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Rietberg (North Rhine-Westphalia)




Germany is located in Central Europe and it shares borders with Denmark in the North, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France in the West, Austria and Switzerland in the South and Poland and the Czech Republic in the East. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea represent additional National Borders in the North. The official language of Germany is German and Berlin is the capital.
 
Rietberg is a town and a municipality in the district of Gutersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 10 kilometers south of Gutersloh and 25 kilometers north-west of Paderborn in the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The town is located at the River Ems. 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. The castle dates back to the 11th century. From 1237 it was home to the family of the 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 ages 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. Johns Chapel from 1748 can still be visited today. In the year 1807 Rietberg became a part of Prussia. So it was not independent anymore. In the year 1843 the municipality Rietberg was established. Since 1970 Rietberg has been organised politically as it is today. In Rietberg carnival is the biggest event throughout the year. And there are some traditional Schutzenfeste which are fair featuring shooting matches in Rietberg.

Tourism in Germany has expanded since the end of World War II, and many tourists visit Germany to experience a sense of European history. The countryside exhibits a pastoral aura, while its cities exhibit both a modern and classical feel.

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