIn heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
of the escutcheon are two rampant goldenOr (heraldry)In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
lionsLion (heraldry)The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
. The compartmentCompartmentIn heraldry, a compartment is a design placed under the shield, usually rocks, a grassy mount , or some sort of other landscape upon which the supporters are depicted as standing...
the lions stand on is a stone pedestalPedestalPedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
. The lions were added to the coat of arms in the 16th century.
Motto
The QueenWilhelmina of the NetherlandsWilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
of the Netherlands wanted to remember the role of the citizens of Rotterdam during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and created a mottoMottoA motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
consisting of the DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
words "Sterker door strijd", meaning "Stronger through struggle". The AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
position Rotterdam, New YorkRotterdam (town), New YorkRotterdam is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 28,316 at the 2000 census.The town of Rotterdam is in the south-central part of the county. It was founded by Dutch settlers, who named it after the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where many emigrants last...
also uses this motto. On January 1948, Wilhelmina presented the motto as part of the coat of arms of Rotterdam to the city government.
As a reminder for future generations the courage and the strength with which the people of Rotterdam all trials of the war has worn the key contribution that it has taken in the liberation of the fatherland.—Wilhelmina of the NetherlandsWilhelmina of the NetherlandsWilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
In the coat of arms of Rotterdam, the motto is written on a scrollScrollA scroll is a roll of parchment, papyrus, or paper, which has been drawn or written upon.Scroll may also refer to:*Scroll , the decoratively curved end of the pegbox of string instruments such as violins...
. This scroll is positioned on top of the compartment under the escutcheon.
Use of the coat of arms
As a coat of arms of a Dutch municipalityMunicipalityA municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, the coat of arms of Rotterdam is registered with the Hoge Raad van Adel (cf. College of ArmsCollege of ArmsThe College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
). These coats of arms are all effectively in the public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, as the municipalities cannot claim copyright. In contrast, actually using the coat of arms to suggest any kind of official endorsement is restricted. The coat of arms may only be used by others than the city with the explicit permission of the municipal government. In general permission is not granted to others, because the coat of arms designates the city of Rotterdam.
External links
