Symbols of Cieszyn
(from an article by I. Panic: Herb Piastów cieszyńskich i ich stolicy- Cieszyna (studium heraldyczne), Rocznik Cieszyński IV/V) translation D.French
The representation of Cieszyn’s coat of arms evolved along with the development of the town itself. Cieszyn was granted town rights entitling it to make use of the privileges of internal self-governance relatively late, in 1374. At that time Prince Przemysław I permitted the town to employ Magdeburg Law in the Wrocław (Breslau) version. In this document the existence of the seal is proved; Nos consules civitatis Thesschin ... sigillum / nostre civitatis presentibus est appensum.
The town’s first coat of arms, depicted in the seal shows three (!) towers, linked by walls and a gate with a portcullis. An uncrowned eagle is positioned above the gate. This version of the crest is known to us not only from the oldest surviving seal but also from a haler (a low denomination coin), which had the town’s coat of arms impressed on the obverse and on the reverse the inscription Moneta Tessinensis. Since Cieszyn received the right to mint coins in 1483 from the Prince and the haler mentioned above dates from that period, it is possible to estimate fairly accurately the period of the development of the earliest version of the coat of arms, which ended midway through the 15th century.
The town gates symbolise self-governance and independence. The open, or actually – raised – gate symbolises the town’s mercantile and welcoming character. The eagle above the town’s gate symbolises the Prince’s superior position over the town and is actually a relic of the time when the Prince was the town’s immediate owner. The indistinctly depicted ribbon of the River Olza under the town’s walls is a topographic reference in the heraldic image.
In this period a simpler depiction of the town’s coat of arms was forming, where the three towers were replaced by two. This may be explained by the fact that it was simpler to carve on the seal. In this representation, the town gate, also open, is flanked by the two Gothic towers. The eagle above the town’s gate remains uncrowned. This results from the fact that, in accordance with the principles of Polish heraldry – whose influence we see here – an eagle above a town walls in a town’s coat of arms may not be crowned since that would symbolise completely sovereign rule, which Cieszyn did not possess. In later times towns would (occasionally) include in their coat of arms a crown constructed of fragments of the town walls, but Cieszyn did not receive that form. In actual fact heraldry permitted a half-eagle to be crowned, but this functioned neither in Cieszyn’s oldest nor later seal.
In Cieszyn’s new coat of arms no changes can be discerned, if one overlooks some differences in the architectural representation of the town walls or towers. For example, in the archive of heraldic devices of 1657 the towers lose their Gothic character and assume a more ornate one, especially in the form of battlements and crowns of the towers. In a similar fashion to the previous examples the coat of arms was placed on a blue field. Another unchanging element is the river flowing beneath the town walls, usually represented by an undulating line.
Elements of Cieszyn’s coat of arms
The River
The river is represented each time in the form of more or less distinctly defined undulating lines. It is a typical topographical reference, in this case to the River Olza which flows by the town.
The Town Walls and Towers
The town walls are usually indistinctly defined and merge with the towers. In older seals they are generally represented in the form of a wall with defined buttresses. In later seals, which included the town’s coat of arms, the town wall is an element of the towers or was represented as a wider stripe from which the towers directly emerged. Occasionally the town wall merely fills in the space between the towers.
The town gate is always open, symbolising Cieszyn’s open, mercantile character. It was supposed to suggest the town welcomed guests; merchants, travellers, and visitors to fairs. The gate is usually depicted in accordance with the artistic tendencies prevailing at the time. Originally a Gothic pointed-arched gate, it later appears as a Renaissance one. Less often the gate has a portcullis and not necessarily only in versions of the coat of arms dating from the Middle Ages.
Towers
In general the representation of the coat of arms contains two towers linked by a high wall, which we do not have to recognise as a third, central tower. The oldest versions of the coat of arms included typical Gothic towers, and – which is interesting and speaks highly of the artistic skills of the seal press makers – the heraldic representation was clearly and accurately executed. The Baroque towers portrayed on the coat of arms dating from the 16th and 17th centuries are notable for the remarkably high level of artistry with which they were executed. The towers no longer refer to the defensive character of the town walls, but are rather decorative aspects. The crowns of these towers are many-sided. They are placed on the upper level, resting on corbels and small columns. The lower part of these towers is also decorated with small columns. Later the Baroque tower, beautifully shown on the painted heraldic coat of arms of Cieszyn – most probably based on an earlier representation was replaced by a neo-Classicist tower. In the 19th century the towers shown on Cieszyn’s coat of arms were not produced according to a particular style, in fact a fair degree of freedom was demonstrated. The situation was similar in the 20th century. However, the most authentic would have been to show Gothic towers on the coat of arms.
The Eagle
The eagle in Cieszyn’s coat of arms has passed through the fewest changes. Originally it was a Piast eagle, always uncrowned – at least when depicted on the town’s coat of arms. After the demise of the Piast lineage in Cieszyn and the passing of the rule of the Duchy to the Habsburgs the Piast eagle was replaced by a crowned Imperial eagle. The function of the eagle also varied. Early on, during the period of Piast dominance, it represented the rule of the Prince over the town. Later it came to signify the Piast beginnings of Cieszyn and the region, which function remained until the 20th century. The reason for the lack of a crown on the eagle during the Piast rule may be due to the fact that a crown might have been interpreted to symbolise a town’s independence from the rule of the feudal lord. After 1653, when the town began to be administered by Habsburg governors, the crown ceased to symbolise feudal ties.
Specific elements of Cieszyn’s coat of arms, in spite of various changes they passed through nevertheless always formed an integrated and enduring representation, which – let us recap – looked as follows; a river flows under the town walls which are fortified by towers. Between the towers proudly rises the Piast eagle. The whole composition is placed on a blue background.