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The Mighty Maiden

“A castle with two pointed towers, an open gate and a raised portcullis; between the towers a Magd (maiden) holding a wreath in her raised right hand.”

You can read this in heraldry books and obviously the Magd, Middle High German for maiden or virgin, is reflected in the name of the city. But does she really?

Legend tells us of a border castle Julius Caesar had built on the river Elbe. And of a nearby village where the commander donated a temple to the virgin goddess Diana. The town was named Parthenopolis after this place of worship, which means “maiden town”. Unfortunately for the story, Caesar never got beyond the Rhine.

Linguists suspect that the older name Magadoburg, common at the time of Charlemagne, could mean “mighty castle”. What we do know is that as early as 1244, the first town seal we have shows a virgin on a rampart between two towers. The wreath as a sign of her virginity was soon added, as were the raised portcullis and the wide-open gates. Their welcoming gesture has brought the city great wealth and great suffering. Today it has become a friendly sign of a new, open urbanity.