Franconian Rake

The Franconian Rake, symbol of the whole of Franconia and part of the Bavarian state coat of arms.

The Franconian Rake (German: Fränkische Rechen) is the name given to the coat of arms of the region of Franconia in Germany. It is described heraldically as per fess dancetty of three points argent and gules. The points represent a stylised heraldic rake.

Design and use

The Franconian Rake is an heraldic ordinary with a simple zig-zag line of partition that divides the escutcheon or shield into red and silver fields. This simple and regionally widespread symbol has been adopted as an unofficial coat of arms for the region.

The colour Franconian red (Franken-Rot) used for the coat of arms is HKS no. 14.

The shape of the rake represents the holism of heaven and earth and was thus used by church bodies as a seal or in their coats of arms.

Its three upward or heaven-facing points symbolise the Trinity of God, while its four downward or earthward-facing points represent the four points of the compass on earth. Its present name is derived from its appearance which is superficially like that of the flotsam filter or Treibgutrechen and it was therefore probably used as an emblem for the villages based around these timber rafting facilities which grew up as a result of the transportation of logs by river.

History

The Franconian Rake is first recorded in the early 14th century on the grave of the Prince Bishop of Würzburg, Wolfram Wolfskeel von Grumbach, and in a seal for the village of Gerolzhofen.

The Franconian Rake was initially chosen by the Wurzburg prince bishops as a symbol of their (albeit rather nominal) Franconian ducal status. It was however not a symbol for Franconia as a whole because it was not an administrative entity. From 1835 the rake appeared in the coat of arms of Bavaria because the Franconian regions had meanwhile been incorporated into the Kingdom of Bavaria. Only at this point did the emblem become a symbol for the whole of Franconia in the public consciousness. It is found as part of the coat of arms of many administrative bodies in the Franconian region e.g. the Bavarian provinces of Upper Franconia, Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, most of the counties in Franconia, e. g. the Main-Tauber-Kreis in Baden-Württemberg, the county of Hildburghausen in South Thuringia or the county of Haßberge and many towns and villages, e. g. in the coat of arms of Volkach or Frankenhardt. So the Franconian Rake demonstrates an allegiance to the Franks, the people of Franconia, although the land has been split between many lords over the centuries.

The Franconian Rake is part of the armorial achievements of the Free State of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is also the coat of arms of the town of Gerolzhofen.

Examples

• 
  Armorial achievement of Bavaria
• 
  Armorial achievement of Baden-Württemberg
• 
  Province of Upper Franconia
• 
  Province of Middle Franconia
• 
  Province of Lower Franconia
• 
  Würzburg
• 
  Haßberge
• 
  Hildburghausen
• 
  Main-Tauber-Kreis
• 
  Ansbach
• 
  Veilsdorf
• 
  Coat of arms of the Diocese of Würzburg
• 
  Gerbrunn
• 
  Frankenwinheim
• 
  Elfershausen
• 
  Frankenbach
• 
  Formation sign of the 12th Panzer Division (Bundeswehr)

Literature

• Eugen Schöler: Fränkische Wappen erzählen Geschichte und Geschichten (= Die bibliophile Reihe bei Degener. Bd. 1). Degener, Neustadt an der Aisch, 1992, ISBN 3-7686-7012-0.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Franconian Rake.

• Detailed information on the history of the Franconian Rake