Sigg pewter memorial plate. What for?

Hi all I picked up this 10" wall plate today and don't know what the symbol in the middle stands for and could use some help on the translation and what it might commemorate.
Marked SIGG Switzerland on the back.

Mikey

 

It’s the staff of Basel, Switzerland, the city coat of arms.

 

http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Basel

 

For a remembrance of Basel, Selma und Emil? I can’t really see it clearly on my phone.

 

Thanks anund. The two names and the dates had me wondering also what it meant. Those dates must have some significance.

 

no signifcance apart from personal memories. nothing special happened in those years. except the war and that the inhabitants had a certain Angst that the Germans would attack France via Switzerland. a few years ago only they took the explosives out of the bridges.
the rich bunch of course fled to the Alps to hide away...

 

and I have to add that the slight possibility that it was by Jewish refugees from Austria is zero by the typical Basel first names Selmeli and Mille; those equal Jack & Jill.

 

I guess only Selma and Emil would know. thanks all for the great information.

Mike