The Lesser Arms of Munich, Germany

Having seen the Greater Arms of the city of Munich, Germany, last time, which incorporate "the monk from the lesser coat of arms", today we're going to see what that "lesser coat of arms" looks like.

And in the process, we're going to see some international heraldry!

This plaque, found in the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) in Munich, shows the lesser arms of Munich surrounded by her sister cities around the world.

The “small arms” of Munich, seen in the center panel here, are blazoned: In Silber ein stehender Mönch mit golden bordierter schwarzer Kutte und Kapuze und roten Schuhen, der ein rotes Buch in der Linken hält; die Rechte segnend erhoben. (Argent a monk statant habited Sable trimmed Or with shoes Gules [arms outstretched] the right hand in benediction the left holding a book Gules.) This is the monk who appears within the gateway of the town gate of the greater arms.

Of Munich and her sister cities from around the world, we have the arms (or logo or seal, when no coat of arms exists for that city. I'm looking at you, Cincinnati!) of: from left to right, and top to bottom: 

Kyiv, Ukraine; Harare, Zimibabwe; Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.; 

Sapporo, Japan; Munich, Germany; Bordeaux, France; 

Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.; Be’er Sheva, Israel; and Verona, Italy.

Not flashy, not all that showy, but what a great display of international heraldry!

The Greater Arms of Munich, Germany

Continuing our virtual tagging along on my friend Katie's river cruise to Europe, and all of the pictures of heraldry she took for me while she was there, we come to Munich, Germany.

Where we find two examples of the "greater arms" of the city over different doorways. (As always, you should click on the image(s) below to see the full-size photograph(s), where you can zoom in and see these arms in greater detail.

The German blazon for this coat of arms is: In Silber ein offenes rotes Stadttor zwischen zwei roten Zinnentürmen mit von Schwarz und Gold mehrfach zickzackartig gebänderten Dächern; oben ein wachsender, golden gekrönter und bewehrter goldener Löwe; im Tor der Mönch des kleinen Wappens. 

In English blazon, we have: Argent, an open red town gate between two red crenellated towers with roofs banded horizontally in a zigzag pattern of sable and or; above, a lion issuant crowned and armed or; within the gateway, the monk from the lesser coat of arms.

The monk (mönch) in both the greater and the lesser arms is, of course, a cant (an heraldic term for a pictorial pun)* on the German name of the city: München. 

The use of the greater arms of Munich was abolished by law from December 17, 1957 and only the small arms have been used since. Though, obviously, you can still see the greater arms depicted here and there about the city.

Next time, we will see the Lesser Coat of Arms of Munich, along with some international heraldry!

* This definition leads to yet another pun, in English, anyway: "Heralds don't pun; they cant".

The heraldic term "cant" being a homophone of "can't", a shortened form of "cannot".

An Heraldic Interior Decorating Tip

For our final stop in Salzburg, Austria, we have tips on how to decorate a room with heraldry, courtesy of the Golden Hall (Goldener Saal) in the Hohensalzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg).

The Fortress was erected at the behest of the prince-archbishops of Salzburg, and the Golden Hall was begun in 1498, when Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (whose arms we have seen in our post of August 24, 2026) had these magnificent state apartments installed on the third floor. The state apartments were primarily used for representative purposes and for festivities.

And here are two examples the von Keutschach arms (on the right) painted over a doorway in the Golden Hall:

But it is the 17-meter-long (55-3/4 foot) beam, supporting the ceiling, is particularly worth mentioning. The coat of arms of Archbishop of Salzburg Leonhard von Keutschach (near the center of the first photograph, next to the arms of the Archdiocese of Salzburg), together with those of the Holy Roman Empire, the most powerful German towns, and the bishoprics that were connected to Salzburg, in the other pictures, are painted on it.

As always, please click on any of the images here to go to the full-size photograph so you can really see the details of these coats of arms.  

And then, as you may havae noticed from two of the photos above, a side wall has three more coats of arms painted on it:

So there you have it! Some home re-decorating ideas for the next time you want to heraldically spruce up your own castle/mansion/humble abode. All courtesy of Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach and the Golden Hall of the Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg, Austria.

A Final Coat of Arms of an Archbishop

This will be the final coat of arms of an Archbishop of Salzburg, but it is, I think, pretty special. (Or at least, unusual.)

No, not the inscribed plaque on this tower; the painted coats of arms at the top of the photograph. (You will probably want to click on the image above to see the full-size photograph where you can zoom in to see these arms more clearly.)

As in some other instances of combining the arms of the Archdiocese with the personal arms of the Archbishop, the shield on the left (heraldic dexter) is the arms of the Archdiocese of Salzburg: Per pale: dexter, Or a lion rampant sable; sinister, Gules a fess argent (Austria).

The shield on the right (heraldic sinister) is the family arms of Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg 1469-1540 (Archbishop of Salzburg 1519-1540) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matth%C3%A4us_Lang_von_Wellenburg). These arms are blazoned: Argent a quatrefoil gules dimidiating Gules a fleur-de-lis argent.

