Coat of arms administrative district Steinfurt
The new administrative district coat of arms combines parts of the old administrative district emblems Steinfurt, Tecklenburg and Muenster.
The red bar in gold was the well-known indication of the eccl chapter Muenster and was located in all three administrative district coats of arms. 
The current administrative district Steinfurt belonged in former times to the majority to the prince diocese Muenster, in whose center the substantially smaller county Steinfurt lay. This geographical situation is against-reflected by the arrangement of the components in the new administrative district coat of arms, because the swan was the coat of arms animal of the county since beginning 13. Century and Steinfurt was therefore located in the coat of arms of the old administrative district.
The red sea-rose leafs were since at the latest that 13. Century the mirror image of the counts von Tecklenburg - however on silver field. They were transferred 1934 to the coat of arms of the administrative district Tecklenburg. 
Although it had given several times changes in the area conditions, also as "Schroeterhoerner" marked sea-rose leafes were since the Middle Ages as indications of the county Tecklenburg used.

Quelle: www.kreis-steinfurt.de