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74-676: The Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg was founded on 1 January 1995 by the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia . Its formal establishment was part of an agreement that compensated Bonn for its loss of status as capital of the Federal Republic of Germany . Until the end of 2004, the University of Applied Sciences was funded by the Federal Government of Germany. From 2005 it became an establishment of

148-499: A comprehensive academic experience. The Language Centre works in close cooperation with all the departments, offering tailor-made courses to suit their individual requirements. At present the Language Centre offers general and subject-specific courses in 14 languages, which are, for the most part, held by native speakers. The range of courses is extended according to the students' individual requirements and needs. Furthermore,

222-472: A fictitious production rate of 1,000 vehicles per year. The two-day Free and Open Source Software Conference (FrOSCon) on issues relating to software and open source is held once a year by the association of the same name in collaboration with the local Linux/Unix User Group and the Department of Computer Science. Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg is mentioned in the computer game “Deus Ex: Human Revolution”. In

296-562: A framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic. The two main parties are, as on the federal level, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union and the centre-left Social Democratic Party . From 1966 to 2005, North Rhine-Westphalia was continuously governed by the Social Democrats or SPD-led governments. The state's legislative body is the Landtag ("state parliament house"). It may pass laws within

370-544: A general election to elect at least 181 members of the Landtag. Only parties who win at least 5% of the votes cast may be represented in parliament. The Landtag, the parliamentary parties and groups consisting of at least 7 members of parliament have the right to table legal proposals to the Landtag for deliberation. The law that is passed by the Landtag is delivered to the Minister-President, who, together with

444-565: A hall of residence. 50°46′50″N 7°10′55″E  /  50.78056°N 7.18194°E  / 50.78056; 7.18194 North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia , commonly shortened to NRW , is a state ( Land ) in Western Germany . With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in Germany. Apart from the city-states ( Berlin , Hamburg and Bremen ), it

518-652: A self-access centre are integrated into the Library. The Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences has agreed to accept the "National Code of Conduct on Foreign Students at German Universities", passed by the German Rectors’ Conference in 2009. The Code of Conduct is aimed at strengthening internationalisation at German universities by securing and continuously enhancing the quality of support provided to international students. The guiding principle is, wherever possible, to grant international students

592-655: A versatile programme of activities from the cultural point of view, too. In collaboration with the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit Bonn/Rhein-Sieg), the International Centre also runs a project aimed at supporting international students who wish to work in Germany when graduating from university. The Study Buddy programme was initiated by the Department of Natural Sciences. Study Buddies are students in higher semesters who volunteer to look after students during

666-443: Is also the most densely populated state in Germany. Covering an area of 34,084 km (13,160 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest German state by size. North Rhine-Westphalia features 30 of the 81 German municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants, including Cologne (over 1 million), the state capital Düsseldorf (630,000), Dortmund and Essen (about 590,000 inhabitants each) and other cities predominantly located in

740-643: Is hosted in Cologne . It is the largest video game convention in Europe. North Rhine-Westphalia has always been Germany's powerhouse with the largest economy among the German states by GDP figures . In the 1950s and 1960s, Westphalia was known as Land von Kohle und Stahl ( Land of Coal and Steel ). In the post-World War II recovery, the Ruhr was one of the most important industrial regions in Europe, and contributed to

814-615: Is not a uniform area; there are significant differences, especially in traditional customs, between the Rhineland region on the one hand and the regions of Westphalia and Lippe on the other. Its economy is the largest among German states by GRDP but is below the national average in GRDP per capita . The state of North Rhine-Westphalia was established by the British military administration 's "Operation Marriage" on 23 August 1946 by merging

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888-680: Is situated near Selfkant close to the Dutch border, the easternmost near Höxter on the Weser . The southernmost point lies near Hellenthal in the Eifel region. The northernmost point is the NRW-Nordpunkt near Rahden in the northeast of the state. The Nordpunkt has located the only 100 km to the south of the North Sea coast. The deepest natural dip is arranged in the district Zyfflich in

962-691: Is strong in the eastern and northern parts with numerous free churches. Münster and especially Paderborn are thought of as Catholic. Osnabrück is divided almost equally between Catholicism and Protestantism. After the defeat of the Prussian Army at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt , the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 made the Westphalian territories part of the Kingdom of Westphalia from 1807 to 1813. It

