History

Since the 11th century, the ancestral seat of the comital family had been at Schwarzburg Castle, though after 1340, for most of its existence as a polity had the capital at the larger town of Rudolstadt. In 1583 Count Günther XLI of Schwarzburg, the eldest son of Günther XL the Rich and ruler over the united Schwarzburg lands, had died without issue. He was succeeded by his younger brothers, whereby Albert VII received the territory around Rudolstadt. After their brother Count William of Schwarzburg-Frankenhausen had died in 1597, the surviving brothers Albert VII and John Günther I established the two counties of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen the 1599 Treaty of Stadtilm.

Albert's descendants ruled as sovereign counts of the Holy Roman Empire. Count Albert Anton (1662–1710) was elevated to the rank of a Prince by Emperor Leopold I of Habsburg, it was however his son Louis Frederick I (1710–1718) who first bore the princely title, whereby Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1711 became a principality under the same entity. It withstood the mediatisation and after the Empire's dissolution joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807 and the German Confederation in 1815. On 23 November 1918,

during the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the fall of all the German monarchies, Prince Günther Victor was the last to abdicate. The former principality became a "Free State" in 1919, that was merged into the new state of Thuringia in the next year.

Heraldry

The arms of the counts of Schwarzburg were Azure, a crowned lion guardant, langued and unguled Gules.The arms are known from the middle of the 13th century and were used unmarshalled for some 300 years. In the course of time the lion was restyled in the usual attitude, looking to the dexter. Afterwards they were on an escutcheon in the middle of arms quarterly of the arms of the possessions of the counts and princes of Schwarzburg.

Günther VII

Count of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg 1236-†1274

Günther VII was the founder of the line of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg. When his brother Heinrich III. von Schwarzburg had died without heirs in 1259 Schwarzburg-Blankenburg and Schwarzburg were united again

Statue of Count Sizzo in Naumburg Cathedral

The count with a sword upright and a shield Azure, a lion Or.

Becaus the statues of Naumburg Cathedral were made during the rule of count Günther VII, the statue may represent him. If the painting of the shield is the original one, it shows the oldest representation of the arms of Schwarzburg

Seal of  Günther von Schwarzburg, 1265

Helmet with a crest of a tree, its trunk surrounded by a disc with pendants. L.: X SIGILLV : COMITIS : GVNTHERI : DE . SWARZBVRCH. [1]

Seal of Saalfeld Council, 1375

Coll. Stadtmuseum Saalfeld

Probably from a stamp dating from the reign of Günther VII as the crest shows the tree and the disc with pendants as on his seal from 1265.

Günther XXI von Schwarzburg

*1304-†1349

German King 1349

Günther XXI von Schwarzburg (*1304–†14 June 1349), King of Germany, was a descendant of the counts of Schwarzburg and the younger son of Henry VII, Count of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg.

He distinguished himself as a soldier, and rendered good service to the Emperor Louis IV on whose death in 1347 he was offered the German throne, after it had been refused by Edward III of England. He was elected German king at Frankfurt on 30 January 1349 by four of the electors, who were partisans of the house of Wittelsbach and opponents of Charles of Luxemburg, afterwards the Emperor Charles IV.

Charles, however, won over many of Günther's adherents and defeated him at Eltville, and Günther, who was now seriously ill, renounced his claims for the sum of 20,001 marks of silver. He died three weeks afterwards at Frankfurt and was buried in the cathedral of that city, where the headstone was erected to his memory in 1352.

Headstone of German King Günther von Schwarzburg (†1349).

Frankfurt a/Main, Dom. Erected 1352.

Arms:  Azure, a crowned lion guardant Or, langued and unguled Gules.

Crest:  A crowned lion’s head, crested with a bunch of peacock-feathers proper.

Günther XXVI

*1304-
†1368

Arms:  Azure, a crowned lion guardant Or, langued and unguled Gules.

(Armoral Bellenville fol. 30r.18.) Ç

Arms:  Azure, a crowned lion guardant Or, langued and unguled Gules.

Crest:  On a helmet lambrequined Azure, the lion of the arms issuant crested with a bunch of peacock-feathers proper.

(Gelre fol 36. (Saxony) Æ

Tomb of Günther XXVI, 1368

In the Liebfrauenkirche in Arnstadt

19th century reconstruction of the arms of Schwarzburg

after the arms on the tomb of Günther XXVI [2]

Heinrich XXIII

*?-†1389

1369-1389

Günther XXVIII von Schwarzburg

*1362-†1418

1376-1418

The arms are also in Bergshammer Armorial: 115 Swertsberch, 3128 gr van swertberch:

Arms: Azure, a crowned lion guardant Or, langued and unguled Gules.

