European Coat of Arms Museum

This museum traces the development of coats of arms and heraldry over the last 1,000 years. In the 12th century knights in armour going into battle covered their heads for greater protection. This made identification difficult and foe could easily be mistaken for friend. Thus the shield bearing a coat of arms evolved as a kind of medieval "ID card". Gradually these became associated with specific families. Coats of arms became increasingly widespread for professional guilds and trades and place names of towns. They were an early version of what we might call today the "logo" or corporate identity. Richard the Lionheart, for example, King of England 1189-1199 took the symbol of three lions as his "logo". In those days few could read or write and so symbols played an important role in communication and personal identity. In time with public education the hand-written signature replaced many seals and symbols. Today we are witnessing the onset of a new age of the electronic signature. Identification can further be verified by measuring iris eyes with the aid of computers. Despite this some coats of arms live on as logos for towns and cities, fire brigades, tram lines, car number plates, breweries and so on. They all serve to convey the idea that a certain group of people belong together.

This museum, just a tram ride from the Opera, documents these developments in heraldry. It also offers to trace family surnames by means of a vast archive of documents. You may want to know if your family had a coat of arms, the meaning of surnames and whether your ancestors emigrated to North America from Europe at any time since the early 17^th century. You can even trace the family history of your dog or horse!

Contact and opening hours

Schleifmühlgasse 6, 1040 Vienna
Timetable
Phone: (+43 1) 585 24 31
E-Mail: wappenmuseum@aon.at
The museum is open daily, apart from Tuesdays, from 11 am to 6 pm.