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The Wheel of Mainz or Mainzer Rad was the coat of arms of the Electorate of Mainz, Germany. It consists of a silver wheel with six spokes on a red background. The wheel can also be found in stonemasons' carvings (e.g. landmarks) and similar objects. Currently, the City of Mainz uses a double wheel connected by a silver cross.
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Origin
The origins of the Wheel are not known. One theory traces it back to Bishop Willigis, who was elected Archbishop of Mainz in 975. His ancestors may have been wheelwrights, but this is not proven. Coats of arms only appeared in the 12th century.
Other theories see the wheel as:
- a symbol of Christ, XP (Chi, Ro), enclosed in a nimbus
- the insignia of Emperor Constantine
- the sign of Mogons, a Celtic sun-god, or
- the sign of Mithras, a Roman sun-god.
However, it is more likely that the wheel is derived ultimately from Ezekiel or Isaiah 66 and that the wheel refers to St. Martin, the patron of both the city itself and Mainz Cathedral. Regardless, insignia dating from 1300 depict the saint with both wheels. Moreover, the Archbishops of Mainz were called currum dei ("Drivers of God's Chariot") and currum ecclesiae Moguntinae aurigantes ("Drivers of the Church of Mainz").
Dissemination
Due to the power wielded by the Elector until 1803, the Wheel of Mainz was recognized across a vast territory, and it can be seen in many coats of arms of towns belonging to the collegiate church. Thus, it also came to Erfurt, which belonged to the archbishopric for centuries. In addition, it is seen in the following coats of arms: Mainz-Hechtsheim, Mainz-Laubenheim, Mainz-Lerchenberg, Mainz-Weisenau, as well as Alzenau, Arenshausen, Bad Hersfeld, Bad Sobernheim, Bennhausen, Berlingerode, Biebergemünd, Birkungen in Leinefelde-Worbis, Blankenbach, Bönnigheim, Brehme, Breitenworbis, Bürgstadt, Büttstedt, Cleebronn, Collenberg, Deuna, Dorfprozelten, Dünwald, Effelder, Eichenbühl, Eichsfeld, Elsenfeld, Eltville (ehemalige Residenz), Ortsteil Ershausen der Gemeinde Schimberg, Faulbach, Frammersbach, Frankfurt-Griesheim, Frankfurt-Höchst, Frankfurt-Nied, Freienhagen (Eichsfeld), Fritzlar, site of an important cathedral chapter, Gau-Algesheim, Geisenheim, Samtgemeinde Gieboldehausen, Gieboldehausen, Goldbach (Unterfranken), Großbartloff, Großheubach, Großvargula, Gumbsheim, Haibach (Unterfranken), Hanau-Steinheim, Hausen (bei Aschaffenburg), Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Heppenheim (Bergstraße), Hergenfeld, Heyerode, Hofgeismar, Hofheim am Taunus, Holungen (Landkreis Eichsfeld), Hundeshagen, Johannesberg (Bayern), Jützenbach, Kahl am Main, Kelkheim (Taunus), Kelkheim-Münster, Kella, Kirchgandern, Kirchheim (Thüringen), Kirchzell (Landkreis Miltenberg), Kleinostheim, Kleinwallstadt, Klingenberg am Main, Krautheim (Landkreis Hohenlohe), Kreuzebra, Langenthal (Hunsrück), Leidersbach, Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Lindenberg/Eichsfeld, Lorch (Rheingau), Mainaschaff, Marth, Miltenberg, Mömbris, Mönchberg, Monzingen, Mühlberg (Thüringen), Naumburg/Hessen, Neudenau (with eight spokes), the former Gemeinde Herbolzheim, since 1973 Herbolzheim, part of the city of Neudenau, Neunkirchen (Unterfranken), Neustadt (Eichsfeld), Niedernberg (Landkreis Miltenberg), Niederwalluf, Nöda, Obergriesheim, Oberlahnstein, Ober-Mörlen, Oberursel, Pleitersheim, Rauenthal, Ravenstein, Reinholterode, Rieneck, Rodgau, Rohrberg (Eichsfeld), Röllbach, Rothenbuch, Sailauf, Schloßböckelheim, Schöllkrippen, Schöneberg (Hunsrück), Seesbach, Seligenstadt, Sömmerda, Sulzbach am Main (Landkreis Miltenberg), Treffurt, Uder, Viernheim, Waldaschaff, Walldürn, Weibersbrunn, Weilbach (Bayern), Weißenborn-Lüderode, Wiesen (Unterfranken), Wittighausen, Worbis in Leinefelde-Worbis, and Wüstheuterode.
It is also on the coats of arms of the following Kreise (districts)
- Hohenlohekreis
- Landkreis Aschaffenburg
- the former Landkreis Buchen (merged with Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis in 1973)
- Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg
- Landkreis Eichsfeld
- Landkreis Göttingen
- the former Landkreis Künzelsau (merged with Hohenlohekreis in 1973)
- Landkreis Lohr
- Landkreis Main-Spessart
- Landkreis Mainz-Bingen
- Landkreis Miltenberg
- the former Landkreis Mosbach (merged with Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis in 1973)
- Landkreis Offenbach
- Landkreis Sömmerda
- the former Landkreis Tauberbischofsheim (merged with Main-Tauber-Kreis in 1973)
- Landkreis Weimarer Land
- Main-Tauber-Kreis
- Main-Taunus-Kreis
- Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis
- Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
- Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis
and also in Landeswappen in Rheinland-Pfalz.
Coats of Arms featuring the Mainz Wheel
Rhineland-Palatinate
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Wappen Mainz Laubenheim.gif
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Hesse
 Geisenheim (before 1977) |
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 Geisenheim (after 1977) |
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WappenSteinhem.jpg
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Wappenfritzlar.jpg
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Baden-Württemberg
 former Landkreis Künzelsau, merged with Hohenlohekreis in 1973 |
 former Landkreis Buchen, merged with Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis in 1973 |
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 former Landkreis Mosbach, merged with Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis in 1973 |
 former Landkreis Tauberbischofsheim, merged with Main-Tauber-Kreis in 1973 |
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 former Gemeinde Herbolzheim, now Herbolzheim (Neudenau), part of the city of Neudenau since 1973 |
 former Gemeinde Obergriesheim, part of the the city of Gundelsheim since 1973 |
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Bavaria
 Stadt Miltenberg |
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Thuringia
 Erfurt (Partner of Mainz) |
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 Administrative region of Lindenberg-Eichsfeld |
 Berlingerode (in Lindenberg-Eichsfeld) |
 Brehme (in Lindenberg-Eichsfeld) |
 Hundeshagen (in Lindenberg-Eichsfeld) |
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