Lippstadt

Lippstadt (German: [ˈlɪpʃtat]) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest town within the district of Soest.

Geography

Lippstadt is situated in the Lippe valley, roughly 70 kilometres east of Dortmund and roughly 30 kilometres west of Paderborn. The historic town centre is situated between an artificial canal of the river Lippe and the river itself.

Neighbouring municipalities

Division of the town

Lippstadt consists of 18 districts:

Twin towns — sister cities

Lippstadt is twinned with:

Uden, Netherlands, since 1971

History

In the early 13th century Lippstadt, with a population of 2700, had four parish churches. There was an Augustinian abbey which had existed since 1281.

From 1400, the enclave and town of Lippstadt was to be a condominium shared by the county of Lippe and the counts of Cleves-Mark, who were succeeded by the Hohenzollerns (Brandenburg/Prussia), a situation that endured until the middle of the 19th. century.

Heinrich von Ahaus founded one of his communities for women of the Brethren of the Common Life there.