Cross pattée

The Tatzenkreuz, also called Templar and cannon Cross, is a cross with widening beam ends. The names Mantuanisches cross and out Rounded Cross are also common.

Designation and variants

The name Tatzenkreuz generally refers to the thickening at the beam ends. Templar Cross refers to the Knights Templar. The original old consecration cross (Acts Cross, papal cross, crux signata ) is nimbiert. The name Cannon and Mantuakreuz has it by the Austrian Army Cross 1813/1814 and the reference to the freedom struggle of the Tyrolean against Napoleon.

From the actual shape of the paws cross with curved outlines of the arms of the cross, the geradarmige Tatzenkreuz different. The Maltese cross or cross of St. John, in turn, is a modification of the shape of a cross and has notches on the ends of the cross bar. The highly contrasting shapes resemble the paws cross the designation of representation then has priority with respect to the origin and meaning of the cross.

Furthermore, to find the Tatzenkreuz in various modified forms, among other things, coat of arms, flags and medals. Is it taper to a point at the lower arm, it is called cross nail tip and is a form of plug cross. A square in the middle of the cross makes it a squared Tatzenkreuz. Become centrally tips attached to the arm ends, it is called nail tip Tatzenkreuz.

Many dioceses and abbeys lead the Tatzenkreuz in different tinctures ( coloring ) in their coat of arms.

Use

The Tatzenkreuz was in red on a white ground, the coat of arms of the Knights Templar and also found himself on the black-and- white Templar banner (also Baucent or Beauceant called ). Originally, the red cross on a white ground was alone reserved the Crusaders. The patron saint of the Knights Templar at the time of its inception, Bernard of Clairvaux, but reached the Pope for the Templars the right to also be allowed to carry the Crusaders Cross, with the argument that this Order befände in the permanent crusade.

The used by the Teutonic Knights another form of paws cross with straight arms, which are widened only at the outer end, is also called paws cross. His colors were black on a white background.

The Iron Cross and the emblem of the Bundeswehr also have the shape of a cross paws, but are generally not referred to as such. The k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppen the army of Austria-Hungary used a Tatzenkreuz, which was in the Austrian Empire since the Napoleonic wars in use from 1915 to 1918 as a public symbol of their aircraft.

Wallis and Futuna led temporarily paw Cross flag and coat of arms.

The German Society for Sea Rescue leads it in the logo.

Character

In Unicode Dingbats in the block as U 2720 maltese cross one character, which is used in the code tables glyph but actually represents a Tatzenkreuz.