Lippe

Lippe is a Kreis (district) in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Herford, Minden-Lübbecke, Schaumburg, Hamelin-Pyrmont, Holzminden, Höxter, Paderborn, Gütersloh, and district-free Bielefeld.

History

The Lippe district nearly covers the same area as the historic country Lippe. The first mention of this country was in 1123 and which grow in power slowly in the following centuries. In 1528 it became a dukedom, in 1789 it was elevated to an earldom.

Other then many other countries of the Holy Roman Empire in the area Lippe could keep it's indepence in the Napoleonic times, and thus wasn't incorporated into Prussia afterwards. It was one of the smaller member states of the German empire.

The last earl of Lippe had to resign in 1918 after the end of World War I when Germany became republic, his country became a Freistaat in the German republic. In 1932 the Lippe country was subdivided into two districts, Detmold and Lemgo. These continued to exist when 1947 Lippe lost it's status as a country of Germany and by order of the british military government was incorporated into the new federal state North Rhine-Westphalia; in 1949 it was approved by the parliament. 1969/70 the 168 cities and municipalities were merged to 16; and as the second part of the administrative reform in 1973 the two districts Lemgo and Detmold were merged to the district Lippe.

Geography

The Lippe district covers the northen part of the Teutoburg Forest, which also contain the highest elevation of the district, the 496 meter high Köterberg near Lügde[?]. The lowest elevation is at the Weser river with 45.5 m. The main river is the Werre, and at the northern border of the district the Weser.

Coat of arms

Towns and municipalities

External links Official website (http://www.lippe.de) (German)