^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Barnim County (Germany)

Landkreis Barnim, Brandenburg

3:5

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Nov 2013

Barnim County

Barnim County Flag
Barnim County Banner
Barnim County Coat of Arms

See also:

Barnim County

The Barnim (German: Der Barnim) is a historical landscape in the Northeast of Brandenburg. The current counties of Oberhavel, Barnim, Märkisch-Oderland and Oder-Spree and the Berlin districts of Reinickendorf, Pankow, Lichtenberg and Marzahn-Hellersdorf as well nowadays take part in the Barnim.
The Barnim County was established on 5 December 1993, mainly consisting of the former counties of Eberswalde and Bernau and two municipalities of Bad Freienwalde County. One of them, Hohensaaten, was incorporated into Märkisch Oderland County on 1 January 2009.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Jan 2020

Barnim County Flag

The flag is quarterly divided into red (upper hoist, lower fly) and white (lower hoist and upper fly). The coat of arms is in the centre of the flag.
Source: §2(3) of Hauptsatzung of Barnim County, version 21 September 2011
Klaus-Michael Schneider,

Barnim County Banner

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Nov 2013

The flag is quarterly divided into red (upper hoist, lower fly) and white (lower hoist and upper fly). The lower quarters are higher. The coat of arms is on the point of intersection of all quarters.
Source: §2(3) of Hauptsatzung of Barnim County, version 21 September 2011
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Nov 2013

Barnim County Coat of Arms

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Jan 2020
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Jan 2020
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Jan 2020

The shield is quarterly divided into silver (= white) (fields 1 and 4) and red (fields 2 and 3). Above is a demi-eagle issuant with golden (= yellow) cloverstems in counterchanged colours.
Source: §2(1) of Hauptsatzung of Barnim County, version 21 September 2011
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Nov 2013

Oberbarnim County remained nearly unchanged until 1945. County seat had been Bad Freienwalde. In 1911 Eberswalde became a county-free city. In 1946 those parts of the former county of Königsberg in Neumark, located on the western bank of Oder River, were incorporated into Oberbarnim. In 1950 Eberwalde was incorporated again into Oberbarnim, together with six municipalities of Angermünde County. At the same time 21 municipalities were ceded to the counties of Niederbarnim and Seelow. Oberbarnim County was divided in 1952. Its eastern part became Bad Freienwalde County. Its western part merged with the southern part of Angermünde County and two municipalities of Niederbarnim County. The new county received the name Eberswalde County.
Niederbarnim County had been a so called collar county in the Northeast of Berlin. In the 20th century the county lost great parts of its territory. In 1908 Lichtenberg became a county-free city. In 1920 extensive parts were ceded to Greater Berlin. (Berlin-) Reinickendorf remained seat of the county until 1945. In 1950 13 municipalities from Oberbarnim County were added, but 11 were ceded to Fürstenwalde County and 4 to Seelow County. Niederbarnim County was dissolved in 1952 and divided between the counties of Oranienburg (western), Bernau (central) and Strausberg (southeastern).
Iniated by County Director Peter Friedrich Mengel there had been efforts to create similar county arms for both parts of the Barnim, which historically belonged to Brandenburg since the 13th century. So it was evident that the basic colours should be red and white, the colours of Brandenburg.
The arms of Oberbarnim (see central image above) were parted per fess, above Argent an eagle issuant Gules armed Or with cloverstems Or upon his wings, beneath plain Gules.
The arms of Niederbarnim (see right image above)were also parted per fess, but above Gules an eagle issuant Argent armed Or with cloverstems Or upon his wings, beneath plain Argent.
The arms of Barnim (see left image above) were quartered, 1st quarter Gules Argent a demi-eagle issuant Gules and couped per pale, armed Or with cloverstem Or upon his wing; 2nd quarter Gules a demi-eagle issuant Argent and couped per pale, armed Or with cloverstem Or upon his wing,; 3rd quarter plain Gules, 4th quarter plain Argent. The current county arms are an example of felicitous German 20th century heraldry. The arms are based on those of the former counties of Oberbarnim (Upper Barnim) and Niederbarnim (Lower Barnim). The dexter half displays the dexter half of the arms of Oberbarnim, the sinister half displays the sinister half of the arms of Niederbarnim. The eagle was slightly modified. His appearance was adapted to the current arms of the state of Brandenburg. Furthermore the eagle's head was shifted to the dexter half, thus the line of partition couldn't cross the eagle's eye. Furthermore the wings were changed that way that they did no longer touch the horizontal line of partition.
Source: Erwin Güünther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Brandenburgs und der ehemaligen Grenzmark Posen-Westpeußen"; Erfurt 1998; pp.49ff. and p.68
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Jan 2020

The arms of Barnim County were approved on 17 October 1995 by Minister of Interior of Brandenburg. Flag and banner had been adopted, together with the arms on 31 May 1995 but had never been approved officially, as for counties in Brandenburg bicolours were preferred by the state authorities. The arms of Oberbarnim County were approved on 8 May 1925 by Prussian Minister of State. They had been the first county arms in Brandenburg Province. The arms of Niederbarnim County were approved on 23 October 1934 by Prussian Minister of State. The arms of both counties were designed by G.A.Cloß in 1925.
The arms of Niederbarnim were adopted on 21 March 1991 by Bernau County (1952 - 1993), which had however no proper flag.
The modified arms of Oberbarnim were adopted on 23 November 1990 by Bad Freienwalde County (1952-1993), which ad been the eastern part of former Oberbarnim County, according to §3(1) and §3(2) of its Hauptsatzung, version 23 November 1990 together with a flag
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Jan 2020

back to Brandenburg County and Municipal Flags click here.