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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: Paradigmshift on Tuesday 23 April 19 10:46 BST (UK)

Title: Coat of Arms
Post by: Paradigmshift on Tuesday 23 April 19 10:46 BST (UK)
Hi all.
First off, what a packed site.
I look forward to perusing it.
I have had a key holder for a year or so and I'm trying to find out it's origin of the coat of arms..
It says 'Made in WestGermany' if that's any clue?
Anyone know what, where, why, or point me in the right direction?
Cheers
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Karen McDonald on Tuesday 23 April 19 11:07 BST (UK)
Hi,

Welcome to RC! It is indeed a lovely website.

Your key-holder bears the Bavarian coat of arms:

(https://up.picr.de/35586683vm.png)

Seeing as it says "Made in West Germany", it is probably pre-1989 (at the very least).  :)

Best regards,
Karen

Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: CarolA3 on Tuesday 23 April 19 11:17 BST (UK)
Seeing as it says "Made in West Germany", it is probably pre-1989 (at the very least).  :)

West Germany existed (as a separate country) from 1949 to 1990 according to Wikipedia, so that narrows it down a bit more :)

Carol
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Paradigmshift on Tuesday 23 April 19 14:48 BST (UK)
Thanks for the quick replies.
That has saved some of my hair (what's left) being pulled out!
Really interesting.
Now I wonder what establishment it would have been in.
Hotel perhaps?
Would have been a small one though.
Or perhaps a government building.
At least I can search in the right direction now.
Cheers
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: garstonite on Wednesday 24 April 19 08:18 BST (UK)
I worked in Eggenfelden , Bayern for 3 years ...local hotels / guesthouses / bars have a Stamtiche - which is a table for "locals only" - ie - tourists and non locals don't sit there ...the Stamtiche also had a Newspaper Rack and Coathanger diamond shaped on the wall behind the Stamtiche ...MOST of these had the Coat of Arms on them - VERY PROUD of being Bayerisch - they would say "Ich nicht bin Deutch,Ich bin Bayerische "  I am not German ,I am Bavarian ...they don't say "Guten Morgen " - they say "Tisgut"  as a hello - wonderful friendly people  :)
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Karen McDonald on Wednesday 24 April 19 10:47 BST (UK)
Grüß Gott!  ;D

I've always found the Bavarians to be very friendly, too. My (English) brother-in-law lives there and hates them! Maybe it's a case of "Wie man in den Wald hinein ruft, so schallt es heraus"...

As garstonite says, they certainly are fiercely proud of being Bavarian. There have been many attempts in the not-so-distant past to make Bavaria an independent state and the number of Bavarians in favour of this is, apparently, rising again.

Whatever. I've been trying to find something similar to this key case online and have drawn an absolute blank. The funny thing is, there is something in the back of my mind telling me I have seen something similar. I just can't think where!  ::)

The fact that it has 2 holes in the upper edge should also tell us something. If the case was designed to hang on the wall when it was not in use, I would expect it to have one hole. Two holes would suggest that a cord would be threaded through the holes in order for it to be hung on e.g. a belt, i.e. the user would have it on their person.

I'll keep looking.  :)

Pfiat di!
Karen


 


Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Mart 'n' Al on Wednesday 24 April 19 11:48 BST (UK)
Karen, I disagree with you on several counts. Firstly I think it has two holes so that it hangs more securely on a wall and doesn't swing to one side. Secondly it looks far too rigid for somebody to wear on a belt. I also think it is far too large to hang on a belt.

Martin
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Karen McDonald on Wednesday 24 April 19 12:55 BST (UK)
Karen, I disagree with you on several counts. Firstly I think it has two holes so that it hangs more securely on a wall and doesn't swing to one side. Secondly it looks far too rigid for somebody to wear on a belt. I also think it is far too large to hang on a belt.

Martin

I'm obviously lacking your powers of sizing unknown objects without the aid of reference items or I'm overlooking the presence of a tape measure in the photos...  ;)

Maybe Paradigmshift would be so kind as to let us know how big this fascinating piece of Bavarian history is.

Best regards,
Karen
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: CarolA3 on Wednesday 24 April 19 14:11 BST (UK)
Seeing as it says "Made in West Germany", it is probably pre-1989 (at the very least).  :)
West Germany existed (as a separate country) from 1949 to 1990 according to Wikipedia, so that narrows it down a bit more :)

It's only just struck me that if it says that in English, it's possibly a souvenir or intended for export.

Carol
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Karen McDonald on Wednesday 24 April 19 14:57 BST (UK)
It's only just struck me that if it says that in English, it's possibly a souvenir or intended for export.
Carol

That crossed my mind, too.  :)
However, "Made in..." is pretty standard for a lot of languages/origins, whether the items are intended for export or not.

We have lots of things here with "Made in Germany" on them. Having said that, most of them might well be exported as well as sold here.
Some things have "Hergestellt in Deutschland" somewhere on the packaging, but "Made in Germany" in bigger letters, often on the front. It's a selling point.  ;D

It's got me wondering. I'm off out shopping now. I'm going to bear this thread in mind while I'm looking at things..!  :D
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Peonie on Thursday 25 April 19 14:01 BST (UK)
Grüß Gott,
In the Late 19th Century The UK forced Germany to mark all its goods with „ Made in Germany“ as it wanted to warn its citizens of the inferior quality of German goods. It backfired badly as very soon „Made in Germany“ was considered better quality.

Gott mit Dir, du Land der Bayern, Heimaterde, Vaterland - that’s the Bayernhymne. Many (many, many) years ago when I turned 21 I received a Bavarian state citizen certificate. I am very proud to have it, because they are not issued anymore.

Regards Peonie

Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Paradigmshift on Friday 26 April 19 13:16 BST (UK)
Great inputs, interesting conversation.
For some reason I haven't been getting emails to show there have been replies to my thread so I've only just seen the question regarding size. (Notify me is ticked)
It certainly wouldn't be very comfy for the wearer if it was on their belt.
It looks like it would have been on a wall to me.
BTW, it was something that came in a mixed box of items that I bought at an auction house.
I sometimes sell stuff on ebay but when something looks interesting I like to find out a bit of history.
This I may just hang on my own wall and use it as it was intended.
Title: Re: Coat of Arms
Post by: Karen McDonald on Friday 26 April 19 14:16 BST (UK)
You're right - the wooden back would not be comfy!  ;D

Found this on eBay:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/alter-Schlusselkasten-Holz-Kunstleder-Wappen-H-B22x18cm-gebraucht-S11-6/264288387554?hash=item3d88d0c1e2:g:mD4AAOSwsGpb8-iZ

Not quite the same, but in the right direction...

Best regards,
Karen