#plowshare

[irreplaceable-spark]

Grant Wood Fall Plowing, 1931 Oil on canvas

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Arms of Dettingen, Germany

Granted 1960

Blazon: Per fess argent a plowshare gules and of the last

It’s possible the general layout of charge in chief, tincture in base is connected to the von Ow arms (per fess or a lion passant gules and azure), while the argent-and-gules may be related to the Hohenbergs (barry of four argent and gules). The von Ows were the first recorded owners of the town in 1275, while the Austrian Hohenbergs took over in 1381. The plowshare was apparently derived from older coats of arms (pre-1930) and may have originally been a Fleckenzeichen - an informal symbol used on boundary markers to delineate the borders of a town.

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Arms of Baisingen, Germany

In use in 1972

Blazon: Or a lime tree eradicated vert, in base a plowshare azure

Unfortunately, I don’t have any information on these arms, but it doesn’t appear that they took any influence from the various noble families who ruled the land (Validlingen, Wernau, Württemberg, etc.) I’d suspect the arms are a reference to local agriculture, but I don’t have anything to back that up.

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Hirrlingen, Germany

Granted 1744

Blazon: Gules a plowshare point in chief argent

There is a Hirrlingen family dating back to 1000, while the place appears to be younger; its first mention was in 1275, at which point the main line of Hirrlingens had died out. I don’t know what the Hirrlingen family arms were; it doesn’t seem like any depictions of them have survived. It looks like the Hohenbergs (per fess argent and gules) took over in the mid-thirteenth century, so it’s possible that the tinctures are drawn from their arms - but argent and gules is also an extremely common combination, so it’s equally possible that it’s completely irrelevant.

[griffinrampant]

Former arms of Altingen, Germany

Granted 1954 - 1971

Blazon: Gules two stalks of wheat in saltire surmounted by a croizer in pale or, overall a plowshare argent

I’m sure you can’t guess that this was historically a farming town. The heraldic allusions are very subtle. (They’re not.) The croizer reflects the town’s history as a possession of the abbeys of Ottobeuren and Bebenhausen, and the colors evidently derive from the Tübingen counts palatine (or a gonfanon gules).

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Arms of Simaringendorf, Germany

In use since at least 2008

Blazon: Per fess I per bend sinister gules two hammers in saltire or and of the last a plowshare of the first, II of the first a stag statant of the second

The stag is drawn from the arms of the county that shares its name with the village, while the hammers represent the local steelworks and the plowshare stands for agriculture.

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Arms of Deutsch Schützen-Eisenberg, Austria

In use since at least 2016

Blazon: Per pale azure and or, a plowshare fesswise between three sheaves of wheat and a vine leafed and fructed conjoined in base, all counterchanged

The vine may be an allusion to the Pernau monastery, who owned vineyards in the area.

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Brunn am Gebirge, Austria

In use since at least 1612

Blazon: Gules a fess argent surmounted by a plowshare sable

The arms of the town are derived from those of the Babenbergs with the plowshare representing St. Cunigunde, who walked over red-hot plowshares to prove her innocence of adultery. Some older depictions of the arms show the plowshare as or.