The Zurich Roll of Arms
Die Wappenrolle von Zürich
Hier klicken für deutsch.
The Zurich Roll of Arms is - as far as we know - the oldest surviving
original of a roll of arms. Its name derives from the place where it
is kept: the Burgerbibliothek (= citizens library) Zurich. Who made it
and why is unknown. First references to the roll are a copy of 16th
century and the naming of the donor, the Amtmann of Schaffhausen
Johannes Schleuchzer, M. D., who presented the roll to the
Burgerbibliothek in 1750.
Regarding style of the paintings and as we know when some of the
coats of arms depicted came into / out of use respectivly the roll
can be dated to ca. 1340; as very many of the coats of arms are
from the area around Lake Constance it can be concluded that the roll
was made there.
There is, as said above, a copy from 16th century, kept in the
Gr�flich K�nigsegg'schen Domanial-Kanzlei in Aulendorf - thus called
"Aulendorf copy" -, painted in 16th century style, and a copy from
18th century, made by the artist Hans Conrad Bernhauser (1698-1761) in
14th century style, kept in the Zentralbibliothek (= central library)
Zurich, called "Bernhauser copy".
The roll consists of three independent parchment strips:
Strip I has 28 standards and 22 coats of arms,
Strip II front page and
back page has 140 and 146 coats of arms respetivly,
Strip III has 142 coats of arms.
Both copies include a now lost part of the original, which has another
108 coats of arms; this part isn't depicted here.
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Page created by Gerrit Bigalski, M. A., Nov. 1996.