Lippstadt
Lippstadt is considered the oldest “founding town” in Westphalia. But even before the actual founding by Bernhard II zur Lippe around 1185, a merchant settlement existed here around the Nicolai Church.
The earliest ecclesiastical institutions also include the Augustinnerinen monastery, founded around 1185, the later and still existing Damenstift. This includes the church St. Marien, today the ruins of the monastery, and the market church St. Marien, consecrated around 1220 by Bernhard II.
The oldest town charter of Lippstadt dates back to 1220. Since then, fairs have been held and coins have been minted since about 1231. In 1253 Lippstadt, together with Dortmund, Münster and Soest, and from 1264 also Osnabrück, belonged to the ‘Werner Bund’ for the protection of regional trade.
Until the 19th century, the number of inhabitants had been about 3000, not more than in the heyday in the 13th century. It was not until industrialization that the town grew beyond its medieval city limits. Several large companies settled here and are still active today.
During World War II, Lippstadt was largely spared bombing raids, despite several companies working for the armaments industry. During the war, the population increased to almost 29,000 in 1947 due to several thousand mainly female forced laborers as well as refugees from bombed-out cities and – after the war – from the eastern territories. Due to the territorial reform in 1975, Lippstadt lost its district seat to Soest, but was considerably enlarged by numerous incorporations. Today the population is 72,400. (source)
How to spend your free time in Lippstadt?
– Canoe tour (link)
– Pub crawl, city tour, light promenade (link)
– Tour SchokoWelt (Peters Pralinen) (link)
– Brewery tour (link)