Nordrhein-Westfalen Overview

In 1946, the victorious Allies attempted to expedite Germany’s recovery by merging the traditionally distinct regions of Westphalia, Lippe, and the Rheinland in order to expand and strengten the industrial nucleus of post-war Germany. The resulting Land, Nordrhein-Westfalen, defies all German stereotypes. A dense concentration of highways and rail lines forms the infrastructure of the most heavily populated and economically powerful region in Germany. An industrial boom that happened here during the late 19th century sparked social democracy, trade unionism, and revolutionary communism. The enormous wealth of the regiou continues to support a multitude of cultural offerings for the citizens and visitors. While industrial squalor may have inspired the philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the natural beauty of the Teutoburg mountains and Rhein River, coupled with the intellectual energy of Cologne and Düsseldorf, have influenced writers from Goethe to Heine.

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