18

Heraldry

The Hussite chalice is ubiquitous in Rixdorf; it can be found on the new church hall, the old school, in the Bethlehem church on Richardplatz – and it is part of the coat of arms of Neukölln. It is the symbol of the Bohemian settlers. But why? The Bohemians came to Rixdorf for religious reasons. They were staunch followers of the Bohemian reformer Jan Huss and demanded equality for all believers, particularly a change in the rites of the Communion. According to them all members of the community were entitled to a share in bread and wine; until then this had been the privilege of the clergy..