Half of a red eagle facing left, joined with a half of a black lion facing right, both animals together wearing a yellow (golden) crown on their joined heads
The coat of arms of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, consists of a white (silver) escutcheon, with a half of an eagle facing left, joined with a half of a lion facing right, both animals together wearing a yellow (golden) crown on their joined heads. It had been adopted in 2000.
Design
The coat of arms of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship is a white (silver) Iberian style escutcheon with square top and rounded base. It features a charge of Kuyavian Hybride, in the form of a half of a red eagle facing left, joined with a half of a black lion facing right. Both animals together wear a yellow (golden) crown on their joined heads. The eagle has yellow (golden) beak, tongue and claws.
The design and colours of the charge comes from the coat of arms of the voivodeships of Inowrocław, and Brześć Kujawski, used from 14th to 18th centuries. The white (silver) colour of the escutcheon comes from historical coat of arms of the Chełmno Voivodeship, that also featured a white (silver) shield.[1]
The design of the coat of arms had originated as the symbol of the Kuyavia. The coat of arms included a charge used in the coat of arms, the Kuyavian Hybride, in the form of a half of a eagle, joined with a half of a lion, both wearing together a crown on their joined heads. The design began being used in the second half of the 12th century, by the dukes of the Piast dynasty controlling that area. The oldest known usage of that design in the area, comes from the 1268 seal used by duke Ziemomysł of Kuyavia, ruler of the Duchy of Inowrocław.[2]
Since 14th century, the charge, was used in the coat of arms of the voivodeships of Brześć Kujawski, Inowrocław, Łęczyca, and Sieradz. Both voivodeships of Brześć Kujawski, and Inowrocław, used the identical design, which featuring a black lion, joined with a red eagle, together wearing a yellow (golden) crown, placed on a yellow (golden) background. The Łęczyca Voivodeship used a coat of arms which featured a red lion, joined with a white eagle, together wearing a yellow (golden) crown. It was divided into two vertical fields, with red lion being placed on a white field, and eagle, on a red field. The Sieradz Voivodeship used a coat of arms which featured a red lion, joined with a black eagle, together wearing a yellow (golden) crown. It was divided into two vertical fields, with lion being placed on a yellow field, and eagle, on a red field.[3] The voivodeship used their coats of arms until their disestablishment. Inowrocław Voivodeship was disestablished on 25 September 1772, while the rest, on 25 September 1793.[4]
Chełmno Voivodeship
The coat of arms of voivodeships of Chełmno in the Kingdom of Poland used from 1466 to 1772, in the version with black eagle on a white background.
There were two known versions of the coat of arms, that served as the symbol of the voivodeship. 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. Other 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.[7][8][6]
Prior to establishment of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, within its current borders, from 1975 to 1998, existed the Toruń Voivodeship.[9][10] Its coat of arms had been adopted on 12 May 1995, and remained in use until 31 December 1998, when the voivodeship ceased to exist. It consisted of the red Iberian-style escutcheon (shield), with square top and pointed bottom. It featured a white (silver) eagle with raised wings, and its head turned right. It had orange (golden) beak, tongue, and legs. On his chest was placed an orange (golden) crown, with his head going through it. From its back, on its right, was coming out a hand in the steel armor, holding a sword, over its head. They had grey colour.[11]
^Zdzisław Kaczmarczyk, Bogusław Leśnodorski: Historia państwa i prawa Polski. T. II: od połowy XV wieku do r. 1795. Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1966, p. 161.
^ abUstawa z dnia 24 lipca 1998 r. o wprowadzeniu zasadniczego trójstopniowego podziału terytorialnego państwa, In: 1998 Journal of the Laws, no. 96, position 603).
^Rozporządzeniem Nr 19/95 Wojewody Toruńskiego z dnia 12 maja 1995 r. w sprawie ustanowienia herbu województwa toruńskiego. 12 May 1995. Toruń. In: 1995 Journal of Laws of the Toruń Voivodeship, no. 8, position 77. Toruń. 1995.
