Inscribed in 1579 in the plaque of the grave of Nicolaus I Gercken is the coat of arms used by the foundation. He was the grandfather of the founder, Nicolaus III Gercken (1555-1610),  One hypothesis says that the grandfather created it when working as a merchant or as First Mayor of Salzwedel Neustadt. It is also possible that his forefathers already carried it as free farmers. The authenticity of the coloring is unproven. The colored version depicted below stems from a glass window in the town hall of Salzwedel.

A variant of the coat of arms of 1579 was used in 1777 by  Valentin Friedrich Gercken in his seal. This is documented in “The Siebmacher“, the heraldic encyclopedia in Germany. Issue V. 8., table 63 shows the depicted seal, which is preserved in the Secret Prussian State Archives (Geheimes Preussisches Staatsarchiv). Near the top, the coat of arms shows three roses. Near the bottom, three leaves of clover grow out of a hill. The helmet contains a branch with five leaves of clover between two buffalo horns.

For decades Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer was counsellor in the patronate of the foundation.  On July 21st, 1934, he was the last elected patron, until the foundation was restored in 1992. His version of the coat of arms was used in the foundation’s stamp, on letter heads and in the first version of the web presence of the foundation.

Any descendent of Nicolaus I. Gercken who bears his last name may bear the coat of arms. Spelling variants are permissible. Women can only bear the coat until marriage. The founder left no specific rules. Any founder of a coat of arms can declare in a coat statute who shall bear the coat in the future. If this remains undeclared, the male descendents may bear the coat. This rule is unacceptable in today’s world. In the past, women had the choice to bear the coat of their husbands or of their fathers. A coat founder is free to include women in the group of those who may bear the coat.