1036-781: The Duchy of Cleves and about a century later Upper Guelders and Moers also became Prussian. At the peace of Basel in 1795, the whole of the left bank of the Rhine was resigned to France, and in 1806, the Rhenish princes all joined the Confederation of the Rhine . After the Congress of Vienna, Prussia was awarded the entire Rhineland , which included the Grand Duchy of Berg , the ecclesiastic electorates of Trier and Cologne ,

1110-754: The Ems , the Lippe , and the Weser . The Rhine is by far the most important river in North Rhine-Westphalia: it enters the state as Middle Rhine near Bad Honnef, where still being part of the Mittelrhein wine region . It changes into the Lower Rhine near Bad Godesberg and leaves North Rhine-Westphalia near Emmerich at a width of 730 metres. Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands,

1184-570: The Germanic tribes who fought at this battle came from the area of Westphalia. Charlemagne is thought to have spent considerable time in Paderborn and nearby parts. His Saxon Wars also partly took place in what is thought of as Westphalia today. Popular legends link his adversary Widukind to places near Detmold , Bielefeld , Lemgo , Osnabrück, and other places in Westphalia. Widukind

1258-782: The Moselle and Lower Lorraine on the Meuse. The Ottonian dynasty had both Saxon and Frankish ancestry. As the central power of the Holy Roman Emperor weakened, the Rhineland split into numerous small, independent, separate vicissitudes and special chronicles. The old Lotharingian divisions became obsolete, although the name survives for example in Lorraine in France, and throughout the Middle Ages and even into modern times,

1332-627: The Prussian provinces of Westphalia and the northern part of Rhine Province ( North Rhine ), and the Free State of Lippe by the British military administration in Allied-occupied Germany and became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. The city of Bonn served as the federal capital until the reunification of Germany in 1990 and as the seat of government until 1999. Culturally, North Rhine-Westphalia

1406-875: The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area , the largest urban area in Germany and the fourth-largest on the European continent . The location of the Rhine-Ruhr at the heart of the European Blue Banana makes it well connected to other major European cities and metropolitan areas like the Randstad , the Flemish Diamond and the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Region . North Rhine-Westphalia was established in 1946 after World War II from

1480-1024: The Stemmer Berge . The terrain rises towards the south and in the east of the state into parts of Germany's Central Uplands . These hill ranges are the Weser Uplands – including the Egge Hills , the Wiehen Hills , the Wesergebirge and the Teutoburg Forest in the east, the Sauerland , the Bergisches Land , the Siegerland and the Siebengebirge in the south, as well as the left-Rhenish Eifel in

1554-547: The province of Westphalia and the northern parts of the Rhine Province , both being political divisions of the former state of Prussia within the German Reich . On 21 January 1947, the former state of Lippe was merged with North Rhine-Westphalia. The constitution of North Rhine-Westphalia was then ratified through a referendum . The first written account of the area was by its conqueror, Julius Caesar ,

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1628-667: The 17th and 18th centuries, but most of it remained divided duchies and other feudal areas of power. The Peace of Westphalia of 1648, signed in Münster and Osnabrück, ended the Thirty Years' War . The concept of nation-state sovereignty resulting from the treaty became known as " Westphalian sovereignty ". As a result of the Protestant Reformation , there is no dominant religion in Westphalia. Catholicism and Lutheranism are on relatively equal footing. Lutheranism

1702-610: The AStA, dealing with cultural issues, initiates intercultural exchange projects. In addition, the student councils offer help and advice to international students. The International Welcome Centre is a meeting and service point aimed at providing support to all international students and guest academics before and during their study period at the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. Here students can obtain all information relevant to

1776-544: The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences can rely upon compliance with the standards. This voluntary commitment demonstrates H-BRS' undertaking to provide appropriate support, which is an essential condition for the sustainable success of international students and researchers. Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg currently maintains partnerships with approximately 60 universities all over the world. The Bonn Student Union (Studierendenwerk Bonn) looks after

1850-669: The Department of Natural Sciences can be found at Rheinbach and the Department of Management Sciences is located at both campuses. The Hennef site houses the Department of Social Security Studies. Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University's administrative buildings are located at the Sankt Augustin site. In Bonn the University of Applied Sciences runs the Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (B-IT) in collaboration with Aachen Technical University ( Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule ) and

1924-661: The General Students’ Committee (AStA) and the Student Parliament (StuPA). The festival is aimed at providing students with information on a study period abroad, at promoting communication between German and international students and at celebrating the international atmosphere at the Rheinbach Campus. Apart from providing students with comprehensive information on partner universities and exchange programmes, degrees, costs and funding possibilities,