The family arms are somewhat unusual, and yet they fully serve one of the most basic needs of heraldry; they are clear and easy to identify! Even using the "postage stamp" test I first heard from former State Herald of South Africa Frederick Brownell (shrink a coat of arms to the size of a postage stamp and see if it is still clear and identifiable), this coat of arms passes. (I am tempted to say "passes with flying colors", but I will refrain. Espcially given that there are only two colors on the shield!)

In any event, as a "last stop" for displays of the arms of Archbishops of Salzburg, Austria, I think it makes a nice example.

(New) Herald in the News!

It has been noted that:

"The Kings of Arms tend to be rather like oil tankers sailing in a determined and serene manner through the ocean of life, and as a result they take a long time to change course." (Conrad Swan, A King from Canada, p. 237) Sir Conrad John Marshall Fisher Swan was Garter King of Arms 1992-1995.

But they do eventually change course, as a recent (very recent: today, August 24, 2026) announcement from the College of Arms tells us:

"By Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 24 August 2026, His Majesty The King [Charles III] has been pleased to appoint Caroline Mariah McWilliams to the office of Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms, vacant by the promotion of Dominic Charles Davenport Ingram, now Chester Herald of Arms."

More information about Ms. McWilliams' background in addition to the announcement quoted above of her groundbreaking appointment as a pursuivant at the College of Arms can be found on-line at: https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/news-grants/news/item/257-portcullis-pursuivant

We congratulate Ms. McWilliams on her appointment as Portcullis Pursuivant, and her entry into the company of other 20th and 21st Century female heralds, of whom Claire Boudreau (former Chief Herald of Canada), Elizabeth Roads (former Snawdoun Herald, Scotland), and Susan Flintoff (current Kintyre Pursuivant Extraordinary, Scotland) are examples.

One of My Favorite Coats of Arms in Salzburg, Austria

I know, I know. We shouldn't have personal favorites. All coats of arms are worthy. Nonetheless ... sometimes a particular coat of arms hits you just right, and you develop an emotional attachment to it that you don't feel for most of the others.

That is the case here with me and the arms of Leonhard von Keutschach 1442-1519 (Archbishop of Salzburg 1495-1519). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonhard_von_Keutschach).

His remarkably uncomplicated arms are blazoned: Sable a turnip proper leaved vert. What's not to like?

Anyway, here are a number of memorial plaques containing his arms, coupled with (to the left, heraldic dexter) the arms of the Archdiocese of Salzburg.

So what do you think? Aren't these arms both simple (that is, meaning not complex) and outstanding in their simplicity and identifiability?

Two More Examples of the Arms of Archbishop Paris von Lodron, Displayed With Others

Last time we looked at several displays of the arms of Paris von Lodron, 1586-1653 (Archbishop of Salzburg 1619-1653). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Lodron) His arms are blazoned: Gules a lion rampant guardant tail nowed argent.

Today, we find to more examples of his arms, displayed along with the arms of one or more other.

In the images above, inside the Salzburg Cathedral, on the left we have the arms of Archbishop Paris von Lodron. And as we have seen before, the chief on the shield is the Archdiocese of Salzburg.

The coat of arms on the right (heraldic sinister) are those of Andreas Rohracher, 1892-1976 (Archbishop of Salzburg 1943-1969). They are blazoned Per fess argent and vert, three cattails in fess proper their stems surmounted in base by a barrulet wavy argent. Here, too, the chief is the Archdiocese of Salzburg.

And then we have this display of heraldry:

I have not yet been able to identify the arms in the small shield on the left. They presumably belong to another Archbishop of Salzburg, given that they, along with the others over this doorway, all have a chief of the Archdiocese. 

In the small shield on the right, we have once again the arms of Archbhishop Paris von Lodron

And then, in pride of place, the center, we have the arms of Franz Anton von Harrach zu Rorau, 1665-1727 (Archbishop of Salzburg 1709-1727) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Anton_von_Harrach). His arms are blazoned: Gules three ostrich feathers in pall quills to center argent surmounted in the center by a roundel argent.

Once again, quite the displays of heraldry!

Several Displays of the Arms of an Archbishop in Salzburg, Austria

Having seen the several ways in which the arms of an archbishop may be displayed with the arms of the archdiocese, today (and next time, for that matter, but in different settings) we're going to see several depictions of the arms of an archbishop combined with the arms of the Archdiocese of Salzburg, though in each of these cases, the personal arms are surmounted by a chief of the archdiocese.

Each of these is the arms of Paris von Lodron, 1586-1653 (Archbishop of Salzburg 1619-1653). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Lodron)

The arms are blazoned: Gules a lion rampant guardant tail nowed argent. The chief, the arms of the Archdiocese of Salzburg, are: Per pale: dexter, Or a lion rampant sable; sinister, Gules a fess argent (Austria).

Next time, we'll see more examples of Archbishop von Lodron's arms, but displayed in conjunction with other Archbishops of Salzburg.

Yet Another Way to Combine Arms of Office With Personal Arms

Having seen in our last post two different ways of displaying the arms of the Archdiocese of Salzburg with the personal arms of the Archbishop, today we're going to see (1) more examples of the use of the arms of the archbishop with a chief of the archdiocese; and (2) three examples of the two coats of arms on separate shields.

