Lübben (Spreewald)

LÜBBEN

State : Brandenburg
District (Kreis) : Dahme-Spreewald
Additions : 1993 Hartmannsdorf, Lubolz, Radensdorf

Official blazon

German	In Gold ein schwarzer Adler mit roter Zunge und roten Fängen.
English	blazon wanted

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted in 1995, but date from medieval times.

The arms of Lübben show an eagle, which already appeared on the oldest known seal of the city, dating from July 1, 1438. The first time a city seal is mentioned is in 1384, but no images thereof exist.

In the early 18th century Adam Friedrich Zürner asked all cities in Sachsen on behalf of Prince August the Strong about their arms, as he was making an atlas of the region. Only after several reminders the city replied in 1723 that the city used a black eagle on a golden field as arms. Later images, description and seals all show the same colour combination.

It has been stated that the arms were granted by Albrecht the Bear, Lord of the Lausitz, but he died a century before Lübben received city rights in 1220. The Lords (Counts) of Lausitz at the time used the imperial eagle as their arms, so it is not unlikely that the arms were not granted by, but based on the arms of the Counts of the Lausitz. Similarly, the city has been a possession of Brandenburg for a long time, so the eagle could have been the red eagle of Brandenburg. And later the eagle was changed to the imperial colours. In any case the present combination has been in use for several centuries.

The seal from 1438	The municipal stamp shown in 1892
The arms by Hupp in the Kaffee Hag albums +/- 1925	Postal cancellation 1975

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Literature: Bensing et al., 1984