Last modified: 2012-09-10 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: ratingen | per fess | lion(red) | double queued | crowned | wheel |
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![[Ratingen flag]](../images/d/de-me-ra.gif)
3:5 
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 Aug 2011
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Description of current flag:
The flag's ratio is 3:5. It is a red over white over red horizontal triband with ratio 1:3:1. The coat of arms is in the middle of the white stripe.
Source: §2(3) of Hauptsatzung of the city of Ratingen, version 8 May 2008
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 Aug 2011
Description of coat of arms:
The shield is divided per fess. Above in a silver (=white) field is a half, red, rampant, double queued lion crowned and armed blue. Below in a red field is a silver steering wheel having six spokes.
Meaning:
According to source the wheel appeared first in 1430, the lion even in 1338. Both were side by side with a church having three towers. It is however not mentioned, when both elements had been combined first. The wheel is said to be canting. The lion, although symbolizing the counts of Berg is said to be distinct from the Bergian lion by shape of the tail, which is not really suasive, because Bergian lions often differ in detail. Stadler is depicting the version of the arms, granted in 1909 by the Prussian king. The wheel there is shaped like a 5-spokes carriage wheel.
Obviously the coat of arms has been redesigned. The lion of nowadays version is no longer tongued blue, which is a real difference from the Bergian lion. And the wheel is shaped like a steering wheel. You can see a monument like another former seal with the lion holding the wheel on the municipal webpage. The wheel is canting. ("Rat" sounds like "Rad" = wheel). It is symbolizing the existence of a criminal court and the wheel had been an instrument of torture and execution.
Source: Stadler 1972, p.80
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 Aug 2011
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