All of these examples are from the Archbishop Guidobald von Thun and/or Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf von Thun und Hohenstein. (I did not find dates for any of these armorial displays, and so they could be for one or for the other, or a combination of each.)

Guidobald of Thun, 1616–1668, was Archbishop of Salzburg 1654-1668. He was also Bishop of Regensburg, and a Cardinal. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guidobald_of_Thun) 

Johann Ernst Graf von Thun und Hohenstein (1643–1709) was Bishop of Seckau from 1679 to 1687 and Prince-archbishop of Salzburg from 1687 until 1709. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Ernst_von_Thun_und_Hohenstein)

Here are the examples of the von Thun arms with a chief of the Archdiocese;

As always, please feel free to click on any of the images here to see the full-size photograph, where you can zoom in to see the arms in greater detail.

The von Thum arms are blazoned: Quarterly: 1 and 4, Azure a bend or; 2 and 3, Per pale: dexter, Argent an eagle displayed gules issuant from the line of division; sinister, Sable a fess argent; overall, an inescutcheon, Gules a fess argent (Austria). The chief is the arms of the Archdiocese of Salzburg: Per pale: dexter, Or a lion rampant sable; sinister, Gules a fess argent (Austria).

In the first image, the galero over the shield, with its twelve tassels (six on each side) marks his rank as Bishop, either of Regensburg (Guidobald), or Seckau (Johann).

And in these next three pictures, we see the von Thun arms displayed to the sinister (to the viewer's right) with the arms of the Archdiocese to dexter (to the viewer's left):

All in all, between this post and the last one, it's been a fascinating look at some of the different ways in which the arms of an office can be displayed with the personal arms of an office-holder. I hope that you have found it as interesting as I have!

Two Different Ways of Combining Arms of Office with Personal Arms Seen in Salzburg, Austria

Over the years we have seen again and again how a person may combine the arms of an office they hold with their personal arms on a shield. This is usually done by impaling the arms of the office on the dexter side of the shield with the personal arms on the sinister side of the shield.

In Salzburg, however, we see two other methods of combining arms of office with personal arms.

The first (and we will see more examples of this in upcoming posts from Salzburg) is to add to the shield of the personal arms a chief of the arms of the office. In these instances, the chief is the arms of the Archdiocese of Salzburg (which are identical to the older arms of the municipality of Salzburg and also the arms of the District of Salzburg: Per pale: dexter, Or a lion rampant sable; sinister, Gules a fess argent (Austria).

These are the arms of Markus Sittikus von Hohenems, 1574-1619 (Archbishop of Salzburg 1612-1619) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markus_Sittich_von_Hohenems): Azure a ram rampant or, with the chief of the Archdiocese.

The entire shield is surmounted with an archbishop’s galero, a wide-brimmed, flat, tasseled ecclesiastical hat. For archbishops, the galero is always green and features 20 tassels (10 on each side), visually distinguishing them from standard bishops (who have 12 tassels, six on each side).

Next, we have the personal arms of the von Kuenburg family, three of whose members were Archbishops of Salzburg: Michael von Kuenburg (Archbishop of Salzburg 1554–1560); Georg von Kuenburg (Archbishop of Salzburg 1580-1586); and Maximilian Gandolf von Kuenburg (Archbishop of Salzburg 1668-1687).

Please click on the image above to go to the full-sized photograph where you can zoom in to see the details of this shield.

The von Kuenburg arms are blazoned: Quarterly: 1 and 4, Per pale gules and argent a roundel counterchanged; 2 and 3, Per fess sable and argent a flat hinge counterchanged. The shield is surmounted by a noble’s coronet.

I would have thought the item in the second and third quarters was a millrind, a fairly common heraldic charge, but for the pretty clear knuckle, the raised, cylindrical portion in the center through which the pin passes to hold the two leaves together.

These arms could memorialize any of the three von Kuenburg archbishops, or to be honest, nearly any other member of this family.

However, this next memorial is definitely that of Michael von Kuenburg, mentioned by name and “von Gotes Genaden” (by the grace of God) Archbishop of Salzburg, dated 1559).

Here, the quarters of the arms of the von Kuenburgs are further quartered with the arms of the Archbishopric, instead of the more common usage of a chief of the Archbishopric. Quarterly: 1 and 4, the Archbishopric of Salzburg; 2, Per pale gules and argent a roundel counterchanged; and 3, Per fess sable and argent a flat hinge counterchanged.

I note that while the script gives his title as Archbishop, the galero surmounting the shield has only the twelve (six on each side) tassels of a Bishop.

I found it interesting to see these somewhat rarer forms of marshalling the arms of office with personal arms. But, as J.P. Brooke-Little put it so well in the introduction to his book An Heraldic Alphabet: "You can study heraldry until you are azure ... in the face but inevitably discover, from time to time, that you really are quite vert.... I have found this over and over again but, never forget, herein lies the fun and if heraldry ever ceases to be fun - chuck it."