Last modified: 2017-11-11 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: rheda-wiedenbrueck | lion(black) | wheel | crowned | osnabrueck bishopric | annulet | oak | mural crown |
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![[Rheda-Wiedenbrück flag]](../images/d/de-gt-rw.gif)
3:5 
image by Stefan Schwoon, 25 Jun 2001
The City of Wiedenbrück was an exclave of the Bishopric of Osnabrück until 1803. It was the capital of the subcounty (German: Amt) of Reckenberg. All church territories in the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation were abolished by the French Emperor Napoleon I in 1803 (Reichsdeputationshauptschluss) as well as the Empire itself a few years later. Within a 2nd phase smaller sovereign states merged with others to less smaller states. In 1803 Wiedenbrück was incorporated to the Electorate of Hannover. After the treaty of Tilsit(1807) Wiedenbrück became part of the newly built "Kingdom of Westphalia". The King was Jerome I , which was no surprise, for Jerome was a brother of Napoleon I. He got the nickname "King Funny" by the Westphalians, though times were not funny at all by then. After the Congress of Vienna(1815) Wiedenbrück was incorporated to the new Prussian province of Westphalia. Since 1870 it became part of the (2nd) Empire of Germany and became capital of a county with the same name. Rheda belonged to that county until 1973.
Rheda however was capital of an independent lordship, which included also the much bigger town of Gütersloh. Because Rheda had a railway-station, it grew and flourished and became bigger than its rival Wiedenbrück. Wiedenbrück however remained as centre of administration. Since 1807 Rheda belonged to the same territories Wiedenbrück did.
The county of Wiedenbrück consisted of the former territories of the subcounty (Amt) Reckenberg, the Lordship of Rhed and the County of Rietberg.
In the coat of arms of the county there are a red wheel on a white field (Osnabrück/Reckenberg) , a black lion on a white field (Rheda) and a white eagle on a red field (Rietberg).
Source: "Neuer Westfälischer Bilderbogen Nr.10/81", an appendix of the "Neue Westfälische Zeitung", edition Gütersloh, a newspaper
On 1 January 1974 the county of Wiedenbrück was abolished and Gütersloh became capital of a new county.
Wiedenbrück and Rheda were forced to merge as a new city Rheda-Wiedenbrück. Rheda had more inhabitants but Wiedenbrück claimed having more importance for having been the former district capital. So many people in Wiedenbrück refused the union with Rheda and they also claimed the name of the new city had to be simply Wiedenbrück. Their efforts finally failed, when a court reconfirmed the decisions of the government of Northrhine-Westphalia of 1974 a few years later.
Description of the flag:
The flag is a symmetric vertical divided bicolour from left to right : yellow-black- yellow with ratio of stripes 1:3:1. In the centre there is the coat of arms of the new city of Rheda-Wiedenbrück, consisting of:
1) the black sinister-facing lion in a silver(=white) field which turned his face from left to right and got a yellow crown in the dexter half (Rheda)
2) and the wheel of Osnabrück with modified colours, i.e. a golden wheel on a red field in the sinister half (Wiedenbrück).
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 Oct 2005
According to Veddeler 2003 the flag and coat-of-arms were approv Regierungspräsident Detmold on 25 August 1971.
The flag is described in the form of the (normal) hoisted flag and in form of the hanging flag. The coat of arms is shown on the hoisted flag shifted to the hoist, in the hanging flag shifted to the top.
The arms is not described entirely correct either. It is: "Parted peer pale; dexter Argent, a lion facing sinister Sable, crowned Or and langued Gules; sinister Gules, a six-spoked wheel Or."
M. Schmöger, 1 Nov 2005
![[Rheda-Wiedenbrück vertical flag]](../images/d/de-gt-rw_.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider and Stefan Schwoon, 31 Oct 2005
![[Nordrheda-Ems borough flag (- 2004)]](../images/d/de-gt-rw-ne.gif)
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
Flag:
It is a green over white horizontal bicolour with arms shifted to the hoist.
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
Shield parted per pale; at dexter Vert an eradicated oak tree Or, in base three flowers Argent seeded Or; at sinister Argent, a lion rampant Sable, crowned Or and tongued Gules, charged with three annulets Or.
