Coesfeld county (Germany)

Kreis Coesfeld, Northrhine-Westphalia

Last modified: 2017-11-11 by german editorial team
Keywords: coesfeld county | liudger |
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• Coesfeld county
• Banner
• Coesfeld County flag until 1979
• Old Banner

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Coesfeld county

The information about the county of Coesfeld was provided by Falko Schmidt. Coesfeld is in North Rhine-Westphalia in the district (Regierungsbezirk) of Münster. In 1975, as part of the municipal reform, the previous counties of Coesfeld and Lüdinghausen were united to form the current county of Coesfeld. After the union with Lüdinghausen new arms and a new flag were adopted. The public records of the district of Münster describe the flag and the banner:
In both cases, yellow-red-yellow in proportions 1:3:1 with the arms on the red stripe; on the banner, the arms are placed in the upper half. The statutes, available at the county website, describe flag and banner as simply yellow and red with the arms. However, Falko Schmidt confirmed that this is merely a very inaccurate description.

The meaning of the arms (both old and new) is described on Ralf Hartemink's International Civic Arms website. The image of the old arms is from Stadler 1964-1971, the new arms from Linder and Olzog 1996.
Stefan Schwoon, 11 Mar 2001

Adopted 15 October1979, according to Dirk Schönberger's Administrative Divisions of the World website. From Ralf Hartemink's International Civic Arms website: The new arms were granted on 15 October 1979. The arms combine elements from the old arms [St. Liudger and the Münster arms] with the bell taken from the arms of the former Lüdinghausen district arms.
Literature: Linder and Olzog 1996.
Santiago Dotor, 14 Feb 2002

Banner

Coesfeld County flag until 1979

The old county of Coesfeld had a square standard of the arms and a banner [hanging flag] with the arms in the chief and split of yellow and red below.
Stefan Schwoon, 11 Mar 2001

From Ralf Hartemink's International Civic Arms website: The arms were granted on August 8, 1956. The dexter part of the arms shows St. Liudger, the main missionary under the German and Frisian tribes in the 8th century, and founder of the diocese of Münster. He is buried in Billerbeck in the district. The sinister part shows the arms of Münster, as the district historically belonged to Münster.
Literature: Stadler 1964-1971.
Santiago Dotor, 14 Feb 2002

Coesfeld county (Northrhine-Westphalia) 1956-1979
Description of flag:
It is a rectangular flag, the height is bigger than the width and the pattern is an image of the coat of arms.
Description of coat of arms:
The shield is divided per pale. The dexter side shows in a red field St.Liudger vested in silver (=white) accompanied by a golden (=yellow) goose. The sinister side has a red bar in a golden (=yellow) field.
Source of coat of arms: Stadler 1964, p.24.
Meaning:
St. Liudger (born 742(?)) was missionary of the Frisian and Saxonian tribes. The goose was his attribute, for it is said that he saved the region from damages caused by wild geese. Liudger died in 809 and was buried in Billerbeck which is located within the county. The red bar in the golden field is the coat of arms of the archbishops of Münster.
Authorized: 8 August 1956 by minister of interior of Northrhine-Westphalia.
Source: Veddeler 2003, p.70-71
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2007

Old Banner

Description of banner:
It is a yellow and red vertical bicolour with the flag pattern at its top.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2007