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Gütersloh city (Germany)

Stadt Gütersloh, Kreis Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia

2:3 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Feb 2007

Gütersloh city

See also:

Gütersloh County (North Rhine-Westphalia / Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany)
County and Municipal Flags (North Rhine-Westphalia / Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany)
North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany)
Germany

Gütersloh city

Description of flag: It is a green over white horizontal bicolour with the coat of arms in the centre of the flag
Description of Coat of Arms: In a green shield, edged by 16 alternating pieces of black and silver(=white) are 3 bendy wavy silver(=white) lines. The whole is superimposed by a red wheel with 6 spokes.
The coat of arms was granted in 1844 by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia.
Meaning: The wavy lines are symbolizing the location of the city in a wet region near the river Ems. The wheel is said to be a spinning wheel. There were many manufactorers of yarn in that region in the 19th century. Its also a symbol for enterprise and progress. The colours green and white of the city have been known since 1843. The Prussian colours of the edge are symbolizing that the city then belonged to Prussia.
All flags have usually ratio 3:5; hanging flags 5:2
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Feb 2007

These informations and images are based on the book by Veddeler that we have in our bibliography as [ved03] Peter Veddeler's Wappen, Siegel, Flaggen. Die kommunalen Hoheitszeichen des Landschaftsverbandes, der Kreise, Städte und Gemeinden in Westfalen-Lippe, 2003 (in English: Coats-of-arms, seals, flags. The communal symbols of the Landscape Association, the counties, towns and municipalities in Westphalia-Lippe).
Although shortly mentioned in the text, the images section of [ved03] does show a banner, not a horizontal flag. [ved03] mentions that this has not been officially adopted, but there is a drawing (from around 1950) in the files of the Münster State Archives. A banner drawing is also shown in the city statute of 1999 (appendix).
Marcus E.V. Schmöger, 25 Feb 2007