| Coat of arms of Schleswig-Holstein | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Versions | |
 Schleswig-Holstein state logo for use by the public | |
| Armiger | Government of Schleswig-Holstein |
| Adopted | 1957 |
| Shield | Per pale. Or twolions passantazure pale, armed and languedgules. Gules, a nettle leafargent. |
| Use | The coat of arms may only be used by state authorities. The state logo is eligible for use by the general public. |
Thecoat of arms of theGerman state ofSchleswig-Holstein is vertically divided: in theheraldically right field, i.e. left as seen by the viewer, two blue lions are depicted on a golden background, facing the other half. The lions ofSchleswig were taken from thecoat of arms of Denmark. The heraldically left side is red with the silvernettle leaf ofHolstein, an ancient symbol which had been in use with theCounts of Schauenburg and Holstein.
In contrast to the proper Schleswig lions which face to the left (cf.this gallery) the lions in the state arms face the right side. According to legendOtto von Bismarck ordered this change after theSecond Schleswig War because he thought it was "impolite" by the Lions to show their hindside to Holstein. The current version was adopted by the government of Schleswig-Holstein on 18 January 1957.
In fact, it is usual inGerman heraldry forcharges in acomposite coat of arms to turn to face the center; this practice is known as heraldiccourtoisie ('courtesy').
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The coat of arms may only be used by official authorities. The government has issued a logo though, which may be used by the common public. It features a rounded shield and simplified lions.
