Romanian heraldry

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This article is part of Symbols of Romania series
Flag of Romania · (history) · (list)
Coat of arms of Romania
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The armiger in Romania is the government. It exercises this right with the mandatory advice of the National Committee of Heraldry, Genealogy and Sigillography (Romanian: Comisia Naţională de Heraldică, Genealogie şi Sigilografie), the sole authorized body to approve coats of arms. This Committee is subordinated to the Romanian Academy. All the coats of arms of all the Romanian institutions must be approved by the National Committee of Heraldry, Genealogy and Sigillography. There are two big exceptions from this rule: coats of arms of the military (Romanian Armed Forces) are subject to the Ministry of National Defense Heraldric Committee, and the law enforcement institutions (Police, Firefighters, Gendarmerie, etc.) are subject to the Ministry of Administration and Interior Heraldric Committee. The latter two committees may share members with the National Committee of Heraldry, Genealogy and Sigillography.

[edit] Coat of arms of Romania

[edit] Historical principalities

The golden eagle of Wallachia
The golden aurochs of Moldavia
The black eagle and seven castles, the coat of arms of Transylvania since the middle of the 18th century
Two dolphins, the coat of arms of Dobrogea
The aurochs of Bukovina
The bridge of Apollodorus of Damascus, the coat of arms of Banat
The brown bear of Maramureş
The coat of arms (seal) of Mihai Viteazul

[edit] Principality of Romania

[edit] 1862 - 1866

After the election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as Domnitor of Wallachia and of Moldavia, the heraldic symbols of the two countries were united to form the coat of arms of the new state, called, since 1862, Romania. The idea was not new: most of the Phanariotes used the united symbols in their personal coat of arms to express the fact that they ruled in both countries.

Until 1866, there was no official design of the coat of arms, although painter Carol Popp de Szathmary drew a few models.

[edit] 1866 - 1878

After 10 May 1866 (when Carol I came to Romania), and the Constitution of 1 June 1866, the coat of arms was established, maintaining the idea used in the previous coat of arms. It was not changed until 1878, the year that Romania gained its independence and became a Kingdom.

[edit] Kingdom of Romania

[edit] 1872 - 1921

In 1872 the coat of arms was changed again, this time being added the heraldic symbols for Oltenia and Black Sea's coast. After 1881, the last symbol will represent Dobrudja. Also, through use, the coat of arms' aspect was changed a bit.

1872 - 1881
After 1881

[edit] 1922 - 1947

After World War I, Transylvania, Bessarabia, Banat, and Bukovina united with the Kingdom of Romania. As a result, the symbols representing the new territories were added to the coat of arms.

The Great Coat of Arms
Used by the Royal House, and on international documents (Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Middle Coat of Arms
Used by the Military outhorities (Ministry of War)
The Small Coat of Arms
Used on all other seals

[edit] People's Republic of Romania

After 1948, the Communist authorities changed both the flag and the coat of arms. The coat of arms was rather an emblem, faithful to the Communist pattern: a landscape (depicting a rising sun, a tractor and an oil drill) surrounded by stocks of wheat tied together with a cloth in the colors of the national flag. Until 1966 there were three variants, the first being changed shortly after 1948 (the proclamation of the republic), and again changed in 1956 (a red star was added).

January-March 1948
March 1948 - 1952
1952 - 1966

[edit] Socialist Republic of Romania

The final change of the communist emblem took place in 1966, when Romania ceased to be a People's Republic, and became a Socialist Republic, thus changing the reading of the cloth from R.P.R. to REPUBLICA SOCIALISTǍ ROMÂNIA.

[edit] Romania

[edit] 1989 - 1992

Right after the fall of Nicolae Ceauşescu and the communist regime, the communist emblem was cut out of all flags, and removed from all official seals of the nation. Some flags had a hole (a symbol of the revolution), some become pure blue-yellow-red, as later officially readopted. In the place of the coat of arms, institutions' seals bore the name of the country: ROMANIA or ROMÂNIA depending on the technology available for each institution.