Crest: On a helmet lambrequined Azure, the lion of the arms issuant crested with a bunch of peacock-feathers proper. [3]

Heinrich XXIV, von Schwarzburg-Blankenburg 

Heinrich XXVI, von Schwarzburg-Blankenburg 

Günther XXXVIII von Schwarzburg-Blankenburg 

*1388-†07.10.1444

*23.10.1418-†13.01.1488

*1450-†29.11.1484

Arms of Schwarzburg from the Scheiblerschen Wappenbuch, 1450 ca

Heinrich XXXI. von Schwarzburg-Blankenburg

*1473-†1526

1488-1526

Arms of Schwarzburg

From the Puchberg Armorial, 1475 ca. [4]

Günther XL. von Schwarzburg

*1499-†1552

1526-1552

Arms of Günther XL, 1540

in Sondershausen Castle

Arms and crest of Schwarzburg. A male and a female savage each keeping a staff with a pennon added for supporters.

Legend: GVNTER GRAFFE ƷU SWARƷBVRG HERES ƷV ARSTAT VND SVNDERSHAVSSEN 1540

The arms are a part of a relief of an alliance with the arms of his wife Eilisabeth von Eisenberg (barry of five pieces Azue and Argent).

A Dreier (triple) of Günther XL, 1544 [5]

Arms and crest of Schwarzburg, the arms augmented with a base of the office of Arch Stable Master (Erz Stallmeister): Argent, a pitchfork Gules.

It is unclear how the Counts of Schwarzburg came to hold the office of  Arch Stable Master as the office seems to have been paired with the office of Arch Marshal.

Nachdem der Graf 1552 gestorben war, hatten vier Söhne das Recht auf Erbe. Die zwei volljährigen Brüder (Günther XLI *1529 & Johann Günther *1532) führten die Grafschaft Schwarzburg in Kooperation. Ab 1571 wurde die Oberherrschaft (Städte Rudolstadt und Arnstadt) und die Unterherrschaft (Städte Sondershausen und Frankenhausen) getrennt. Jeweils zwei Brüder regierten eines dieser Territorien. 1599 wurden dann zwei völlig neu zugeschnittene Territorien geschaffen, die nahezu unverändert blieben. Der Tod zweier kinderloser Brüder war der Grund für die Neuaufteilung. Ein weiterer Bruder starb, hatte aber Erben. Der seine Brüder überlebende Graf war Albrecht VII. Dieser war seit 1571 Graf von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt und war ab 1599 Regent der Grafschaft mit neu festgelegten Landesgrenzen. Daneben gab es die Grafschaft Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, deren Gebiet ebenso 1599 festgelegt wurde.

Günther XLI Bellicosus (the Warlike)

*1529-†1583

in Schwarzburg 1552-1571

1st Son of Günther XL, died without issue.

Johann Günther I. 

*1532-†1586

in Schwarzburg 1552-1571

in Sondershausen 1571–1586

2nd Son of Günther XL.

Arms of Sondershausen in Haßleben, local bakery, 1576

Arms: ¼: 1&4: Or, an eagle Sable (Arnstadt); 2&3: Argent, antlers Gules; in nombril point Schwarzburg.

On 8 October 1564, with the death of Count Philipp I. von Schwarzburg-Leutenberg, the House of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg died out and Leutenberg came to the House of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Wilhelm I.

*1534–†1598

in Schwarzburg-Frankenhausen

3rd son of Günther XV, died without issue

By Treaty of Stadtilm of 21 November 1599 between Anton Heinrich of Sondershausen and Albrecht VII of Rudolstadt the Schwarzburg posessions were partitioned again after they had inherited Frankenhausen from count Wilhelm who had died the previous year. By this partition Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen became the size they maintained until 1920. 

After the Treaty of Stadtilm, 1599

Albrecht VII. 

*1537–†1605

in Rudolstadt 1571–1605

5th Son of Günther XL.

Arms in Heidecksburg Castle, Rudolstadt, after 1571

Arms: ¼: 1&4: Or, an eagle Sable (Arnstadt); 2&3: Argent, antlers Gules (Sondershausen); and a base Or, a pitchfork per fess Gules (Arch Stable Master (Erz Stallmeister). In nombril point: Schwarzburg.

