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Anhalt-Bitterfeld County (Germany)

Landkreis Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Sachsen-Anhalt

Last modified: 2019-04-12 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: anhalt-bitterfeld | bitterfeld(county) | koethen(county) | water-lily(leaves) | bear | wall | lion(black) | palm(tree) | pale(blue) | wing |
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[Anhalt-Bitterfeld county flag] 3:5 image by Jens Pattke, 22 Sep 2007

Former Counties: See also:

Introduction of Anhalt-Bitterfeld County

Anhalt-Bitterfeld is a county in Saxony-Anhalt (Germany). Its capital is Köthen (Anhalt). This county was established by merging of the former counties of Bitterfeld, Köthen and a large part of Anhalt-Zerbst  as part of the administrative reform of 1 July 2007

The first proposal was a county flag in the old colours of Anhalt. Main archives of the country of Saxony-Anhalt had rejected all three-coloured flags. Therefore this new county uses the old colours of the Prussian Province of Saxony, black and yellow.
Jens Pattke, 22 Sep 2007

Flag

It is a black over yellow horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: approval by county
Jens Pattke, 22 Sep 2007

Banner

[Anhalt-Bitterfeld county vertical flag] 8:3 image by Jens Pattke, 22 Sep 2007
approved on 31 August 2007

It is a black-yellow vertical bicolour with centred arms.
Source: approval by county
Jens Pattke, 22 Sep 2007

Coat of Arms

[Anhalt-Bitterfeld county coat of arms] image by Jens Pattke, 22 Sep 2007
approved on 31 August 2007

Shield quartered; 1st quarter Argent an embattled wall Gules masoned Sable, on embattlements a sinister facing bear passant Sable; 2nd quarter Or a lion rampant Sable armed and tongued Gules; 3rd quarter Argent three leaves of water-lily Gules ordered 2:1; 4th quarter Gules a palm tree issuant Argent fruited of the same.
Meaning:
The 1st quarter displays the old arms of Anhalt. The 2nd quarter displays the arms of the Counts of Meißen. The 3rd quarter displays the arms of the Counts of Brehna. The 4th quarter is representing the former Köthen County (see below).
Source: approval by county and county webpage
Jens Pattke, 22 Sep 2007 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Aug 2018

Banner and arms were approved on 31 August 2007 by Minister of Interior of Saxony-Anhalt.
Thomas Rystau, 9 Dec 2018

Bitterfeld County

Bitterfeld County Flag

[Bitterfeld county flag] 3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 6 Jan 2007

It is a black over yellow horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
approval unknown
Source: E. Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Sachsen-Anhalts, der ehemaligen Provinz Sachsen und des Landes Anhalt, 1996"
Jörg Majewski, 6 Jan 2007

Bitterfeld County Banner

[Bitterfeld hanging flag] 5:2 image by Jörg Majewski, 6 Jan 2007
approval unknown

It is a black-yellow vertical bicolour with centred arms.
Source: E. Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Sachsen-Anhalts, der ehemaligen Provinz Sachsen und des Landes Anhalt, 1996"
Jörg Majewski, 6 Jan 2007

Bitterfeld County Coat of Arms

[Bitterfeld CoA] image by Jörg Majewski, 6 Jan 2007

Shield quartered; 1st quarter and 4th quarter Argent three leaves of water-lily Gules ordered 2:1; 2nd quarter Or a lion rampant Sable armed and tongued Gules; 3rd quarter Or two two pales Azure.
Meaning:
The 1st and 4th quarter display the arms of the Counts of Brehna. The County of Brehna formed the heart of the present county. The 2nd quarter displays the arms of the Counts of Meißen, who owned the area around Zörbig. The 3rd quarter displays the arms of the Counts of Landsberg.
approved on 15 February 1939 and confirmed on 28 February 1995.
Sources: E. Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Sachsen-Anhalts, der ehemaligen Provinz Sachsen und des Landes Anhalt, 1996" and Ralf Hartemink's webpage
Jörg Majewski, 6 Jan 2007 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Aug 2018

Köthen County

Köthen County Flag

[Köthen County flag] 3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 14 Jan 2007

It was a red over green over white horizontal tricolour. On the red stripe was a canton, being a horizontal bicolour of black over white. The tricolour displays the colours of Anhalt. As tricolours had not been supported as county and municipal flags by the state authorities, this flag was probably never approved officially.
Source: E. Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Sachsen-Anhalts, der ehemaligen Provinz Sachsen und des Landes Anhalt, 1996"
Jörg Majewski, 14 Jan 2007 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Aug 2018

Köthen Flag with Arms

[Köthen flag with CoA] 3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 14 Jan 2007 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Aug 2018

It was the same like the plain flag above but with centred arms.
Source: E. Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Sachsen-Anhalts, der ehemaligen Provinz Sachsen und des Landes Anhalt, 1996"
Jörg Majewski, 14 Jan 2007

Köthen Coat of Arms

[Köthen CoA] image by Jörg Majewski, 14 Jan 2007

Shield parted per pale, at dexter Sable a wing Argent, at sinister Argent with base Gules, issuant from base a fruited palm tree proper.
Meaning:
The right part of the arms shows a wing, which was used on the crest of the von Cöthen kin, who were probably the founders of the castle in Köthen. The family was mentioned in Köthen in 1156 and became extinct in the 14th century. The palm tree in the left part of the arms is the symbol of the Palmenorden, an association founded by Prince Ludwig von Anhalt-Köthen (1579-1650) in 1617. The association, officially the "Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft" was an association of nobles, scientists and poets and had as their main aim the "Care of the German language". It had its seat in Köthen and existed only until 1680.
The arms were approved on 30 May 1991.
Sources: Ralf Hartemink's webpage and H. Papendieck: "Die Wappen der Landkreise und kreisfreien Städte des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt. Landesarchiv Magdeburg, 1996"
Jarig Bakker, 14 Jan 2007 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Aug 2018

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