Stamp impression

Anklam is one of many Pomeranian cities with an image of a griffin in its coat of arms, directly referring to the Griffin dynasty. In the case of Anklam, its city rights were granted around mid-13th century, during the reign of Barnim I (ca. 1210-1278). The current name of the town, which in the past was used interchangeably with the Slavic name Tanglim, first appeared on documents issued by Barnim. This duality is also reflected in the inscription on the wax seal imprint dating back to 1284, which indicates that it is the sign of the city of Tanglim. The seal depicts a griffin passant facing right (heraldic left) with its left paw raised. Below is a fragment of the town wall with a gate, topped by a conical roof with a knob. Originally, the griffin itself was the main element of the coat of arms, while the wall was a less significant additional element. In the second half of the 14th century, the griffin was turned to the left (heraldic right). From the mid-16th century, an arrowhead appeared in the coat of arms of Anklam on a shield held by the griffin (now rampant), which was consistently used on city seals. The town wall as an integral part of the coat of arms was added in the second half of the 17th century. At the same time, an arrow appeared in the griffin's paws. The current coat of arms of Anklam is a red griffin rampant, walking to the left (heraldic right) on a wall with a gate. In its paws, it holds three rays, sometimes interpreted as an arrowhead. The modern coat of arms thus combines all the elements appearing in the coats of arms of the city of Anklam over the centuries.

Mieszko Pawłowski