1998-502: The German Wirtschaftswunder . As of the late 1960s, repeated crises led to contractions of these industrial branches. On the other hand, producing sectors, particularly in mechanical engineering and metal and iron working industry, experienced substantial growth. Despite this structural change and an economic growth which was under national average, the 2018 GDP of 705 billion euro (1/4 of the total German GDP) made NRW

2072-842: The German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia ; since 1 January 2007 it has been an autonomous body of public law as defined by the German Higher Education Autonomy Act (Hochschulfreiheitsgesetz, HfG).The University of Applied Sciences was renamed “Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg” on 1 January 2009, with the abbreviation being “H-BRS”. In October 2011, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg joined the European University Association (EUA) . The University comprises three locations, including five departments. The Departments of Computer Science as well as Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Journalism (EMT)are located at Sankt Augustin ,

2146-758: The Language Centre provides international students with the opportunity to sit internationally recognised language tests in English and German as a foreign language, such as the German Language Proficiency Test for the Admission of International Students to German Universities ( DSH ), which is mandatory for study at H-BRS. In addition to offering foreign-language courses and testing, the Language Centre conducts seminars in Intercultural Communication. The buildings of

2220-486: The Rhein-Sieg District and Kreissparkasse Köln (Cologne savings bank) have jointly founded BusinessCampus Rhein-Sieg GmbH, i.e. the operating company of the business incubators at Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach.Here young entrepreneurs can rent offices at favourable prices, using the infrastructure and services provided. At each of the two locations in Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach, there is also a dining hall and

2294-514: The Rhein-Sieg District. The focus of the award shifts from year to year. In addition, the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg grants an internal award for excellent performance in tuition every two years. The purpose of the award is to draw people's attention to high-quality teaching performance and to foster this; to give incentives to all teaching staff; to provide background information on tuition at universities, to raise awareness of

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2368-571: The Rhine splits into many branches. The Pader , which flows entirely within the city of Paderborn , is considered Germany's shortest river. For many, North Rhine-Westphalia is synonymous with industrial areas and urban agglomerations. However, the largest part of the state is used for agriculture (almost 52%) and forests (25%). The state consists of five government regions ( Regierungsbezirke ), divided into 31 districts ( Kreise ) and 23 urban districts ( kreisfreie Städte ). In total, North Rhine-Westphalia has 396 municipalities (1997), including

2442-502: The Rhine, and by the end of the fifth century had conquered all the lands that had formerly been under Roman influence. By the eighth century, the Frankish dominion was firmly established in western Germany and northern Gaul, but at the same time, to the north, Westphalia was being taken over by Saxons pushing south. The Merovingian and Carolingian Franks eventually built an empire which controlled first their Ripuarian kin, and then

2516-731: The Rhine, but the Romans never succeeded in gaining a firm footing on the right bank, where the Sugambri neighboured several other tribes including the Tencteri and Usipetes . North of the Sigambri and the Rhine region were the Bructeri . As the power of the Roman empire declined, many of these tribes came to be seen collectively as Ripuarian Franks and they pushed forward along both banks of

2590-409: The Saxons. On the division of the Carolingian Empire at the Treaty of Verdun , the part of the province to the east of the river fell to East Francia , while that to the west remained with the kingdom of Lotharingia . By the time of Otto I (d. 973), both banks of the Rhine had become part of the Holy Roman Empire , and the Rhenish territory was divided between the duchies of Upper Lorraine on

2664-603: The Student Council organises a musical programme and a wide variety of games. HELP is a contact point aimed at giving support and advice to students and employees who have questions on how to balance their study/job and family commitments. HELP is responsible for collecting and communicating relevant information on childcare facilities and holiday childcare schemes to parents or members of BRSU with relatives in need of care. H-BRS also provides specially equipped study rooms to parents with young children. During their holidays, primary and secondary school children can be looked after within

2738-514: The University and District Library, which also serves as district library for the Rhein-Sieg District, are located at Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach. The Library provides its customers with a versatile collection of books, periodicals, digital media and databases, which can in part be accessed from home. In addition, it offers regular art exhibitions, book readings and manifold information services as well as e-learning facilities. The Language Centre's Computer-Assisted Language Learning Laboratory (CALL) and

2812-408: The University of Bonn ( Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität ). H-BRS offers a diverse range of degree programs recognized across the European Union through the ECTS. With 36 programs spanning five departments, including, The university provides educational options at both Bachelor's and Master's levels. Additionally, H-BRS offers further education and certificate study programs, contributing to

