Coat of arms of Switzerland

The shield of Switzerland consists of a Greek cross in silver on a field of gules and is identical to the Flag of Switzerland. The shape of the shield changes often, although in 1889 there was a federal resolution, which included a drawing of the coat of arms. Like the Swiss flag, the coat of arms is used on many items, such as on Swiss francs, car registration plates, and as an identifying mark on Swiss exports.

History

The origins of the Swiss cross are not known, about which there are several hypotheses. According to some historians, the symbol would have been born around the IV century, where it would have been venerated within the Burgundian kingdoms and would have figured in the emblems of the Theban Legion, massacred in San Mauricio; That's where the cross that appears on the coat of arms of this Valais municipality would come from. According to others, the cult of the instruments of the Passion, widespread in the region, caused some cantons to include the cross in their flag around the century XII, with the red background alluding to the blood of Christ. Others, finally, believe that it derives directly from the emblem of the canton of Schwyz, one of the founders of Switzerland in 1291 along with Uri and Unterwalden, something that does not resolve the question of its original meaning either.

In any case, it was not until 1339 when the Swiss cross acquired a certain importance, since at that time it became a symbol of the cohesion of the Swiss cantons and appeared on the triangular flag of the Bernese troops to distinguish them from the other belligerent bodies during the battle of Laupen. The symbol appears again when Pope Julius II offers flags in 1512 to the Swiss Confederation. It was not, however, until the XVI century that the cross would be considered the confederal emblem, only interrupted during the short-lived Helvetic Republic (1798-1803).

The Swiss emblem gave rise, in 1864, to that of the Red Cross, during the first Geneva Convention; In fact, the emblem of this international organization is nothing more than the Swiss flag with the colors exchanged.