Hausner Gábor - Kincses Katalin Mária - Veszprémy László szerk.: A Hadtörténeti Múzeum Értesítője. Acta Musei Militaris in Hungaria. 4. „Kard és koszorú”. Ezer év magyar uralmi és katonai jelképei. (Budapest, 2001)

URALMI JELKÉPEK - KINCSES KATALIN MÁRIA: "Így ragyogjon Sopron is régiségeivel...” Hatalmi jelképek, a város reprezentációja a XVII. századi soproni országgyűléseken

arms can be seen in the etching of Michael Zakariás, with the delineation of Sopron, dating from 1700. The next memorabilia, an 18

th century coat-of-arms, carved in wood, is most likely from the old town hall's council chamber (to be currently seen in the Museum of Sopron). Finally, this version has survived in three different guild's 18

th century certificates of mastership, all issued on the basis of the same wood engraving. The volume of Mátyás Bél's (1684-1749) 'Notitia Hungáriáé...', which deals with the county of Sopron, has not been printed. This study gives account of a hand-painted coat-of-arms of Sopron, found in one of the work's manuscript pages bound together. Mátyás Bél connects the visual aspects of the 1622 coat-of-arms with the events of the 1681 parliamentary session in Sopron. The association of the two political roles of the town was not accidental. From the study's point of view, the 1625 parliamentary session is also remarkable. The vindication of the town's interests at the parliamentary sessions, which were diplomatic events of national and - due to a coronation - of European significance, were very spectacular, with expressing gestures of sovereign honour, confirming the town's emblems of power, on a representative basis. The efforts were attended by success, as they had led to the town's political stabilisation and economic consolidation, from time to time. Among the reasons of the successful policy, the devices and channels of information, having been given in Sopron, should be mentioned, which were satisfactory at the contemporary level, with up-to-date news of national and also international politics. Furthermore, the town had an appropriately educated set of leaders, who, having been well-informed of national and international affairs, had wittingly applied the symbols of power to propagandistic purposes. As a conclusion, it can be laid down that means of the conscious and strong propaganda of Sopron can be easily demonstrated as early as in the first decade of the century.