Crests: Schwarzburg, D.: Arnstadt and S.: Sondershausen.

Legend: ...ich der viergraffen des reichs graff zu schwarzburg her in arens iät sunders ud leiden.

The legend refers to the four counts of Schwarzburg, Arnstadt, Sondershausen and Leutenberg, the brothers Günther, Johann Günther, Wilhelm and Albrecht, all having the right to bear the arms in the middle.

In 1593 the House of Hohnstein died out with the death of Ernst VII. Because of a heritage agreement of 1433 both the counts of Stolberg and Schwarzburg claimed the lordships of Lohra and Klettenberg from the Hohnstein possessions but they were chased away by the Bishop of Halberstadt who was the rightful overlord.

The matter was settled in 1597 when Emperor Rudolf granted the Counts Albrecht VII of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Günther XLII of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen the right.....Namen, Titul, Schild und Helm des abgestorben gräflich Honsteini­schen Geschlechts hinfüro gleichmässig und ohne Irrung zu führen und zu gebrauchen. (to bear the the name, title, shield and helmet of the House of Hohnstein). Their title became »Der Vier Grafen des Reichs Grafen zu Schwartzburg, Herrn zu Arnstadt, Sondershausen und Leutenberg, auch Grafen zu Honstein.«

The bearing of the arms was done by impaling their arms and the arms of the House of the counts of Hohnstein. The arms of the House of Hohnstein was:

Arms: ¼: 1&4: Chequy 3´5 Gules and Argent (Hohnstein): 2&3: Per fess, the chief Gules a lion Or, the base barry of four Or and Gules (Lauterburg) and in nombril point Argent a deer passant Sable (Klettenberg). 

Crest: A peacock’s tail proper between a pair of antlers Gules.

Decree of Emperor Rudolf, 1597

» Nemblich einen Schild, dadurch gehet durchaus von gelben und blauen schrencksweise abgetheilten Balcken ein Creutz, zu dess Schildes lincken Seiten nach dem Aufftruck ist das Honsteinische Wappen quar­tirt, also dass das untere äussere und das obere innere Quartier schach-weise in roth und weiss ausgesetzet. Die übrigen zwey in mitte nach der zwerg in zwey deren das untere wieder in acht Strassen unterschieden, als die erste, dritte, fünfte und siebente roth, die andern gelb und Obertheil ganz roth, darinnen über- und fürsich ein gelber Löw mit über sich geschwungenem Schwantz, roth ausgeschlagener Zungen und für sich geworffenen Prancken zum Raub geschickt. Dann ferner in Mitte dieser Quartirung dess Schildes ein klein weisses Schild, darinnen für sich ein schwarzer Hirsch mit doppelten Gestirn von sechs, ob der Seiten dreye und oben so viel Enden, zum Lauff gestellet erscheinet (welches nun alles vorhin die Grafen zu Honstein geführet haben). Das andere und vordere Theil dess Schildes ist auch gleicher Weise quartiret und darinnen ihr der Grafen zu Schwartzburg anererbt-uralt-gräfliches Wappen begriffen, wie auch im Grund dess Schildes unter beyden zusammen gefügten Schwarzburgischen und Honstei­nischen Wappen in einem besonderen weissen Feld der gelb Hültzen-Rechen und darob die rothe Gabel, alles ungefasst beygesetzt, Ueber den Schild gehen drey gegen einander gekehrte offenen und gekrönte Adelich Thurniers Helm herfür und stehet auf dem äussern oder lickhen zwischen einem doppelten  Hirschgestürn von sechs, als unten drey und oben so viel Zincken, deren das äussere roth und innere Gestirn weiss ist, über sich ein vorder Theile eines gekrönten Löwen mit ausge­streckten Pranken, roth ausgeslagener Zungen auss dessen Cron über sich auch ein ausgebreitener blau-gespiegelter Pfauenschwantz mit einem gelben Rechen, und dann auf den vorden oder dritten Helm zwi­schen zweyen rothen Hirsch-Gestirn, als unten drei und oben so viel Enden entspringen ein aufrechts und einwärts gekehrter aussgebreit­eter schwartzer Adler zum Flug geschickt.«

That is:

Arms:  Quarterly by a cross bendy of 20 pieces Sable, Or and Azure, the dexter ¼ of Arnstadt and Sondershausen, in nombril point Schwarzburg, the sinister ¼ of Hohnstein and Lauterburg, in nombril point Klettenberg; and a base of the Arch Stable Master.

Crests: Schwarzburg; D. Arnstadt; S. Sondershausen.

