Saint Maurice

The so-called 'Coburg Moor' adorns Coburg’s coat of arms. It shows the head of a dark-skinned African man with earrings on a golden background. The image represents Saint Maurice, a popular patron saint in Catholic and Orthodox churches.

According to legend, Maurice was a Roman officer from Egypt who was executed in the 3rd century for his Christian faith. Based on medieval stereotypes, he was often depicted as dark-skinned.

He is frequently shown as an armored knight, often holding the Holy Lance, a relic of the Holy Roman Empire. In this form, he also appears on the town hall’s oriel. During the violent Middle Ages, the militant image of Maurice became increasingly popular, and many cities and professions chose him as their patron—e.g., Ingolstadt, Wiesbaden, dyers, hatters, soldiers, and armorers—as did Coburg.