2886-428: The beginning of each semester. It includes numerous activities in which students can take part using the facilities of the University of Bonn. The doppelpunkt university newspaper is published twice a year. It covers a wide range of topics relating to H-BRS itself, tuition and research, university policy, international issues, the jobs market and miscellaneous items. Students are invited to make their own contributions to

2960-475: The certification was extended for an additional three years. On the occasion of the 2008 ERASMUS Conference of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences was awarded the 2007 European E-Quality Seal. H-BRS was the only university in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia to win this award in 2008. Along with the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, seven other universities throughout Germany were among

3034-403: The city of Kranenburg with 9.2 m above sea level in the northwest of the state. Though, the deepest point overground results from mining. The open-pit Hambach reaches at Niederzier a deep of 293 m below sea level. At the same time, this is the deepest human-made dip in Germany. The most important rivers flowing at least partially through North Rhine-Westphalia include: the Rhine , the Ruhr ,

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3108-434: The competency of the state, e.g. cultural matters, the education system, matters of internal security, i.e. the police, building supervision, health supervision and the media; as opposed to matters that are reserved to Federal law. North Rhine-Westphalia uses the same electoral system as the Federal level in Germany: " Personalized proportional representation ". Every five years the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia vote in

3182-442: The east bank of the Middle Rhine , southeast of Bonn . The area, located in the municipalities of Bad Honnef and Königswinter , consists of more than 40 hills. The hills are of ancient volcanic origin and came into being between 28 and 15 million years ago. Much of the territory covered by Sieben Hills belongs to the Sieben Hills Nature Park ( Naturpark Siebengebirge ), which is under environmental protection. The highest peak

3256-404: The economically strongest state of Germany by GRP figures , as well as one of the most important economical areas in the world. Of Germany's top 100 corporations, 37 are based in North Rhine-Westphalia. On a per capita base, however, North Rhine-Westphalia remains one of the weaker among the Western German states. North Rhine-Westphalia attracts companies from both Germany and abroad. In 2009,

3330-447: The first weeks of their stay in Germany. This may involve contacting them via email, picking them up at the airport or the railway station, explaining the pitfalls of the German registration procedures, showing them around the University or simply sharing a coffee and chatting about the new experiences gained. Once a year, the Department of Natural Sciences organises an intercultural festival called “Out of Campus Day” in collaboration with

3404-403: The following executive bodies and committees: the Student Parliament (StuPa), the General Students’ Committee (AStA), the student councils within each department as well as BRSU's central executive bodies, where the student representatives hold several seats. Every student at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University can be elected into one of these institutions for a one-year term of office. One of the boards of

3478-530: The formalities required, to accommodation as well as life in Germany and on the campus. The International Office organises regular excursions, boat trips and cultural events for international students. Through its proximity to the Rhine, the Siebengebirge mountains, the Eifel , the High Fens region and the Nürburgring , the Rhein-Sieg District provides excellent leisure opportunities. The nearby cities of Bonn , Aachen and Cologne , with their theatres, concert halls, museums, art galleries and cathedrals, offer

3552-407: The former kingdom, including the town of Osnabrück , had become part of the states of Hanover and Oldenburg . The flag of North Rhine-Westphalia is green-white-red with the combined coats of arms of the Rhineland (white line before green background, symbolizing the river Rhine), Westfalen (the white horse) and Lippe (the red rose). After the establishment of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1946,

3626-415: The framework of a project called "Try it". Members and alumni of H-BRS have participated in the Bonn marathon organised by Deutsche Post on several occasions. This has now led to the formation of a sports team called “Bonn-Rhein-Sieg Runners”. Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg also has an online portal for students interested in sports. Additionally, the University of Bonn offers a sports programme that comes out at

3700-659: The free cities of Aachen and Cologne, and nearly a hundred small lordships and abbeys. The Prussian Rhine province was formed in 1822 and Prussia had the tact to leave the lower Rhenish districts in undisturbed possession of the liberal institutions to which they had become accustomed under the republican rule of the French. In 1920, the districts of Eupen and Malmedy were transferred to Belgium (see German-speaking Community of Belgium ). Around AD 1, numerous incursions occurred through Westphalia and perhaps even some permanent Roman or Romanized settlements. The Battle of Teutoburg Forest took place near Osnabrück and some of

