In 1816, the new Prussian government created the district of Kempen. In 1929 the district was made a lot bigger and renamed Kempen-Krefeld.
In 1975 the district again changed its borders and was renamed to Viersen even though Kempen remained the capital. Viersen city replace Kempen as the capital in 1984.
At the top of the coat of arms is the black cross of the Cologne bishops, as the district used to belong to the clerical state Cologne. The golden lion on blue ground is the symbol of the duchy of Guelders; the black lion on golden ground the symbol of the duchy of Jülich.
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