Portal:Hamburg/Selected article/Week 50, 2009

The coat of arms of the German state and city of Hamburg is a kind of a national emblem. The coat of arms and the flags are regulated by the constitution of Hamburg and law. The colors of Hamburg are red and white. One of the oldest versions of the castle is found on a seal in 1245.

All coat of arms show a castle with three towers. The middle tower shows a cross on top. It is believed that the so-called Marian stars on top of the two side-towers and the cross recalls the fact that Hamburg used to be an archbishopric. The towers and the walls with their pinnacles and the closed gate symbolized the determination of the town to defend itself.