In 1975 the district was made by joining the old district of Ahaus, the city of Bocholt and small parts of the districts of Rees, Recklinghausen and Coesfeld.
Coat of arms
The colors of the coat of arms were chosen to be the same as those of Münster, the long-time owner of the region. The three white anchors in the middle derive from the coat of arms of the Herrschaft Anholt. It's depicted three times to show the three main parts the district was created from - the old district Borken, the district Ahaus and the city Bocholt.
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