Arms of the Erz Stallmeister

In a 18th cent. publication

The arms are:

Arms: Argent, a pitchfork Gules and a curry comb Or per fess.

It came to be that the badge of the Arch Stable Master as used by Rudolstadt was Argent and of Sonderhausen was Or with the pitchfork and curry comb both Gules.

Schwarzburg silver Reichsthaler, 1605

On this thaler the abbreviations of the names of the then living counts of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen are written, being:

Counts of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, sons of  Albrecht VII

Karl Günther (1576-1630)

Ludwig Günther I. (1581-1646)

Albrecht Günther (1582-1634)

Counts of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, sons of Johann Günther I

Günther XLII. (1570–1643)

Anton Heinrich (1571–1638)

Johann Günther II. (1577–1631)

Christian Günther I. (1578–1642)

The coin proves that the achievement granted in 1597 was common for all members of the House of Schwarzburg

Ludwig Günther I

*1581-†1646

in Rudolstadt 1612-1646

Achievement above the entry of  the church of St. Andreas, Rudolstadt, after 1636

Arms: 1|2 I. ¼ of Arnstadt and Son­dershausen. In nombril point: Schwarzburg. II. ¼ 1&4: Chequy of 15 pieces Argent and Gules (Honstein); 2&3: Per fess in chief Gules a lion Or and the base barry of 4 Or and Gules (Lauterburg); in nombril point Argent a deer passant Sable (Klettenberg). In base: Argent, a pitchfork and a currycomb per fess Gules (Arch Stable Master).

Crests: Schwarzburg, Arnstadt and Sondershausen.

Supporters: A male and a female savage with skirts and crowns of oak-leaves proper, each keeping a pennon on a spear per fess Gules and Argent.

NB. The cross bendy reduced to a cross Sable.

Anton Günther II.

Christian Wilhelm

in Sondershausen 1666–1716 

in Sondershausen 1666–1720 

2/3 of a Thaler of Christian Wilhelm, 1676

The arms of 1544 augmented with the curry comb, crowned and supported by the male and female savage with pennons.

In 1697 both Anton Günther II und Christian Wilhelm of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen were raised to the class of the Imperial Princes (Reichsfürstenstand).

At the same time Count Albert Anton of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt was also raised to the class of Imperial Princes but he refused his raising. After his death in 1710 his son Ludwig Friedrich finally also adopted the title.

Imperial Warrant of Emperor Leopold I, 1697

raising the Count of Schwarzburg  to the class of Impertial Princes,

Staatsarchiv Rudolstadt, Museum Kasteel Rudolstadt.

The warrant reads:

