Borken (Hessen)

BORKEN

State : Hessen
District (Kreis) : Schwalm-Eder Kreis (until 1973 Fritzlar-Homberg)
Additions : 1972-4 Arnsbach, Dillich, Freudenthal, Gombeth, Großenenglis, Haarhausen, Kerstenhausen, Kleinenglis, Lendorf, Nassenerfurth, Pfaffenhausen, Singlis, Stolzenbach, Trockenerfurth

Official blazon

German	Im silbernen Schild ein goldbewehrter roter Löwe, auf der Schulter belegt mit einem sechsstrahligen silbernen Stern.
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

The oldest known seal of the city, dating from the late 14^th century, already shows a lion. In later seals it is clear that the lion is the striped lion of Hessen. In the late 19^th and middle of the 20^th century the lion was still shown as the lion of Hessen, as can be seen from the image below.

The arms in a manuscript from +/- 1730	The arms in an 1884 book
The municipal stamp shown in 1892	The arms by Hupp in the Kaffee Hag albums +/- 1925

The city, on the other hand, used itself often a red or blue lion as arms, without the bars of Hessen.

This red lion was granted in 1951 as the city arms to which a star was added as symbol of the Counts of Ziegenhain. The town was a possession of these counts in the early middle ages.

The addition of many municipalities in the 1970s did not change the arms.

Literature: Stadler, 1964-1971, 8 volumes; Kaffee Hag albums