This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

St. Nicolas Regiment, Hamburg Citizens' Sentinels (1619-1810)

Nicolairegiment, Hamburger Bürgerwache

Last modified: 2013-09-13 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: militia | buergerwache | st. nicolas | baroque strap work | rocaille | mercury hat | trinity eye | water sprite | jehova sun |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors



See also:

Introduction:

St.Nicolas was the parish of the citizens of the (1st) new town of the counts of Schauenburg located west of the oldest settlement core. The parish was first mentioned together with St.Peter in 1195. The attributes of St.Peter are a mitre, a crozier and sometimes three golden balls or apples.The flags of the regiment had been blue. The regiment had 10 companies.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 May 2012

St. Nicolas company flag of 1690 (Nicolairegiment)

[St. Nicolas company flag of 1690] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Jul 2013

The flags ratio is approx. 17:18. It is a blue flag. In the centre is a golden heap of rocks, which is treated by a man with a mattock. The scene is surrounded by a golden wreath of laurel. Above are golden initials "HBM.", below "JP", both are written in Italic handwriting. Besides on both sides of the wreath is the date "16" (hoist) and "90"(fly). In each corner are golden flames surrounded by a quarter of a circle. This flag is the oldest flag of the collection.
Source: Museum für hamburgische Geschichte, filing card no. AB II 489
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Jul 2013

St. Nicolas company flag of 1715 (Nicolairegiment)

[St. Nicolas company flag of 1715] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Jul 2013

According to source the ratio is approx. 6:7. It is blue flag. In the centre stands a woman on a grey pedestal. The holds a coronet in her outstretched, right arm and a branch of palm tree in her left arm. She wears golden armour over her red garment. She is probably the goddess of peace. She is topped by a radiant Jehova Sun. She is surrounded by military equipment and flanked by two golden trees. On the hoist side is a palm tree, on the fly side a box tree, trimmed to three globes. On both stems is fixed a pair of shields. The left (visible) one is displaying the arms of a civic captain, the right one a monogram displaying the initials and their mirror image. At the palm tree the arms display a golden lion rampant in a red shield, the shield is topped by a helmet crested by a golden demi lion issuant holding a coronet. The initials perhaps are "JL". At the box tree the arms display (my interpretation) a warrior in full armour holding an upright lance, the shield is topped by a helmet crested by a demi warrior issuant. The initials perhaps are "JJS". Both initials are topped by a coronet. In the centre of the pedestal's front are the Hamburg Arms, here displaying a golden castle in a blue, oval shield. The shield is flanked by two red rectangles displaying the date. "Anno" (left) and "1715" (right). The whole ensemble is surrounded by a circumscription, written in golden initials "GOTT KRÖHNET DEN FRIEDEN MIT HERLICHEN SEGEN DAS HOHE UND NIEDRIGE IN RUHE [KÖN]NDT LEBEN". (Engl.: "God crowns the Peace with admirable bliss that nobles and lowborns could live in ease.") Letters in brackets are complemented. In each corner are creeper ornaments of acanthus. In the upper hoist corner St. Nicolas - the patron saint - with crozier and mitre is in the centre of the creeper.
Source: photo provided by Gudrun Hildebrandt, description based on filing card no. ABIII 19 of Museum für hamburgische Geschichte
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Jul 2013

St. Nicolas company flag of 1737 (Nicolairegiment)

[St. Nicolas company flag of 1737] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Apr 2012

The ratio according to source is approx 4:5. It is a blue flag having a bordure of golden baroque strap work (German: Bandelwerk). Integrated into the bordure is an image of St.Nicolas with mitre and crozier in the canton. In the middle of the top is a trinity eye. In the middle of the bottom a date "Anno 1737". In the middle of the hoist is the coat of arms of captain Nicolas Krüger. The shield is topped by a helmet crested by a pair of wings. In the shield is a naked arm holding a tankard, a canting element (German: Krug). In the middle of the fly is another captain's coat of arm. The bearer is however unknown. In the shield is a man dressed red and holding a scythe. The shield is topped by a helmet crested by a pair of wings and a star. The crest is flanked by initials "J.B.". The central element of the flag is a group of three. Under a baldachin a woman is sitting on a golden throne. She wears clad armour with a red cloak and a black head. Between her breasts is a red gem stone. In her left arm she is holding a bundle of arrows connected by golden laces. In her right hand is an upright golden sword. Her left arm is leaning on a rokoko shield showing the arms of Hamburg (golden, masoned castle in blue shield, a rare version). Outside the baldachin she is flanked by two grey bearded water sprites (or gods/aquariusses) nearly naked and pouring water out of big clay jugs. Both are covered by green water grass. Behind the ghost at the fly is a spade. The baldachin is flanked by a blue scroll fimbriated golden. On the scroll is a motto in capitals: "IENE ZU BESCHÜTZEN"(hoist) "MUS MIR DIESES NÜTZEN"(fly) (= to protect those, this must be of good use for me). The throne stands on a pedestal. Water from both jugs is bathing the postament at both sides.
Source: Museum für hamburgische Geschichte, filing card no. AB III 26
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Apr 2012

St. Nicolas company flag of 1771 (Nicolairegiment)

[St. Nicolas company flag of 1771] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Oct 2009

Description of flag:
The flags ratio is approx 7:9. It is a blue flag. A woman. perhaps Hammonia, is sitting in the centre on a pedestal, surrounded by military equipment and holding at one arm a shield with the coat of arms of Hamburg (red catle, silver/white shield). Behind her is a winged hat of ancient God of Hermes, who was worshipped as the God of merchants, balanced on a stick. Above her is a motto, embowed in golden capitals "DIE FREIHEIT IST UNSCHAETZBAHR" (=Freedom is invaluable), topped by an eye of God within a triangle of golden rays, the symbol of Holy Trinity but also of God’s omniscience and symbolizing his vigilance over the city. A small image of St. Nicolas in a golden cartouche, i.e. an oval ornament, at the hoist side, on the opposite side a shield, showing a man in a landscape with snowy mountains, crested by a woman with sword and scales, probably Goddess of Iustitia. A golden inscription is "Anno" on the lower hoist corner, a golden "1771" on the lower fly. The flag has a golden bordure at three sides and the central image is surrounded by golden Rocaille ornaments.
Source: Museum für hamburgische Geschichte, filing card AB III 2 AD 2233.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Oct 2009


back to Hamburg citizen's sentinels main page click here