The "Sparren" coat of arms

Distinguishing feature of the County of Ravensberg

In the Middle Ages, knights in their armor all looked quite similar. On the battlefield, it was sometimes difficult to tell friend from foe. That is why coats of arms were developed as identifying marks that could be clearly associated with a noble family. These symbols later appeared on seals, coins, and tombstones, among other things. Heraldry is the study of the description and interpretation of coats of arms. Experts describe the coat of arms of the Counts of Ravensberg—first observed at the turn of the 12th to the 13th century—as follows: It consists of “a shield divided into six sections in a chevron pattern. The colors are silver and red.”

The "History" of the Ravensberg Rafter Coat of Arms

In 1346, the male line of the Counts of Ravensberg died out. The Dukes of Jülich-Berg, who resided along the Rhine, inherited the territory and from then on also bore the title “Counts of Ravensberg.” In addition, the new rulers adopted the rafter coat of arms. In this way, the dukes documented the new ownership and ruling structures and created a composite coat of arms known as an “alliance coat of arms.” When marriages took place, the coats of arms of the spouses were likewise combined; in this way, the Ravensberg chevron coat of arms spread throughout Europe, particularly in German-speaking regions. For example, the chevron can be found in the coats of arms of the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electorate of Saxony, and the Kingdom of Prussia.

What's hidden behind the three rafters?

But why did the Counts of Ravensberg choose three rafters, of all things, for their coat of arms? Regional historian and linguist Christof Spannhoff speculates that this might be a misinterpretation of the name “Ravensberg.” In Old High German, “ravo” refers to a staff, a small beam, or even a rafter. Contemporaries may therefore have interpreted the eponymous Ravensberg as “mountain with rafters”; today we know that this name actually derives from the male given name Hravan. Ravensberg is therefore, in reality, the “Mountain of Hravan.”

The "Sparren" coat of arms

The Fountain

No water, no castle