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![[City of Magdeburg (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany)]](../images/d/de-st-md.gif)
3:5 image by Stefan Schwoon, 16 Feb 2001
I have slightly modified the Magdeburg flag, as the green in the version
currently on the web site appears too light, IMHO. I have replaced V with
V+, which seems much closer to actual Magdeburg flags. (Since I merely
changed the shade of green in Stefan Schwoon's image, I neither deserve
nor desire any credit for this.)
Thorsten, 22 Feb 2004
From Ralf Hartemink's International
Civic Arms website: The arms were officially granted in 1938. The arms
of Magdeburg are canting, a virgin (Magd) on a city wall (Burg).
The oldest seal of the city, dating from 1244 already shows a virgin on
a wall. In another seal from 1265 the Virgin holds a wreath. Later seals
all show the same arms. In the 16th century the arms are quartered with
the old arms in the first and fourth quarter. In the second and third quarter
a rose is added. The rose has been explained, either as the rose of Neugattersleben
or as the Lutheran rose. The city owned the village of Neugattersleben
and the rose was the arms of the Lords von Gattersleben in the 14th century.
The Lutheran rose should indicate that the city had become Luteran.
Literature: H. Papendieck, Die Wappen der Landkreise und kreisfreien
Städte des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt, Landesarchiv Magdeburg, 1996.
Santiago Dotor, 3 Dec 2001
I notice that the explanation for the name of the city of Magdeburg
simply states that Magd means 'maiden'. While this is quite true,
the Magd intended in the name of the city was most likely the Virgin
Mary. However, the arms do not reflect Mary - they probably date from a
period when the religious derivation of the name was either forgotten or
deliberately obscured.
Mike Oettle, 24 June 2002