Cloppenburg

About the place: Cloppenburg is a district capital in the federal state of Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, located between Oldenburg and Osnabrück. It serves as an economic and cultural hub for the Oldenburger Münsterland region and is known for its open-air museum, the Museumsdorf Cloppenburg.

Flag Description: The flag consists of a rectangular sheet with two horizontal stripes—blue on top and red on the bottom. In the center of the flag is the town's coat of arms. The coat of arms features a yellow (gold) shield topped with a blue three-merlon battlement. Rising from behind the middle merlon is Saint Paul wearing a red cloak and white tunic, holding an upright sword in his right hand (viewer's left) and an open book in his left hand (viewer's right). In the lower part of the shield is a red fess above a yellow (gold) base.

Symbolism: The blue and red colors of the flag represent the traditional town colors. The figure of Saint Paul with a sword and book refers to the patron saint of the Diocese of Münster, to which the town historically belonged. The red fess on a golden field in the lower part of the shield represents the historical coat of arms of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster. The merlons at the top of the shield symbolize town rights and fortifications.