Last modified: 2013-12-02 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: muenster | tricolour | schirmbrett | lion(golden) | reguardant | supporter |
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![[City of Münster (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)]](../images/d/de-nw-ms.gif)
3:5 
image by Stefan Schwoon, 25 Feb 2001
Description of city flag:
Yellow-red-white tricolour, like the arms.
Sources: Staack 1997 and Stadler 1972, p.71
br>Stefan Schwoon, 25 Feb 2001
From Ralf Hartemink's International Civic Arms website:
Münster became a city in the early 13th century. (...) The arms do not appear in official seals before 1535, although in a seal of the Antonius hospital from 1368 it is shown. The origin of the colours is not known. (...)Literature: Stadler 1964-1971 and Veddeler 1991.
Santiago Dotor, 20 December 2001
![[Münster Great Banner(North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)]](../images/d/de-ms-big.gif)
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 May 2010
The banner is hoisted only at special opportunities. My image is based upon the image given in Veddeler 2003.
Description of banner:
The ratio is approx 9:7. The banner is vertically divided into yellow-red-white-red-yellow the stripes having nearly equal width according to source, but the yellow stripes have a lower width according to the image. In the centre is a modified version of the greater coat of arms of the city.
Description of greater coat of arms upon banner:
The shield is divided twice per fess into golden(=yellow) over red over silver(=white). topped by a silver helmet having a red and golden(=yellow) visor, and a crest being also golden over red over white. The crest was erroneously denoted as "fan" by the people. The correct word in German is "Schirmbrett". The helmet is flanked by scarves, in red and yellow. The shield is supported by two golden(=yellow) rampant reguardant lions tongued red.
The greater arms of the city have rampant lions, armed and tongued red. The helmet there is blue.
Meaning:
The sovereigns, the bishops of Münster, used a golden shield divided by a red fess. These arms are probably the base of the city arms. The lower golden field had been simply replaced by a silver one. The arms were used on seals at least since 1368. Helmet, crest and scarves had been added probably before 1540. Finally the supporters had been added perhaps in the middle of the 16th century.
Source: Veddeler 2003, p.467
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 May 2010