Meaning:
Nordrheda and Ems had been two hamlets in the Rheda subcounty (German: Amt) of Wiedenbrück County. The had never been any centre but two settlement cores in the Northwest (Nordrheda) and the Northeast (Ems) of Rheda city, which hadn't been connected. The municipality Nordrheda-Ems was established in 1843. When Rheda became a city and was seceded from the subcounty, Nordrheda-Ems remained the only municipality in the subcounty. Since then its administration had been in Rheda city. When the subcounty was dissolved in 1934 the status was upgraded (municipality-free). Since 1970 Nordrheda-Ems had been a borough of Rheda-Wiedenbrü?ck city, was however dissolved in 2004 and became a part of Rheda borough.
The lion is that one of Rheda, the original crowned version with three annulets, but obviously inspired by the lion of the city and probably representing Nordrheda hamlet, thus the dexter side has to represent Ems hamlet.
Source: German WIKIPEDIA
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
![[Rheda borough flag]](../images/d/de-gt-rw-rh.gif)
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
Flag:
It is a black over yellow horizontal bicolour with centred arms.
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
French shield with mural crown Or with port and three visible towers, Argent a lion rampant Sable charged with three annulets Or, armed Or and tongued Gules.
Meaning:
Meaning:
The lion is taken from the arms of the Lords of Rheda and was also used by their successors in the 16th century, the Counts of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda. The original seal of the city displayed a crowned lion with the rose of Lippe. In 1355 Rheda received city rights from Bernhard von der Lippe. The meaning or origin of the annulets is not known. They probably had been added as a misinterpretation of decorations on the seal. The rose of Lippe was removed in 1908, as there was no longer any political connection with the Principality of Lippe.
The arms were approved on 15 June 1908.
Source: Ralf Hartemink's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
![[Wiedenbrück borough flag]](../images/d/de-gt-rw-wd.gif)
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
Flag:
It is a red over white horizontal bicolour with centred arms and a white scroll with inscription in black capitals "WIEDENBRÜCK" in the upper stripe.
Source: this online catalogue
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
![[Wiedenbrück borough banner seal 1219]](../images/d/de-gt-rw-wd19_.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 May 2010
This version is hoisted on holidays and local festival days each year. It might be the former flag of the city of Wiedenbrück, now being part of Rheda-Wiedenbrück.
Description of flag:
The ratio is approx 3:2. The flag is vertically divided into red-white-red with ratio 1:4:1. Shifted to the top is a black disc exceeding the white stripe. Its diameter is estimated 12/27, that is approx 44% of total height. Upon the black disc are golden (=yellow) figures of the great seal of the former City of Wiedenbrück. The flag is based on a seal from 1219.
Description of seal:
A wall is uprising to both sides, having a path with a roof (displayed by lozenges). Upon the walls are two narrow towers. The gate is has a round bow. In the gate is an 8-spokes wheel (upon the flag only the wheel is left). Above the wheel is an upright sinister bearded key.
Literature: described in Veddeler 2003, p.204
Source: I spotted this flag in October 1979 in Wiedenbrück
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 May 2010
Shield Argent, a fess Gules, charged with a wheel Or supported by two lions rampant Or.
Meaning:
Wiedenbrück had been capital of the Reckenberg Amt, an exclave of the Bishopric of Osnabrück. It gained market rights,coinage prerogative and customs law in 952 by Emperor Otto I. The oldest coins are proven from 1230. One year later Wiedenbrück gained city status (Latin: civitas). A local statute was published in 1462. Wiedenbrück became a part of the Electorate of Hannover in 1802, of the French puppet state Kingdom of Westphalia in 1807 and part of Prussia finally in 1816, where it became seat of a namesake county. The city was forced to merge with Rheda on 1 January 1970, but it remained seat of the newly formed Gütersloh County until 1997. The arms on flag just display a shield Argent , supported by two lions rampant Or, charged with a red 6-spokes wheel, the emblem of the Bishopric of Osnabrück. The wheel originally had had 8 spokes, displayed on a seal from 1219. The number of spokes had been reduced to 6 in the 16th century. Otto Hupp displayed the wheel as Argent in 1925.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 May 2017
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