The coat of arms of the Danube Cultural Society was created as a joint effort by the Board of Directors in 2003.  Their vision was to create a design that would effectively represent the various German cultures from along the Danube River in Europe.

        The most obvious feature of the coat of arms is the strong branching blue river that flows from left to right.  This river represents the “Schöne Blaue Donau” (Beautiful Blue Danube) which flows through Europe.  The Danube River is seen by many as one of the most beautiful bodies of waters in the world.  In addition to its beauty, the Danube River is home to some of the most distinctive German cultures throughout Europe, such as the Bavarian, Viennese, and Donauschwaben.  Our Society strives to promote all of the great German cultures found along the Danube and it is because of these cultures that our society is named after this spectacular river.

       The most eye catching feature of the coat of arms would be the towering red and white fortress.  This fortress comes from the coat of arms of the Donauschwaben and represents the city of Temeschburg (Timisoara) which is located along the Danube River in the country of Romania.  There are six towers on this fortress that represent the six settlement regions of the Donauschwaben during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These six regions are the Central Hungarian Highlands, Swabian Türkei, Slavonia-Syrmia, Banat, Batschka, and Sathmar.  These six regions are located in the current day countries of Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and Romania.

      The background of the coat of arms includes a mountain range representing the towering European Alps.  The Alps run through the countries of Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Germany.  The Alps offer everything from an unspoiled taste of nature to the vibrant cultural life of villages, towns, and cities.  The richness of these mountains not only offers a great backdrop to the society’s coat or arms, but also to the real Danube River in Europe.

       In the sky soar the shining sun and crescent moon.  The sun represents a symbol for Christ, as Christianity was the primary religion of our German ancestors. The crescent moon represents all of the hardships our ancestors faced in the past.  Many of the early settlers did not survive hunger and disease, while the most recent hardships Germans and Austrians faced were the starvation and economic turmoil following both World Wars, and the expulsion of innocent ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe by the communists following World War II.

       The rich green background on the coat of arms represents the bounty produced through the hard work of the rich soil of our ancestors’ homelands. The members of the Danube Cultural Society now find their new homeland in the great United States of America, but will continuously strive to promote the great traditions of the German cultures from along the Danube.