There have always been discussions in Coburg about the city coat of arms, on which – according to common usage – a Moor can be seen. Critics bemoan the stereotypical portrayal of black people, even when it comes to Saint Mauritius. The dispute was unnecessary, as Coburg, like other cities, had an animal on its coat of arms. What used to be the case: in the 13th century the hen (reminiscent of the Counts of Henneberg), in the 14th century the lions of Thuringia and Meissen.
If you had to choose an animal to represent the city this year, then it would again be a bird in terms of the attention it brings to Coburg and the region: the black swan, also known as the black swan. According to the story, the animals native to Australia have lived in Coburg since the mid-19th century, more precisely in the garden of Rosenau Castle in the neighboring municipality of Rödental. Queen Victoria brought the birds here as a sign of mourning for her husband, Prince Albert of Coburg, who died early.
A modern chapter in Upper Franconian black swan history was written in 2017 when suddenly one of the two swans living in the castle garden was missing. It was said that the fox devoured him. As a result, the castle looked for a new partner via a personal ad and found one with a breeder in Ingolstadt.
For years, the pair of swans lived in intimate harmony in the castle garden and even had offspring. Then, however, the parents of a chick disappeared again and again (all siblings died, according to press reports) and had to be caught with great effort. Too much effort, like Steffen Schubert, head of the palace gardens new press said. “The radius of their excursions became larger and larger. In the end, it wasn’t unusual for the police to call at ten o’clock in the evening and ask us to pick up our swans.”
And so to the preliminary highlight of the Coburg Swan story: The Rosenauers have advertised again. This time, however, they want to get rid of their swans, which are staying in escape-proof winter quarters for the time being. Anyone who fears that Coburg and the swans are over can calm down: two new mourning swans are already swimming in the pond in the castle garden.