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Herford County (Germany)

Kreis Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia

Last modified: 2007-12-08 by jarig bakker
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[Herford County flag] 3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2007
adopted 5 Jan 1970 See also:

Herford county

Herford county (Northrhine-Westphalia)
Description of flag:
The flags ratio is 3:5. It is a plain white flag with the count's coat of arms shifted to the hoist.
Description of coat of arms:
In a silver (=white) shield is an rearing black horse facing the dexter side.
Meaning:
The horse from the coat of arms is said to be an image of the black horse of Widukind (or Wittekind), the duke of the Saxonian Engern tribe, who was the leader of a 30 years resurrection of Saxonian farmers against the armies of the Franconian king Charlemagne. It is also said, that after Widukind surrendered and was baptized, he received a white horse as a gift from his former enemy and he gave away his black horse instead. The white horse is depicted in the coats of arms of Westphalia and Lower Saxony. But that might be an urban legend, for probably in times of Charlemagne there didn't exist shields with those images. Under NSDAP-rule in 1938 a black cross built from four maces was added in the sinister chief. This cross was however abolished in 1946 because there were too many similarities to a swastika.
Authorized: 5 January 1970 by Regierungspräsident Detmold.
Source: Peter VEDDELER: "Wappen-Siegel-Flaggen, die kommunalen Hoheitszeichen der Kreise, Städte und Gemeinden in Westfalen-Lippe" ; ISBN 3-87023-252-8; p.308
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2007

Banner

[Herford County banner] 3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2007
adopted 5 Jan 1970

Description of banner:
It is a plain white banner with the counties coat of arms shifted to the top.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Nov 2007