Cologne Coat of Arms
Three golden crowns for the Three Holy Kings and eleven black flames for St. Ursula — a coat of arms shaped by more than 700 years of change.
Cologne's civic emblem has evolved gradually over the centuries, layering new symbols onto older ones rather than replacing them outright. Today it appears across countless logos and emblems of institutions and businesses throughout the city.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Coat of arms of the City of Cologne
- Origin
- Coat of arms of the Free Imperial City of Cologne (since 1475)
- Age
- documented for more than 700 years
- Symbols
- three golden crowns, eleven black flames (arranged 5:4:2)
- Colors
- red and white
- Shield-bearer today
- double-headed eagle (since 1897)
During the French occupation in 1811, Napoleon granted Cologne an entirely new coat of arms featuring three golden bees, a caduceus, and a mural crown from which an eagle emerges.
The Three Crowns
The three crowns have served as the city's heraldic emblem since the 12th century. They commemorate the Three Holy Kings, whose relics Archbishop Rainald von Dassel brought to Cologne from Milan as war spoils in 1164. The blazon describes three golden, three-petaled crowns arranged in a fess on a red chief. Until around 1550, the coat of arms showed only these crowns on a silver field.
The Eleven Flames
Eleven black flames were added in the 16th century, referring to St. Ursula, legendary daughter of a Breton king named Maurus. The flames actually represent ermine tails, as found in the coat of arms of Brittany. According to legend, Ursula returned from a pilgrimage to Rome with ten companions; over centuries of medieval relic veneration, the eleven virgins grew into a legendary 11,000. Near Cologne, they were said to have been killed by the Huns under Attila. Many bones found in and around the city — often from Roman burial sites along the old roads — were over time attributed to Ursula's companions.
Shield-Bearer and Crest
The red and white colors reflect Cologne's role, alongside Lübeck, as a founding member of the Hanseatic League. Since 1897, the shield has rested on a double-headed, nimbed eagle with golden talons and a red tongue, holding a sword and scepter — a nod to the city's status as a Free Imperial City, granted in 1475. Before 1794, a lion and a griffin held the shield instead. The crest features a red tournament hat with an ermine brim, topped with a shield-board adorned with peacock feathers.
Arms Under Napoleon
During the French occupation, Napoleon granted Cologne a new coat of arms in 1811, designating it a first-class city among the "Good Cities" of the Empire. This shield showed three golden bees on a red chief above a black, jagged-edged bar on red. The crest featured a caduceus beneath a golden wall with seven battlements, from which a golden eagle emerged. The shield was framed by a golden wreath bound with red ribbons — olive branches on the right, oak branches on the left.
Good to Know
Cologne was the starting point of the Cologne-Minden Railway, which is why several stations along the line to Minden, Bremen, and the Hamburg-Venlo route still bear the Cologne coat of arms. It differs clearly from the Electoral Cologne coat of arms, which shows a black cross on silver and still appears in many district, town, and municipal arms around Cologne and in the former Electoral Cologne territories of Westphalia.
Timeline
- 1164Archbishop Rainald von Dassel brings the relics of the Three Magi to Cologne.
- 12. JahrhundertThe three crowns become the city's emblem of sovereignty.
- 1475Cologne becomes a Free Imperial City; the coat of arms derives from this.
- 16. JahrhundertThe eleven black flames have adorned the city's coat of arms since this time.
- bis um 1550Earlier blazon: silver with red chief and three golden crowns.
- vor 1794The three-crown coat of arms is supported by a lion and a griffin.
- 1811Napoleon grants Cologne a new coat of arms during the French occupation.
- 1897Since this year the shield has rested on a double-headed eagle.
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Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-09-23
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