I was the "designer" of the Minster flag. The concept of a flag came about at the time of Minster's 150th Anniversary in 1982, and was spearheaded by the Minster Historical Society. The head of the Historical Society, Luke Knapke, came to me and asked me to put together a design for the flag itself and for a wappen or coat of arms. I came up with a number of symbols, from which the Historical Society chose the ones now used in the wappen.
At the 150th celebration for the presentation of the flag, I read the attached explanation. On some of the earlier editions, the horse heads are missing part of the roof, but which was subsequently supplied to later editions. In the years since then, I came up with a more refined design of the wappen, but I never presented it for adoption.
The dimensions of the flag are normal. It is not an elongated flag.
David A. Hoying, 9 February 2014
Wappen (Coat of Arms)
Original Design
image by David A. Hoying, 9 February 2014
Refined Design
image by David A. Hoying, 9 February 2014
SESQUICENTENNIAL FLAG OF MINSTER
WAPPEN (Coat of Arms)
CROSS - The cross represents the strong Christian faith of the community. This faith was rooted in the late eighth century when Christianity was brought by the victorious Charlemagne and the venerable Benedictine missionaries to the defeated Saxon tribes in the area that was to comprise the Dioceses of Munster and Osnabruck.
OAK LEAF AND ACORN - The acorn is a symbol of the Saxon tribes to whom the oak leaf served as a symbol of strength. The early pagan ancestors of the settlers of Stallostown worshipped the oak tree as a deity. The "tree of life" was an important feature of many customs that developed later in the Münsterland.
CANAL BOAT - The Miami and Erie Canal reached Minster in 1843. This important artery of transportation connected Cincinnati on the Ohio River with Toledo on Lake Erie, and provided a link between the markets of New Orleans and those of New York. The canal greatly aided the population and economic growth of the community in the crucial years of development.
HORSE HEADS - Two crossed wooden equine heads are another ancient symbol of the Saxon nature religion. These heads were placed at the peak of the front gable of the old homeland farmhouses to ward off evil and thus served as an omen of good fortune.
COLORS - The colors of the flag - red, white, and yellow - are the colors of the flag of the city of Munster. The Bishop of the church-land of Munster had been both the ecclesial and secular ruler of the Oldenburger Münsterland from where Franz Joseph Stallo and many of the first settlers of Stallostown emigrated. It was from this relationship with the Bishopric of Mlinster that the name of the community of Minster was derived. The color brown, selected for the heraldic overlay was taken from the Minster Oktoberfest flag. This color represents business and industry, the agricultural activities related to the soil, and the Germanic origins of the community.
The Sesquicentennial flag is indicative of the faith and heritage, the ethic of hard work, the practical use of common sense, and the good fellowship inherent to the community. Display it with pride!
![[Flag of Minster, Ohio]](../images/u/us-ohmin.gif)
image by Valentin Poposki, 14 October 2012![[Coat of Arms of Flag of Minster, Ohio]](../images/u/us)ohmin.gif)
![[Coat of Arms of Flag of Minster, Ohio]](../images/u/us)ohmin2.gif)