3774-444: The importance of tuition at H-BRS and to confer more responsibility on students. The b-IT-bots team, which includes members of the University of Applied Sciences, regularly takes part in various RoboCup contests. Among others, it won the titles of German Champion (in 2009 and 2010) and World Champion (2009) in the RoboCup@Home contest. The team consists of professors from the Department of Computer Science, academic staff and students of

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3848-463: The interests of all students in the surrounding region, including those enrolled at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. It is responsible for H-BRS' food service, provides accommodation and helps with student finance as well as childcare. It is the students’ contact point for all matters relating to student welfare. The interests of the Student Body, which comprises all the students enrolled at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University, are represented by

3922-501: The interior ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia reported that the number of mosques with a Salafist influence had risen from 3 to 9, which indicated both an actual increase and improved reporting. According to German authorities, Salafism is incompatible with the principles codified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany , in particular: democracy , the rule of law , and political order based on human rights . The politics of North Rhine-Westphalia takes place within

3996-410: The largest city of Dortmund and the Rhenish cities of Bonn , Cologne and Düsseldorf . 30 of the 80 largest cities in Germany are located within North Rhine-Westphalia. The state's capital is Düsseldorf; the state's largest city is Cologne. In 2022, there were 164,496 births and 234,176 deaths. The following table shows the ten largest cities of North Rhine-Westphalia: The following table shows

4070-420: The last stage of the game the player can find an e-book containing information on a speech delivered by Hugh Darrows at the University of Applied Sciences in 2016. (The game refers to the year 2027). Hugh Darrows is the inventor of augmentation technology, which is subject to controversy according to the game. To support students and graduates wishing to set up their own businesses, the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg,

4144-401: The master's degree programme in Autonomous Systems. The student team BRS Motorsport regularly participates in “Formula Student”, a globally renowned construction and design contest for students. Teams from approximately 270 universities and universities of applied sciences all over the world develop one prototype each for a single-seated formula one racing car, as well as drawing up concepts for

4218-658: The ministers involved, is required to sign it and announce it in the Law and Ordinance Gazette. These are the minister-presidents of North Rhine-Westphalia : For the current state government, see Wüst cabinet . The state has Aachen Cathedral , the Cologne Cathedral , the Zeche Zollverein in Essen , the Augustusburg Palace in Brühl and the Imperial Abbey of Corvey in Höxter which are all World Heritage Sites . North Rhine-Westphalia hosts film festivals in Cologne , Bonn, Dortmund , Duisburg , Münster , Oberhausen and Lünen . Other large festivals include Rhenish carnivals , Ruhrtriennale . Every year Gamescom

4292-620: The newspaper. The Doppelpunkt also offers various online services, such as a virtual job fair and an online residential market. The Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg has been given excellent ratings and been presented with a number of achievement awards in many areas over the past few years. In March 2007 the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences was awarded the basic certification as a “Family-Friendly University” for providing family-friendly facilities to students and employees alike - including childcare facilities, study rooms for parents with children, alternating telework and much else. In June 2010

4366-425: The nobility of these areas often sought to preserve the idea of a preeminent duke within Lotharingia, something claimed by the Dukes of Limburg , and the Dukes of Brabant . Such struggles as the War of the Limburg Succession therefore continued to create military and political links between what is now Rhineland-Westphalia and neighbouring Belgium and the Netherlands . In spite of its dismembered condition and

4440-401: The north and northeast, Rhineland-Palatinate to the south and Hesse to the southeast. Approximately half of the state is located in the relative low-lying terrain of the Westphalian Lowland and the Rhineland , both extending broadly into the North German Plain . A few isolated hill ranges are located within these lowlands, among them the Hohe Mark, the Beckum Hills , the Baumberge and

4514-420: The plains of the Lower Rhine region and parts of the Central Uplands ( die Mittelgebirge ) up to the gorge of Porta Westfalica . The state covers an area of 34,083 km (13,160 sq mi) and shares borders with Belgium ( Wallonia ) in the southwest and the Netherlands ( Limburg , Gelderland and Overijssel ) in the west and northwest. It has borders with the German states of Lower Saxony to

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4588-555: The population of the state since 1930. The values until 1960 are the average of the yearly population, from 1965 the population at year end is used. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes Und der Länder As of 2020 , 50% of the population of the state adhered to the Roman Catholic Church , 25% to the Protestant Church in Germany , and 28% of the population is irreligious or adheres to other denominations or religions. North Rhine-Westphalia ranks first in population among German states for both Roman Catholics and Protestants. In 2016,

