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Prignitz County (Germany)

Landkreis Prignitz, Brandenburg

Last modified: 2019-12-16 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: prignitz(county) | per fess | goose | pearls(8) | wolf | castle | oak | eagle(red) |
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[Prignitz county flag] image by Jarig Bakker, 12 Mar 2005

See also:

Prignitz County

Brief History

Prignitz is the northwestern part of the Brandenburg. The Prignitz, formerly Priegnitz, meaning "inaccessible grove", was a historical region and belonged to the Margraviate of Brandenburg and the Bishopric of Havelberg. In 1440 the whole Prignitz was under control of Brandenburg and was also called Hither Marsh (Vormark). It was divided into the two counties Westprignitz and Ostprignitz in 1817. The Westprignitz County remained more or less the same. Only in 1922 Wittenberge became a county-free city but it was reincorporated in 1950. In 1952 however the county was divided. The biggest part formed Perleberg County, the western part was annexed to Ludwigsfelde County and the southeastern part to Havelberg County. After the end of the GDR attempts to unify again the whole Prignitz in one county failed. In 1993 the Prignitz County was established , consisting of Westprignitz and the minor part of Ostprignitz. The major part of Ostprignitz was unified with Ruppin in the new county Ostprignitz-Ruppin.
Source: Erwin Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Brandenburgs und der ehemaligen Grenzmark Posen-Westpreußen", Erfurt 1998, pp.86 ff

Prignitz County Flag


The county has a flag of two equally wide horizontal stripes of black and white, with the coat of arms in the centre.
Source: Erwin Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Brandenburgs und der ehemaligen Grenzmark Posen-Westpreußen", Erfurt 1998, p.86
Jarig Bakker, 12 Mar 2005

Prignitz County Coat-of-Arms

[Prignitz county CoA] image by Jarig Bakker, 12 Mar 2005

Shield parted per fess wavy, above Gules a goose rising Argent armed Or, surrounded by eight pearls in a demi-circle, beneath Argent a wolf passant Sable tongued Gules. Meaning: The goose (German: Gans) is taken from the arms of the Lords of Gans, who took part in the Wendish Crusade from 1147, a joint military campaign of Saxon, Danish and Polish local rulers against the Slavic tribes around the rivers Elbe and Havel. As a result of the campaign the Gans kin established an own lordship in the Prignitz with seat in Putlitz, and since then they called themselves Lords of Gans in Putlitz. Their lordship was later acquired by the Bishops of Havelberg and finally by the Margraves of Brandenburg. The eight pearls are referring to the city arms of Perleberg. The wolf is taken from the arms of the city of Pritzwalk. The line of partition is symbolising River Elbe.
Source: Erwin Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Brandenburgs und der ehemaligen Grenzmark Posen-Westpreußen", Erfurt 1998, p.86
Jarig Bakker, 12 Mar 2005 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Dec 2019

Flag and banner were approved on 14 March 1994, the arms were approved on 1 March 1994 by Minister of Interior of Brandenburg.
Klaus-Michael Schneider,11 Dec 2019

Perleberg County (1952 - 1993)

Perleberg County Flag


[Perleberg County flag] 3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider,11 Dec 2019

It was a black-white horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: Erwin Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Brandenburgs und der ehemaligen Grenzmark Posen-Westpreußen", Erfurt 1998, p.87
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Dec 2019

Perleberg County Coat of Arms

Shield Argent with base Vert charged with a bar wavy Argent, on top of base a castle Gules masoned Sable with port and windows Argent, embattled wall, two towers with cone roofs topped by balls Or, in port an oak Vert with 17 leaves, in chief an impending eagle Gules armed and tongued Or with cloverstems Or.
Meaning:
The eagle is referring to Brandenburg. The castle is representing the many castles in the county built in clinker Gothic style (German: Backsteingotik), a style preferring red bricks. The open port is symbolising hospitality and frankness. The oak is symbolising the stableness of the homeward bound people of the Westprignitz and also forestal riches. The bar wavy is symbolising riches of water.
Source: Erwin Günther: "Wappen und Flaggen der Stadt- und Landkreise Brandenburgs und der ehemaligen Grenzmark Posen-Westpreußen", Erfurt 1998, p.87
Klaus-Michael Schneider,11 Dec 2019

Flag and banner and arms were approved on 29 July 1992 by Minister of Interior of Brandenburg.
Klaus-Michael Schneider,11 Dec 2019

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