Last modified: 2020-03-31 by 
klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: merzig | ballern | besseringen | mechern | quartered | cross(red) | cross(lorraine) | linden | crozier | rooster |
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![[Merzig city flag wo/ mural crown]](../images/d/de-mg-mg.gif) 3:5  image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 7 Mar 2020
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![[Merzig city flag w/ mural crown]](../images/d/de-mg-mg1.gif) 3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Mar 2020
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It is a black-red horizontal bicolour with centred arms with or without red mural crown.
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 7 Mar 2020
![[Merzig city banner wo/ mural crown]](../images/d/de-mg-mg_.gif) 5:2 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 7 Mar 2020
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![[Merzig city banner w/ mural crown]](../images/d/de-mg-mg1_.gif) 5:2 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Mar 2020
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It is a black-red vertical bicolour with arms shifted to the top with or without red mural crown.
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 7 Mar 2020
Shield quartered, 1st and 4th quarter Argent a throughout Greek cross Gules, 2nd and 3rd quarter Argent an impending double cross Sable.
Meaning:
A lay judge's seal from 1619, the apex of the local church and a city seal from around 1800 all display St. Peter, the local patron saint. The current arms were approved in 1909 together with a red mural crown (see right images above). They were based upon an image in a local map from 1617. This pattern should have been the old coat of arms, alluding to the condominium of the Archbishopric of Trier, represented by the red crosses, and the Dukes of Lothringen. The double cross is also called cross Lorraine and had been the 2nd arms of the Duchy of Lothringen since 1435 in times of Duke René I besides the older arms of Lothringen displaying eaglets. It is said to have been derived from the cross in the arms of Hungary and a cross reliquary, being the symbol of Anjou since the 14th century and the vexillum of Lothringen since 1477. Merzig is seat of Merzig-Wadern County.
Source: Stadler 1966, p.74
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 7 Mar 2020
![[Ballern borough flag]](../images/d/de-mg-mg-ba.gif)
3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Mar 2020
It is a green-white horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: image provided per email by Jörg Majewski
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
![[Ballern borough banner]](../images/d/de-mg-mg-ba_.gif)
5:2 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Mar 2020
It is a green-white vertical bicolour with arms shifted to the top.
Source: image provided per email by Jörg Majewski
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
Shield parted per fess, above Argent a linden twig Vert having three leaves, beneath Vert a fess wavy Argent.
Meaning:
The leaves are representing the former municipalities Ballern proper, Rech and Ripplingen. The twig probably is alluding to an assembly point of the local people in the past under a group of lindens. The fess wavy is representing Saar River, as the municipality is located on the left bank of the river.
Source: German WIKIPEDIA
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
Flag colours and arms were approved on 20 April 1959 and abolished on 1 January 1974.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
![[Besseringen borough flag]](../images/d/de-mg-mg-bs.gif)
3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Mar 2020
It is a green-white horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: image provided per email by Jörg Majewski
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
![[Besseringen borough banner]](../images/d/de-mg-mg-bs_.gif)
5:2 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Mar 2020
It is a green-white vertical bicolour with arms shifted to the top.
Source: image provided per email by Jörg Majewski
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
Shield parted per fess, above Argent a crozier issuant Gules between two oak leaves Vert in fan, beneath Azure an anchor Argent.
Meaning:
Besseringen had two settlement cores: Besseringen proper and Ponten, symbolised by both leaves. The leaves are also alluding on foresters in service of the Archbishopric of Trier, after the forest had been given to the bishops by Franconian King Karl the Great. The crozier is reminding on the Abbots of Mettlach, who owned the settlements in personal union with the archbishops. The anchor is representing Ponten, the name is probably derived from Latin ponte (=bridge).
Source: German WIKIPEDIA
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
Flag colours and arms were approved on 3 December 1957 and abolished on 1 January 1974.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
![[Mechern borough flag]](../images/d/de-mg-mg-mc.gif)
3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Mar 2020
It is a black-red horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: image provided per email by Jörg Majewski
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
![[Mechern borough banner]](../images/d/de-mg-mg-mc_.gif)
5:2 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Mar 2020
It is a black-red vertical bicolour with arms shifted to the top.
Source: image provided per email by Jörg Majewski
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
![[Mechern borough flag]](../images/d/de-mg-mg-mc1.gif)
3:5 image by Jörg Majewski and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
It was a blue-white horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: here
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
![[Mechern borough banner]](../images/d/de-mg-mg-mc1_.gif)
5:2 image by Jörg Majewski and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
It was a blue-white vertical bicolour with arms shifted to the top.
Source: here
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
Shield Azure, a rooster passant Argent combed Gules and blowing a horn Or, chief Argent charged with a cross bottony issuant Sable.
Meaning:
The cross is alluding to the Christian Catholic traditions. The meaning of rooster and horn is unknown, even in the village itself.
Source: here
Klaus-Michael Schneider,
The flag colours black and red are those of the city and probably have never been approved officially and are in use since 1974. The arms and the colours blue and white were approved on 1 February 1971 by Minister of Interior of Saarland and abolished on 1 January 1974.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2020
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