4662-437: The prize winners. The DAAD awards the E-Quality Seal for special merits and achievements relating to the exchange of German and international students and lecturers under the ERASMUS Scheme. Since 2010, H-BRS has presented an internal innovation award aimed at honouring innovative ideas coming from within the University; at raising awareness of dedication to tuition, research and transfer and at giving new impetus to innovation in

4736-403: The same rights as German or EU students enjoy and, over and above that, to offer them the services and assistance that they particularly need. The Code of Conduct is a voluntary commitment by the participating universities and contains fundamental standards relevant to the areas of information, marketing and admission as well as academic, language and social support. International students coming to

4810-454: The southwest of the state. The Rothaargebirge in the border region with Hesse rises to height of about 800 m above sea level. The highest of these mountains are the Langenberg , at 843.2 m above sea level, the Kahler Asten (840.7 m) and the Clemensberg (839.2 m). The planimetrically determined centre of North Rhine-Westphalia is located in the south of Dortmund- Aplerbeck in the Aplerbecker Mark (51° 28' N, 7° 33' Ö). Its westernmost point

4884-428: The state had the most foreign direct investments ( FDI ) anywhere in Germany. Around 13,100 foreign companies from the most important investment countries control their German or European operations from bases in North Rhine-Westphalia. Siebengebirge The Siebengebirge ( German pronunciation ), occasionally Sieben Mountains or Seven Mountains , are a hill range of the German Central Uplands on

4958-410: The state's borders is 1,645 km. The following countries and states have a border with North Rhine-Westphalia: North Rhine-Westphalia has a population of approximately 18.1 million inhabitants (more than the entire former East Germany , and slightly more than the Netherlands ) and is centred around the polycentric Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region , which includes the industrial Ruhr region with

5032-411: The sufferings it underwent at the hands of its French neighbours in various periods of warfare, the Rhenish territory prospered greatly and stood in the foremost rank of German culture and progress. Aachen was the place of coronation of the German emperors, and the ecclesiastical principalities of the Rhine bulked largely in German history. Prussia first set foot on the Rhine in 1609 by the occupation of

5106-430: The territories west of the Rhine were occupied by the Eburones and east of the Rhine he reported the Ubii (across from Cologne) and the Sugambri to their north. The Ubii and some other Germanic tribes such as the Cugerni were later settled on the west side of the Rhine in the Roman province of Germania Inferior . Julius Caesar conquered the tribes on the left bank, and Augustus established numerous fortified posts on

5180-440: The tricolor was first introduced in 1948, but was not formally adopted until 1953. The plain variant of the tricolor is considered the civil flag and state ensign, while government authorities use the state flag ( Landesdienstflagge ) which is defaced with the state's coat of arms . The state ensign can easily be mistaken for a distressed flag of Hungary , as well as the former national flag of Iran (1964–1980). The same flag

5254-456: The urban districts, which are municipalities by themselves. The government regions have an assembly elected by the districts and municipalities, while the Landschaftsverband has a directly elected assembly. The five government regions of North Rhine-Westphalia each belong to one of the two Landschaftsverbände : The state's area covers a maximum distance of 291 km from north to south, and 266 km from east to west. The total length of

5328-521: Was buried in Enger , which is also a subject of a legend. Along with Eastphalia and Engern , Westphalia ( Westfalahi ) was originally a district of the Duchy of Saxony . In 1180, Westphalia was elevated to the rank of a duchy by Emperor Barbarossa . The Duchy of Westphalia comprised only a small area south of the Lippe River . Parts of Westphalia came under Brandenburg-Prussian control during

5402-499: Was founded by Napoleon and was a French vassal state . This state only shared the name with the historical region; it contained only a relatively small part of Westphalia, consisting instead mostly of Hessian and Eastphalian regions. After the Congress of Vienna , the Kingdom of Prussia received a large amount of territory in the Westphalian region and created the province of Westphalia in 1815. The northernmost portions of

5476-700: Was used by the Rhenish Republic (1923–1924) as a symbol of independence and freedom. The horse on the coat of arms is a reference to the Saxon Steed , a heraldic motif associated with both Westphalia and Lower Saxony . The horse first featured in the 15th century coat of arms of the Duchy of Westphalia, before being inherited by the Prussian province of Westphalia and finally the modern state of North Rhine-Westphalia. North Rhine-Westphalia encompasses

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