Last modified: 2018-05-25 by kryštof huk
Keywords: ceska trebova | jews head |
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I have a stamp of Czechoslovakia issued in 1971 and labelled Česká Třebová
which shows exactly the same image but as a COA.
Pascal Gross, 5 May 1999.
In Jiri Carek's "Mestske Znaky Ceskych Zemich", the Coat of Arms
is shown too. It is a cock with the head of a Jew.
Ole Andersen, 5 May 1999.
It seems to me that the yellow headgear is the "funny" cap that was
required to be worn by Jews in the Middle Ages in Central Europe. The beard
on the face only seems to suggest the "Jewish connection" more. Czech lands
had a rather large population of Jews in the Middle Ages, especially in
towns, so this might have been a Jewish town. An other thought: it might
be that this emblem was given to the town as a sign of disrespect. I would
not not be surprised to leard that it was so.
Željko Heimer, 6 May 1999
I think that the "other thought" is the right one. This emblem resembles
the emblem of another former Habsburg Empire town, Judenburg in Austria.
The emblem of Judenburg was granted in disrespect (as an understatement)
to the name of the town. I hardly think that any Jews will describe themselves
as in the emblem, and when a Jewish community had the rare opportunity
to choose a symbol for themselves, they always chose the Magen David (Prague,
Vienna and Amsterdam).
Dov Gutterman, 6 May 1999.
Česká Třebová used to be a fortified town where mostly potters, weavers
and peasants lived. The story about gaining its town emblem is this:
Once the town scribe lost the town sealing-stick. All people looked
for it, but it was not found. The poor scribe was put into jail and sentenced
to death as it was usual in those gone years. The gallows were ready for
him, he was already led onto it when a cock found the sealing-stick in
the scrap heap and brought it in his beak. The scribe was set free and
the picture of the cock, with a human head, was put into the town emblem
to remember his deed. (Info from this
site)
Jarig Bakker, 14 Jan 2001