Pomeranian duchies , used as the symbol of the
House of Griffin in the 12th century, and the
House of Samboride in the 12th and 13th centuries. In the 12th century, the
House of Griffin, which ruled the
Duchy of Pomerania, and letter
Pomerania-Stettin and
Pomerania-Demmin, as well as the
House of Samboride, which ruled the
Duchy of Eastern Pomerania, used the
fleur-de-lis, a
lily, as their symbol. The oldest known reference to the use of the
griffin as a heraldic symbol in
Western Pomerania comes from a document that can be dated between 1191 and 1194. It was a deed of donation from duchess
Anastasia of Greater Poland and her sons,
Bogislaw II and
Casimir II, rulers of the
Duchy of Pomerania, to a
church in
Budzistowo. The original document does not survive, however, a 1384 copy contains a description of the attached seals. It includes an
equestrian seal, depicting a
cavalryman sitting on a jumping horse, facing right, and holding a flag and a shield. The griffin was present on the shield. An older known seal of duke
Bogusław I, does not contain a griffin. Until 1219, the griffin was also present in the seals of the members of the
House of Mecklenburg, which ruled the nearby
Lordship of Mecklenburg. Since 1325, the
Duchy of Pomerania-Wolgast used a black griffin in a yellow (golden) shield as its symbol. In the second half of the 15th century, duke
Eric II introduced the first complex coat of arms, combining four coats of arms into one. In accordance to the descriptions from the 1469 documents, the coat of arms consisted of the shield divided into four fields, from top left to bottom right, depicted: • a red griffin with a yellow (golden) beak and claws in a white (silver) field, representing the
Pomerania-Stettin and the entire region of
Pomerania; • a black griffin in a yellow (golden) field, representing
Pomerania-Barth, • a red griffin with green diagonal stripes in a yellow (golden) field, representing the
Wendish lands; • a field divided horizontally into two parts, with the top part depicting a top half of a white (silver) griffin on a red background, and the bottom part depicting a
checkered pattern of yellow (golden) and blue rectangles, representing the Pomerania-Wologast. Another notable surviving depiction of the coat of arms is the sculpture at the wall of the
Pudagla Manor House in
Pudagla, Germany. The coat of arms consisted of nine fields within a single
Escutcheon (shield), divided into three rows, each containing three fields. In the top row, the left field, from the viewer's point of view, contained a red right-facing griffin with a yellow (golden) beak and claws, and a yellow (golden) crown on its head, placed on a blue background. It symbolized Pomerania-Stettin. The middle field depicted a red left-facing griffin with beak and claws, placed on a white background. It symbolized the Duchy of Pomerania. The right field depicted a black left-facing griffin placed on a yellow (golden) background. It symbolized
Lauenburg and Bütow Land, which was represented within the titles of the Griffin dynasty by the title
Duke of Kashubia. Prior to this, said coat of arms was associated with
Pomerania-Barth, and earlier, with Pomerania-Wolgast. In the middle row, the left field depicted a red right-facing griffin with green diagonal stripes placed on a white background, representing the
Wendish lands. The middle field was divided horizontally into two parts. The top part depicted a top half of a black lion wearing a red crown, placed on a yellow (golden) background. The bottom field consisted of a checkered pattern consisting of red and blue rectangles, with the red rectangles forming a shape of an up-facing triangle. It symbolized the
Principality of Rügen. The right field depicted a white left-facing
sea-griffin, a griffin with a fishtail. It symbolized the island of
Usedom. In the bottom row, the left field depicted a right-facing black griffin with two white (silver) feathers on its wings, close to its torso. It was placed on a yellow (golden) background and symbolized Pomerania-Barth. Prior to this, said the area was represented by a black griffin on a yellow (golden) background, identical to the previous coat of arms of Pomerania-Wologast, and the contemporary coat of arms representing the title of
Duke of Kashubia. To distinguish it from the latter, the white (silver) feathers were added. The middle field depicted two diagonally-crossed red bars, and four red
roses with yellow (golden) centres and green
sepals, placed around them. They were placed on a yellow (golden) background. It symbolized the
County of Gützkow. The right field was divided horizontally into two parts, with the top part depicting a top half of a left-facing white (silver) griffin on a red background, and the bottom part depicting a checkered pattern of yellow (golden) and blue rectangles. It represented Pomerania-Wologast. in
Pudagla, Germany. Above the shield, were placed three
helmet. Above the top left field was placed a helmet with a ducal crown and a flat hat made out of a spiked top, made out of the
ermine fur, with a large plume of
peacock feathers on top, which represented the Principality of Rügen. The
mantling, a drapery tied to the helmet, was black and yellow (golden). Above the top middle field was placed a helmet with a crown and a pointed hat with a small plume of peacock feathers, which represented the Pomerania-Stettin. The mantling of the helmet was red and blue. Above the top right field was placed a helmet with a crown and hat with a
lily stems and a small plume of peacock feathers, which represented Pomerania. The mantling of the helmet was red and white (silver). On the sides of the shield were the
supporters, in the form of creatures holding it. Originally they were a griffin and a lion. Not long after they were replaced by two
wild men, figures depicting male humans wearing oak leaves around their hips, and holding
clubs. The Griffin dynasty had died out with the death of duke Bogislaw XIV in 1637. As such, the Duchy of Pomerania ceased to exist, with its lands being partitioned between the
Margraviate of Brandenburg and
Swedish Pomerania. Following that, the fields of the coat of arms, helmets, and
supporters were also adopted into the
coat of arms of Brandenburg, while the supporters themselves were also added to the
coat of arms of Prussia. There were two known versions of the coat of arms, that served as the symbol of the voivodeships of
Chełmno, and
Malbork, and the province of
Royal Prussia. One depicted a black eagle, with a golden (yellow) crown on its neck, from which reaches an arm in silver armour, holding a sword above the head of the bird, turned to the viewer's left. It is placed on a white (silver) background. Another version depicted a white eagle, with a golden (yellow) crown on its neck, from which reaches an arm in silver armour, holding a sword above the head of the bird, turned to the viewer's left. It is placed on a red background. Royal Prussia ceased to exist in 1569. The voivodeships of Malbork and Pomerania ceased to exist in 1772, during the
First Partition of Poland, while the Chełmno Voivodeship, in 1793, during the
Second Partition of Poland.