» Mit Nahmen einen Schild mit blau, gelb und schwartzfarbigen Creutz in vier Theil zertheilt, dessen hinder unter, und vorder obere Theil linker Seits mehrmalen nach der Länge herab also abgetheilet, dass der hinder unter und vorder obere ein roth und weisser Schacht vorder unter und hinder obere roth darinnen vier gelbe oder vergüldete Balcken liegen, auf deren jedem oberen ein güldener Löw zum Streit gericht mit aufgehobenen doppeltem Schwantz und aufgerissenen Rachen abzunehmen, rechter Seits ebnermassen unter und obere Schildstheil nach der Läng herab also zertheilt, dass deren hinder unter und vorder obere gelb oder goldfarbig in welchem ein schwartzer einfacher Adler mit ausspreizenden Füssen, aufgehobenen Flügeln, aufsperrendem Schabel und roth vorschlagender Zungen, vorder unter und hinder obere weiss oder silberfarbig in denen zwey rothe Hirschgeweihe zu ersehen, auf Mitte des Creutzes ist ein gelber Hertz-Schild, darinnen ein schwart­zer doppelter Adler mit aufgehobenen Flügeln und in den licken Klauen den Kayserlichen Reichs-Apffel, in den rechten aber den Reichs-Scepter haltend, auf den Brust habend ein gar kleines gelbes Hertz-Schildel, darinnen ein rother Hertzog-Huet und über des Adlers zwei Köpffen eine Kayserliche Cron zu ersehen, auf beiden Seithen seynd noch zwei andere Hertz-Schildel, in deren hindern weissen ein schwartzer Hirsch zum Fortgehen gerichtet, und vorderem blauen ein gelber grimmiger gekrön­ter Löw zum Streit gestellt, mit aufgehobenem doppelten Schwantz, aufgerissenem Rachen und roth vorschlagender Zungen zu ersehen, und unter dem grossen quartirten Schild im gelben Feld ein rother Harcke oder Räche und über diesem nach der Länge liegend ein rothe Harck- oder Rächen-Gabel, über besagten quartirtem Schild stehen sechs frey offene Adeliche Turniers-Helmb geziert mit ihren Cleinodien, und die drey erstern oder lincken mit roth weiss und schwartz vermengt abhan­genden Helmb-Decken, in welchen eine eingeflochtene Wald-Frauen-Gestalt mit abfliegenden Haaren, umb das Haupt und unterm Leib einen grünen dickbauschichten Crantz habend, mit der innern Hand den Schild ergreiffend und in der aussern ein Copy mit roth und weiss einwärts fliegenden Fähnlein haltend, die andern drey Helmb mit schwartz weiss und rothen vermengten abhangenden Helmb-Decken in denen ebnermassen eine eingeflochtene Wald-Manns-Gestalt in langen zotigen Haar und Baart mit gleiche Arth den Schild haltend zu ersehen und seynd be­sagte sechs Helmb alle mit güldenen Helmb-Cronen geziert und aus deren ersterer zwischen zwey rothen Hirschgeweihe ein Pfauen-Schwantz in seiner Farb, über den andern auf rothem Polster ein Herzog-Huet mit dem Reichs-Apffel über sich, über der dritten der besagte doppelte Adler ohne dessen Brust-Schildel, über der vierdten ein gelber Löw sitzend mit ausstreckenden vorderen Füessen und gekrönt mit einer gelben Cron, aus welcher mehrmahlen ein Pfauen-Schwantz abzunehmen, über der fünften auch zwischen zwei rothen Hirsch-Geweihen der be­schriebene schwarze einfache Adler einwerts gestellt, und über der sechsten als letzten ein geharnischter Mann mit denen beeden Händen ein blankes Schwert haltend, und auf der Böckel-Hauben ein güldenen Cron habend, zu ersehen: Als dann solch von neuen gegönnet, vermehrtes fürstl. Wappen auf erster Seithen des siebend Blaths dieses unsers Kayserlichen Brieffs mit Farben eigentlicher entworffen und vorge­stellt ist. « [6]

That is:

Arms: 1|2 I. ¼ of Arnstadt and Son­dershausen. In nombril point: Schwarzburg. II. ¼ 1&4: Chequy of 15 pieces Argent and Gules (Honstein); 2&3: Per fess in chief Gules a lion Or and the base barry of 4 Or and Gules (Lauterburg); in nombril point Argent a deer passant Sable (Klettenberg). In base: Argent, a pitchfork and a currycomb per fess Gules (Arch Stable Master). And in nombril point Or, a two-headed eagle Sable, billed and clawed Gules, nimbused Or, keeping a sceptre in his dexter and an orb in his sinister claw Or, and crowned with a princely crown, on his breast an escutcheon Or, a princely crown proper.

Crests: Schwarzburg, Arnstadt and Sondershausen.

Supporters: A male and a female savage with skirts and crowns of oak-leaves proper, each keeping a pennon on a spear per fess Gules and Argent.

Het hartschild met de rijksadelaar en het schildje met de vorstenhoed wordt in Siebmacher betiteld als “Gnadenwappen von Kaiser Leopold I, 1697” ofwel als bijzonder onderscheidingsteken.

Johann Friedrich 

*1721–†1767

in Rudolstadt 1744–1767

Arms of Prince Johann Friedrich in Heidecksburg Castle, Rudolstadt

The arms of Schwarzburg crowned with a ducal hat. The supporters replaced by Prudentia with mirror and serpent, and Justitia blindfolded and with sword and balance

Friedrich Karl

*1790–†1793

in Rudolstadt 1736–1793

Silver Eine Marck 1791

The arms of 1697, the base Or,  crowned with a ducal hat and surrounded by the ribbons and crosses of two orders. Supporters as usual.

Modern Times

Both principalities Schwarzburg Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg Sondershausen became a member of the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807 to guard their sovereignty. In 1815 they joined the German Confederation (Deutsche Bund), in 1834 the German Customs Union (Deutsche Zollverein) and in 1867 the Confederation of Northern Germany (Norddeutsche Bund). In 1870 they became a part of the German Empire, abolished in 1918.

