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Grafschaft Bentheim county (Germany)

Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim, Lower Saxony

Last modified: 2008-01-19 by jarig bakker
Keywords: grafschaft bentheim |
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[Grafschaft Bentheim County flag] 3:5 image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Dec 2007
Flag adopted 25 Apr 1956

See also:

Grafschaft Bentheim county

County: Grafschaft Bentheim
county seat: Nordhorn
area: 980.75 qkm
population: 134,840
divisions: 26 municipalities, incl. 23 in 4 Samtgemeinden*, 4 towns
*A "Samtgemeinde" (SG*), also called "collective municipality" is a combination of several municipalities to an administrative community  in Lower Saxony.
Jörg Majewski, 22 Dec 2007

CoA

[Grafschaft Bentheim County arms] image by Jörg Majewski, 22 Dec 2007
adopted 20 May 1955

GRAFSCHAFT BENTHEIM
Origin/meaning:
The arms were granted on 20 May 1955.
The arms are identical to the original arms of the Counts of Bentheim. These counts were very influential and ruled their territory from a mighty castle since the 12th century. In 1606 the county was split in two lines, Bentheim and Steinfurt. The present Counts of Bentheim still use the same arms.
The origin of the arms is unknown. The arms are also used in the arms of the towns of Bad Bentheim, Neuenhaus, Nordhorn and the Dutch towns of De Wijk (now in Meppel) and Geldermalsen.
Literature : Stadler, K. : Deutsche Wappen - Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Angelsachsen Verlag, 1964-1971, 8 volumes.
Source: Ralf Hartemink.