Harssens was a town located in Groningen, The Netherlands. It was already established in 14th Century with a coat of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 of a blue 'griffioen' (winged, lanky, standing lion figure). In 1604 when Warmolus Hilbrandus addressed Kaiser Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

 the Kaiser made Hildbrandus lord of the estate and recognized the coat of arms. By 1742 the Hilbrandus manor and the church in Harssens were dismantled. The rights to the coat of arms remained and when Adorp

Adorp

Adorp is a village in the municipality of Winsum, in the Netherlands. It is located about 6 km north of Groningen.Until 1990, Adorp was a separate municipality.Adorp is next to Sauwerd and Groningen...

was established as a township in 1809 the winged lion of Harssens had a place of honour in the town crest. Harssens is no longer a town but there are plans to rebuild the estate or Harssensborg as a tourist attraction.