Eagle

• The double-headed eagle is heavy with Christian symbolism when used in German medieval heraldry and is seen to be symbolic of John the Evangelist. John's gospel focuses particularly on the ascension and divine nature of Christ. As the king of birds, the eagle can represent both the "higher matters," which concern John, and was believed to be able to stare into the sun without damage, thus symbolizing the gospel's injunction to stare unflinchingly upward toward heaven. In addition, the eagle suggests courage and judiciousness as traits of the house or person they represent. The eagle is representative of imperial rather than sovereign power, so would often be incorporated into the crest of nobility of the Holy Roman Empire. The most powerful house to use the eagle were the House of Hohenzollern whose territory in the 1500s encompassed parts of Prussia, Germany and Romania.
  
  

Lions

• The heraldic lion represents Mark the Evangelist. The second gospel likens John the Baptist's sermonizing to "a lion roaring," and the creature also represents Jesus' resurrection as they were said to sleep with both eyes open and Jesus' status as king among men. Christians are enjoined to be courageous and aspire toward the kingdom of heaven, and lions symbolize both bravery and royalty. More generally, lions connote valor, strength, courage and are usually attached to royal houses as "the king of beasts." The most prominent house of nobles to use the lion was House of Welf, which controlled both Bavaria and Saxony in the 12th century.
  
  

Wheels

• In German heraldry, wheels represent a connection to the bishopric of Mainz whose own coat of arms prominently features two spoked wheels joined by a cross. The Mainz wheels denote the powerful statesman of the Holy Roman Empire, St Willigis, who was archbishop of Mainz from 975 until his death in 1011. The origins of the wheel insignia are not known, although the brothers Grimm claimed that Willigis incorporated the wheels into his arms as a reminder of his family who had made their living for generations as wheelwrights.
  
  

Helmets

• Helmets directly indicate the social status of the bearer. Helmets in the coat of arms of nobility would always be open, while closed helmets represented wealthy citizens called burghers. Nobility who possessed both secular holdings and a clerical or church office often replaces the open helmet with a bishop's mitre.