Emblems of Towns and Municipalities in the Český Krumlov Region

In the past this region had altogether nineteen townships: Benešov nad Černou, Cetviny, Český Krumlov, Dolní Dvořiště, Dolní Vltavice, Frymburk, Horní Dvořiště, Horní Planá, Hořice na Šumavě, Chvalšiny, Kaplice, Křemže, Pohoří na Šumavě, Přídolí, Rožmberk nad Vltavou, Rožmitál na Šumavě, Rychnov nad Malší, Velešín and Vyšší Brod. It is possible to confirm the use of their emblems (coats-of-arms) as a symbol of a certain place during different periods.

Each individual emblem although different has in many cases a similarity of certain contours. In an individual emblem, we often find a combination of different motives. The characteristic subject of city walls appears in six places (Český Krumlov, Dolní Dvořiště, Horní Dvořiště, Kaplice, Velešín, Vyšší Brod). The authority's coat-of-arms became the sign of the town in several cases. A red five petal rose we find in towns of Cetviny, Frymburk, Hořice na Šumavě and Rožmberk nad Vltavou. Benešov nad Černou has a coat-of-arms, which contains a silver lion with a single tail, which is the emblem of the aldermen from Michalovice, who were the owners up to 1387. The authority's coat-of-arms of the Zlatá Koruna monastery is found in the emblem of Chvalšiny. The emblem of Křemže is similar to the coat-of-arms of the Dubenský family from Chlum, who owned Křemže up to the 16th century.

The coat-of-arms of the Rosenbergs - The Rosenberg Coat-of-arms is a red five petal rose, which is found on coats-of-arms of several places, and which is mainly between town towers (Český Krumlov, Kaplice, Vyšší Brod), or on an illustration of the tower itself (Horní Dvořiště, Velešín). This rose in Velešín is not red, but golden, that is the so-called improvement of the emblem as the paint was replaced with metal.

The red five petal rose, or in some instances only a part of the rose, can be found in combination with other motives in the coats-of-arms of Horní Planá, Rožmitál na Šumavě and Rychnov nad Malší. In the coat-of-arms of Rožmitál na Šumavě, as well as Velešín, the rose (originally red) is of golden colour.

An illustration of the local church patron is found in Přídolí, where an older picture of the seal was included into the coat-of-arms of the town. The motives from the world of animals and plants are carried by the coats-of-arms of Horní Planá (a sitting bear holding a Rosenberg rose), and the coat-of-arms of Pohoří na Šumavě (owl, tree stump) and the coat-of-arms of Rychnov nad Malší (hedgehog and pine). Celestical bodies can be found in the coats-of-arms of Rožmitál na Šumavě and Rychnov nad Malší. Apart from the coats-of-arms that depict the motive of city wall, other works of mankind are illustrated on the coats-of-arms of Dolní Vltavice (a bridge over a water stream), Křemže (an arrow) and Pohoří na Šumavě (a goblet).

Certificates have their own value, by which the towns and municipalities were given the right to use the coat-of-arms and a seal, whose sign (the picture of the seal) became the coat-of-arms of the town. Seven of them are in the region of Český Krumlov, out of which four signs (Český Krumlov, Dolní Vltavice, Rychnov nad Malší and Vyšší Brod) directly affected the coat-of-arms of the town. It is even sometimes illustrated (Rychnov nad Malší in the year 1536, the original Český Krumlov emblem was altered in the year 1671 - Evolution of the Český Krumlov Emblem). The seal and picture illustrated therein relate to the certificates issued for towns of Cetviny, Dolní Dvořiště and Horní Dvořiště in a time span of 1498-1528.

(jv)