In the nineteenth century and later untill 1918, the emblems of the states of Schwarzburg were of four categories:

1. The lesser arms

2. The lesser achievement

3. The medial achievement

4. The lesser princely arms

5. The greater princely achievement

1. Lesser arms:  Or, a two-headed eagle Sable, billed and clawed Gules, nimbused Or, keeping a sceptre in his dexter and an orb in his sinister claw Or, and crowned with a princely crown, on his breast an escutcheon Or, a princely crown proper; and a base Argent a pitchfork and a curry comb per fess Gules.

Crown: A princely crown.

The lesser arms are amongst others on coins (until 1870) and were also used by the Gendarmenie.

Initially the crown on the arms of Schwarzburg was a princely crown of a diadem of five leaves and three hoops or a ducal hat of a purple cap turned up ermine with three hoops. At the end of the 19th century the matter was settled by allocating the princely crown to Rudolstadt and the ducal hat to Sondershausen.

Lesser arms of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt

The crown on the escutcheon and the shield a princely crown, the base Argent

Lesser arms of Schwarzburg Sondershausen

The crown on the escutcheon and the shield a ducal hat, the base Or [7]

2. The lesser achievement

Arms: Or, a princely hat proper.

Supporter: A two-headed eagle Sable, billed and clawed Gules, nimbused Or, keeping a sceptre in his dexter and an orb in his sinister claw Or, and crowned with a princely crown.

The emblem lesser achievement can be found amongst others painted on the princely palaces, on military buttons and on coins (until1870).

3. The medial achievement:

Arms: Or, a two-headed eagle Sable, billed and clawed Gules, nimbused Or, keeping a sceptre in his dexter and an orb in his sinister claw Or, and crowned with a princely crown, on his breast an escutcheon Or, a princely crown proper; and a base Argent a pitchfork and a curry comb per fess Gules.

Crown: A princely crown.

Supporters: A male and a female savage with skirts and crowns of oak-leaves proper, each keeping a pennon on a spear per fess Gules and Argent.

Hetzelfde wapen met kroon staande op een piedestal en gehouden door een wildeman en een wildevrouw, beide met vaandel. (Munten, Wapenrelief in de hal van het Museum Kasteel Rudolstadt)

4. The lesser Princely Arms

Lesser princely arms

As on the back of a chair belonging to Thekla, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Coll. Museum Kaisersaal, Schwarzburg

5. The greater Princely arms

A. Schwarzburg Rudolstadt

Larger achievement of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

as in the “Handbuch für das Fürstentum Schwarzburg Rudolstadt”, 1894

The larger arms of Schwarzburg with crests and supporters, surrounded by a princely crowned mantle Purpure, lined ermine, fringed and tasseled Or. Below the shield the motto DUM SPIRO SPERO (While I Breathe, I Hope) for difference.

The picture in the head of this essay shows the achievement of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt by Otto Hupp  on the Münchener Kalender of 1913.

B. Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Larger achievement of Schwarzburg Sondershausen

By Hugo Gerhard Ströhl, 1897 [8]

The larger arms of Schwarzburg with crests and supporters, surrounded by a ducally crowned mantle Purpure, lined ermine, fringed and tasseled Or.

Princely Banner of Rudolstadt

Princely Banner of Sondershausen [9]

After the collapse of the German Empire prince Günther Victor abdicated on 22 November 1918 and the country declared itself a Freestate. This Freestate existed until 30 April 1920. On 1 May 1920 it was united with the Grand duchy of Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach, the duchy of Sachsen-Altenburg, the duchy of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha (without Coburg), the Principality of Reuß ältere Linie, and the Principality of Reuß jüngere Linie as the Land Thüringen with Weimar as its capital.

The County (Landkreis) of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt exists since 1994, when the counties of Rudolstadt and Saalfeld were united with the name of Schwarza Kreis. These were the successors of the counties of the same name succeeding the former county councils (Landratsämter) in 1922. To these were added the northern part of the Neuhaus am Rennweg County, created in 1951 and a part of the former Lobenstein County. All of these counties were located in the district of Gera created in 1952 (Sable, a lion Or).

The arms of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt were approved by the Thüringer Landesverwaltungsamt on 16 January 1995.

The arms are:

Arms: Quarterly, 1&4: Or, a two-headed eagle Sable, billed and clawed Gules, nimbused Or, keeping a sceptre in his dexter and an orb in his sinister claw Or, and crowned with a princely crown, on his breast an escutcheon Or, a princely crown proper; in base a pitchfork and a curry comb per fess Gules (Schwarzburg); 2&3: Barry of ten pieces Sable and Or, a crown of rue per bend Vert (Saxony).