Rietberg is a town in the
district of GüterslohGütersloh is a Kreis in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Osnabrück, Herford, district-free Bielefeld, Lippe, Paderborn, Soest and Warendorf.- History :...
in the state of
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. It is located approx. 10 km south of
GüterslohGütersloh is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name...
and 25 km north-west of
PaderbornPaderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
in the region
Ostwestfalen-LippeOstwestfalen-Lippe is a region in the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. Translated to English the name would be East Westphalia-Lippe; it is the eastern part of the region Westphalia together with the Lippe region. The major cities in the region are Bielefeld and Paderborn...
. The town is located at the river Ems. There are 28,878 people living in Rietberg.
Rietberg was first mentioned as 'Rietbike' around the year 1100. This name refers to Ried which is an old name for reed and to 'Bach' which means creek. There was a castle that dated back to the 11th century.
Rietberg is a town in the
district of GüterslohGütersloh is a Kreis in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Osnabrück, Herford, district-free Bielefeld, Lippe, Paderborn, Soest and Warendorf.- History :...
in the state of
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. It is located approx. 10 km south of
GüterslohGütersloh is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name...
and 25 km north-west of
PaderbornPaderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
in the region
Ostwestfalen-LippeOstwestfalen-Lippe is a region in the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. Translated to English the name would be East Westphalia-Lippe; it is the eastern part of the region Westphalia together with the Lippe region. The major cities in the region are Bielefeld and Paderborn...
. The town is located at the river Ems. There are 28,878 people living in Rietberg.
History
Rietberg was first mentioned as 'Rietbike' around the year 1100. This name refers to Ried which is an old name for reed and to 'Bach' which means creek. There was a castle that dated back to the 11th century. From 1237, it was home to the family of the
Wenzel Anton Graf KaunitzWenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz was an Austrian statesman.Kaunitz was born in Vienna to an old Bohemian noble family settled in Moravia. It was intended that Kaunitz should become a clergyman when he was a boy, but he soon decided otherwise and studied law instead...
, Count of Rietberg. From this time on the part 'Berg' in the name Rietberg refers to the existence of a castle which is called 'Burg' in German. Since that time Rietberg was an independent German territory until the year 1807. In the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
the county of Rietberg was a very small state. Nevertheless, Rietberg had its own military, its own currency and its own laws. Even foreign policy, on a small scale, was conducted independently. Until the 17th century Rietberg coined its own money. Until the 18th century the Government was located in the Palace, built in the 14th century.
At the beginning of the 19th century the Palace was torn down because it was not needed anymore. Only the
St. JohnsJohn of Nepomuk or John Nepomucene is a national saint of the Czech Republic, who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the...
Chapel from 1748 can still be visited today.
In the year 1807 Rietberg became a part of
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
, while the title Count of Rietberg lives on to present day in the House of Liechtenstein, with
Hans-Adam II, Prince of LiechtensteinHans-Adam II , is the currently reigning 15th Prince of Liechtenstein. He is the son of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein and his wife Countess Georgina von Wilczek...
bearing the title currently.
The village itself was not independent anymore, in the year 1843 the municipality Rietberg was established. Since 1970 Rietberg has been organised politically as it is today.
Sights
The best known building in Rietberg is the Town Hall from around 1800 in the centre of the Town. There are several other interesting historical buildings in the town like the Altes Progymnasium, the chapel of
St JohnJohn of Nepomuk or John Nepomucene is a national saint of the Czech Republic, who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the...
or the old Court House. In the historical Town centre there are around 60 old renovated
half-timberedTimber framing , or half-timbering, is the method of creating framed structures of heavy timber jointed together with pegged mortise and tenon joints.- Naming :...
houses. That's why Rietberg is also known as the town of beautiful gables. It's still possible to see where the former Rampart surrounded the Town. Today there is no Rampart anymore, but a Promenade next to the river Ems and the Umflut on which it is possible to have a nice walk around the town centre. In the ward Varensell there is the
Varensell AbbeyVarensell Abbey is a house of Benedictine nuns, located near Rietberg in the district of Gütersloh in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....
from 1902.
Events
In Rietberg
carnivalCarnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February...
is the biggest event throughout the year. Every year around 50,000 people watch the Parade at Carnival Monday. After the Parade the people party in the streets and the bars for the whole night.
Other Events are the Maikirmes Fair or the Stoppelkirmes Fair. And there are some traditional
SchützenfestA Schützenfest is an annual traditional festival celebrated in Germany's western Länder , as well as in Bavaria, and also in other, mostly German-speaking, countries...
e, which are fair featuring shooting matches in Rietberg.
Since 2004, there has been a summer Guitar Festival every year, with
Tommy EmmanuelTommy Emmanuel is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar.-Biography:...
.
Education
Schools in Rietberg:
- 7 elementary schools
- 3 secondary schools of the type Hauptschule
A "Hauptschule" is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling. Any student who went to a German elementary school can go to a Hauptschule afterwards, whereas students who want to attend a Realschule or Gymnasium need to have good marks in order to do so...
- 1 secondary school of the type Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and Russian Empire .-Germany:In the German secondary school system, the Realschule is ranked between Hauptschule and Gymnasium...
- 1 secondary school of the type Gymnasium
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools...
- 8 libraries
- 1 school for mentally handicapped children
- adult evening classes Volkshochschule
Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that do not grant academic degrees. They are most commonly found in Nordic countries and in Germany and Austria...
with around 100 courses each semester
Economy
An important industry for Rietberg and the surrounding area is the furniture industry. In Rietberg itself there is a big
galvanizingGalvanization or galvanisation refers to any of several electrochemical processes named after the Italian scientist Luigi Galvani.-Electricity:...
plant and a
schnappsSchnapps is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage. The English word schnapps is derived from the German Schnaps , which can refer to any strong alcoholic drink but particularly those containing at least 32% ABV . American schnapps, however, are liqueurs.Both the German and the English word are...
destillery.
General facts, percentage of employees:
- Industry: 54.5 %
- Commerce: 18.8 %
- Service: 18.3 %
- Agriculture: 1.0 %
- Other: 7.4 %
Landesgartenschau
The
Landesgartenschau of the year 2008 took place in Rietberg. The
Landesgartenschau is a show of the federal state of
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
that shows gardens and parcs of an area. It takes part in different cities each three years. A lot of parc area has been created for the Landesgartenschau. Now there is an area with parcs, gardens and playgrounds in Rietberg that can only be entered after paying an entrance fee.
Built-up areas in the town of Rietberg
- Bokel
- Druffel
- Mastholte
- Neuenkirchen
- Rietberg
- Varensell
- Westerwiehe
External links
Website of the town Website of the "Landesgartenschau" Website of the Carnival Club