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Lübeck city coat of arms: 30 years of design that shapes history!
Lübeck's city coat of arms celebrates 30 years of design history. The mayor and archivist honor the tradition in the city archives.
Lübeck city coat of arms: 30 years of design that shapes history!
On July 9, 2025, an important documentation process on the current Lübeck city coat of arms and its appearance was completed in the Lübeck city archives. The contract for the handover of the basics of Lübeck's corporate design from 1996 was signed by Dieter Witasik, the former managing director of MIKADO GmbH and now head of ews group GmbH. This happened in the presence of the mayor Jan Lindenau and the city archive manager Dr. Dominik Kuhn, both of whom highlighted the importance of this collection. Here Lübeck reports that the collection includes drafts, original drawings, correspondence and slides from the time the city coat of arms was created and is an important source for the history of the city.
The current Lübeck city coat of arms has shaped the appearance of the Hanseatic city for 30 years. The coat of arms, which is adorned with the double-headed eagle - has been a symbol of Lübeck since the 14th century - remains unchanged even after the introduction of the new design guidelines at the turn of the year 2020/21. Mayor Lindenau emphasizes: “Design is an essential part of our urban identity and tradition.” Prof. Kurt Weidemann, an internationally recognized graphic designer, played a central role in the careful revision of the coat of arms. Here Lübeck highlights that in 1996, MIKADO GmbH and Weidemann won the competition to develop the design that was not only beautiful but also functional - it unified the city's electronic and print communications.
The historical context
The history of Lübeck's city coat of arms is inextricably linked to the development of the city itself. Lübeck, once an important center of Baltic trade, experienced an economic boom thanks to the Hanseatic League in the 14th century. In addition to the modern city coat of arms, there are also coins steeped in history, such as the 10 Mark gold coin from 1901, which show the Lübeck city coat of arms. This coin, which as Coin courier informed, had a circulation of 10,000 pieces and was made of 900 gold. Its diameter is 19.5 mm and the rough weight is 3.9 g. The city's coat of arms is depicted on the front, while the reverse shows the imperial eagle.
The great historical value of the coat of arms is reflected not only in coins, but also in the cultural identity of the people of Lübeck. The double-headed eagle is anchored as a historical symbol not only in the city, but also in the hearts of its citizens. The discretion of the design achieved by Weidemann is described by Witasik as timelessly classic, which underlines the importance of the coat of arms even in modern times.
Transferring the documents to the city archives is a step that not only preserves the past, but also lays the foundation for future generations to understand and appreciate the history of Lübeck and the development of its city coat of arms.