The visual reunification of Germany 

The knowledge about coats of arms, the heraldry, was initially the »Heroldskunst«. The herald checked the shields of the noble knights at middle-age tournaments. No easy job with all those monsters in the coats of arms; dragons, lions, bears, birds of prey and a numbers of other beasts romping around the shields. They bite, scratch, snarl, dribble. Muzzle open and tail put up. That should scare. Like that one was prepared, »armed« against the enemy.