[edit] 1992 - present

Main article: Coat of arms of Romania

In 1992 the Parliament of Romania adopted the current coat of arms, by merging two proposed models, both of them inspired by the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Romania.

The coat of arms
The seal

[edit] Coat of arms of local authorities

[edit] Coat of arms of counties

[edit] Coat of arms of county seats

The main heraldic element that helps people to distinguish between a coat of arms of a county and the one of an urban entity (village, commune, city, town or municipality) is a mural crown on the top of the latter. The crown has an odd number of towers (one, three, five or seven), depending on the importance of the urban entity in the country or county.

[edit] Coat of arms of other central institutions

[edit] Parliament

The Parliament itself does not hold a coat of arms, as it does not function as a whole body. When a law is published in the Official Gazette of Romania, it is headed by the country coat of arms.

The two houses of Parliament issue documents that are not laws. These documents bear in the heading the coat of arms of the issuing house.

The coat of arms of the Senate of Romania reproduces the national coat of arms surrounded by two olive branches tied together with a cloth in the colors of the national flag. On the yellow section it reads SENAT, and on top of the coat of arms it reads ROMÂNIA.

The coat of arms of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania reproduces the eagle of the national coat of arms surrounded by two olive branches tied together with a golden cloth. Beneath the eagle it reads CAMERA DEPUTAŢILOR, and beneath the olive branches it reads ROMÂNIA.

[edit] Ministries

[edit] Former coats of arms

Former Ministry of European Integration
The coat of arms of The Minister of Justice used until 2007
The coat of arms of The Ministry of Administration and Interior used until 2008 (?)

[edit] Heraldry of the Minisrty of Administration and Interior

In 2008, the Ministry of Administration and Interior decided to allow the units of the Inspectorates in its structure to use coats of arms. this refers to the County Inspectorates of Police, County Inspectorates of the Gendarmerie, County Inspectorates of the Border Police, County Inspectorates of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, Units and educational institutions of the Gendarmerie, Schools of the Police, central units and institutions of the Ministry of Administration and Interior. This coats of arms are introduced gradually, starting 2010.

Prior to this heraldric operation, the Inspectorates in the Ministry where already allowed to use their own coats of arms, used both at national and local level.

The coats of arms of all the institutions of the Ministry are eleborated by the Ministry's Geraldric Commission, and not by the National Heraldry, Sealography, and Genealogy.

[edit] Police heraldry

[edit] Gendarmerie heraldry

Argeş County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Botoşani County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Brăila County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Cluj County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Constanţa County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Galaţi County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Hunedoara County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Maramureş County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Mehedinţi County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Olt County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Prahova County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Satu Mare County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Vâlcea County Gendarmerie Inspectorate
Special Gendarmes Batallion 1 Antiterrorism Intervention and Special Actions
Special Gendarmes Batallion no. 2 Intervention
Special Brigade for Interventions Gendarmes
Centre for Gendarmes Employees Training Gheorgheni
Centre for Gendarmes Employees Training Ochiuri
Sinaia Mountain Centre
Bucharest General Direcotrate for Gendarmes
Gendarmerie Mobile Group "Fraţii Buzeşti" Craiova
Gendarmerie Mobile Group "Matei Basarab" Ploiești
Gendarmerie Mobile Group "Tomis" Constanța
"Mihai Viteazul" School for Application for Gendarmerie Officers
"Grigore Alexandru Ghica" Military School for Gendarmerie Under-Officers Drăgăşani
Military School for Gendarmerie Under-Officers Fălticeni
Special Unit 76 Gendarmes Guard and Protection for Financial Institutions and Banks

[edit] Other law enforcement authorities

Romanian Financial Guard

[edit] Heraldry of the Romanian Armed Forces

Since the 18th century, the symbol of the Romanian Army is a golden crossed aquila, with red claws and beak, standing on zeus's thunderbolt. All the military coats of arms are created starting with this main element. The difference in rank of the military unit (central offices, batallion, regiment, etc.) is made by the shield shape.

The coats of arms of all the institutions of the Ministry are eleborated by the Ministry's Geraldric Commission, and not by the National Heraldry, Sealography, and Genealogy.