Swedish Pomerania during the reign of
Charles X Gustav of Sweden, as depicted in his funeral banner. Following the incorporation of the territories of the Duchy of Pomerania in 1637, into the
Swedish Pomerania, it continued using its coat of arms. On its coinage it depicted the nine-field coat of arms of Pomerania, as well as a single left-facing griffin with a crown on its head, and a sword in its right hand, standing on its back feat and with risen wings. The banner made for the funeral of king
Charles X Gustav of Sweden, depicted a red left-facing griffin in a yellow (golden) shield.
Province of Pomerania used from 1881 to 1945. The
Province of Pomerania had established its coat of arms in 1881. It consisted of a white (silver)
escutcheon (shield) which depicted a red left-facing griffin with a yellow (golden) beak and claws. In 1929, the design of the griffin was modernized, with the new version remaining in use until 1945, when the Province of Pomerania ceased to exist. The proposed design consisted of a white Iberian-style escutcheon, with a square top and rounded base, depicting a red right-facing griffin with a yellow (golden) crown on its head, standing on its back feat and with risen wings. The first recorded usage of the
banner of arms, and the
flag of Kashubia dates back to 18 August 1929 during a Kashubian
convention in
Kartuzy. Both symbols were flown during the event; first, the flag, featuring two black and yellow horizontal stripes, and then the banner of arms, in the form of a black griffin on a yellow background. In 1947, its government established its flag, which was a historical
flag of Mecklenburg with three horizontal stripes of blue, yellow, and red colour. On 18 February 1948, the State of Mecklenburg established the coat of arms that depicted a head of
bull with horns and a crown on its head, that it used on its official seals. In 1990, Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania established its symbols. Its great coat of arms consists of an Iberian-style
escutcheon (shield) with a square top and rounded base, divided into four fields, of two rows with two fields in each. The top left, and bottom right fields depict a head of a black bull, with a red tongue and white (silver) horns, wearing a yellow (yellow) crown, placed on a yellow (golden) background. It was based on the historical symbols of Mecklenburg. The top right field depicts a red griffin with a yellow (golden) beak and claws, standing on its back legs, with risen wings, and facing to the left, placed on a white (silver) background. It was based on the historical symbols of Western Pomerania. The bottom left field depicts a red eagle with a yellow (golden) beak and claws, with its head facing to the left, and risen wings, each containing a yellow (golden) upwards-curved bar, stretched from its chest to the end of the wing, ended in a
trefoil. It was based on the historical
symbols of
Brandenburg, and represents the
Uckermark, a historical region that used to be under the control of the
Margraviate of Brandenburg, and which part is located within the state of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania. The small coat of arms consists of an Iberian-style escutcheon (shield) with a square top and rounded base, divided vertically into two fields. The left field depicts a head of a black bull, with a red tongue and white (silver) horns, wearing a yellow (yellow) crown, placed on a yellow (golden) background. The right field depicts a red griffin with a yellow (golden) beak and claws, standing on its back legs, with risen wings, and facing to the left, placed on a white (silver) background. The Gdańsk Voivodeship ceased to exist on 31 December 1998, and its territories were incorporated into then-established
Pomeranian Voivodeship. of the
West Pomeranian Voivodeship used since 2000. The
West Pomeranian Voivodeship had adopted its
coat of arms on 23 October 2000. The coat of arms depicts a red
griffin with a yellow (golden) beak and claws standing in the combat position, placed within the white (silver) Iberian-style escutcheon. It was designed by Jerzy Bąk, and its design was based on the red griffin present on the banner used by the forces of
Casimir V, duke of
Pomerania-Stettin, during the
Battle of Grunwald in 1410. of the
Pomeranian Voivodeship used from 2002 to 2008, and again since 2010. Soon after, the Pomeranian Voivodeship Sejmik had approved a different design of the coat of arms, made by Wawrzyniec Samp, which consisted of a yellow (golden) Iberian style escutcheon, depicting a black griffin, standing on its back feet, with its front legs and winds rose, a red tongue put out from its opened beak, and a tail that splits into two in a middle of its length. The design of the griffin was based on the 16th century
fresco located in the
Oliwa Cathedral in
Gdańsk. Such a decision had been criticized and opposed by some local politicians and scholars, as it was believed that such a coat of arms only represented Kashubia, and omitted other regions of the voivodeship, that would be otherwise represented by the historical coat of arms of Royal Prussia. It was also noted, that its design, was similar to of the logo of the
Kashubian-Pomeranian Association, some of which members, were also members of sejmik. Furthermore, the coat of arms had been criticized by the
Heraldic Commission of Poland, which shared the opinion, that the prior proposition of a combination of both coats of arms, placed in a red shield, was more suitable. Despite that, the commission's opinion was only observational, and could not stop the sejmik from legally implementing the coat of arms. However, in accordance with its opinion, the design had been visually rejected to their visual corrections. On 28 January 2002, the sejmik held a second vote on the design, approving it as the symbol of the voivodeship. In 2008, the
voivodeship executive board had modified the design of the griffin, and shade of the shield, without the approval of the Regional Assembly, as part of their campaign to promote the region. The previous design had been re-established in 2010 and remains in use to the present day. == Contemporary use ==