Leipzig City (Germany)

Stadt Leipzig, Saxony

Last modified: 2018-08-16 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: leipzig | parted per pale | lion(black) | pale(blue) |
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• Leipzig City
• Leipzig Flag
• Leipzig Vertical Flags
• Coat of Arms

• Saxony (Sachsen)
• Germany

Leipzig City

Leipzig Flag

It is a horizontal blue over yellow bicolour with centred arms. Please note that in Hauptsatzung just colours are mentioned ordered horizontally on flag without saying any word about arms on the flag.
Sources: §2(2) of Hauptsatzung of Leipzig City, original version 22nd January 1998, also in version 16 July 2014 and Staack 1997
Stefan Schwoon,15 Feb 2001 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Aug 2018

Leipzig Vertical Flags

3:5 image by Stefan Schwoon,15 Feb 2001

3:5 image by M. Schmöger, 15 Aug 1997

It is a horizontal blue over yellow bicolour with centred arms.
Source: Gunnar Staack
M. Schmöger, 15 Aug 1997

The design of the flag of Leipzig shown is essentially correct, but the vertical format is very unusual in practise. Although in Germany almost any (normally horizontal) flag can theoretically be rotated into a vertical format, the flags flown in Leipzig itself are, as a rule, horizontal, including the one flown in front of city hall.
David Dichelle, 9 Mar 2001

I cannot say about the frequency of horizontal or vertical flags in Leipzig. The vertical flag was sent by me long time ago, as I took photographs of this flag in June 1997 during the Evangelische Kirchentag (Evangelic Church Convention). In the center of Leipzig there was at least one place where several flagstaffs (about seven) displayed this vertical flag. It is possible that since then the use changed a bit.
M. Schmöger, 9 Mar 2001

Coat of Arms

Shield parted per pale; at dexter Or two pales Azure; at sinister Or a lion rampant Sable, armed and tongued Gules.
Meaning:
The dexter half displays the arms of the Margraves of Meißen, the sinister half those of the Margraves of Landsberg, the Saxonian dukes of the Wettin kin were rulers in both territories. The arms of Chemnitz are the same but with quarters in opposite order.
Leipzig developed around a castle built in the early 11th century. The new town gained city rights in 1165 from the Counts of Meißen. The city became one of the largest cities in, first Meißen, later Saxony. The arms are in use since 1468, before that date only the lion of Meißen was used. The city gradually received more freedom from the rule of the Counts of Meißen and in 1423 the city ruled itself, without vassals. Most likely it was decided shortly afterwards to add the pales of Landsberg.
Sources: §2(1) of Hauptsatzung of Leipzig City, original version 22nd January 1998, also in version 16 July 2014, Ralf Hartemink's webpage and Bensing et al. 1984
Stefan Schwoon,15 Feb 2001 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Aug 2018

back to Saxony county and municipal flags click here.