Tecklenburg

Tecklenburg grew below a castle overlooking a pass through the Teutoburg Forest in northern Westphalia. The castle was the seat of a county whose rulers maintained their position through inheritance, purchase and alliances among neighbouring territories. In 1365 the lordship of Rheda passed to the counts by inheritance, with the acquisition later secured by purchase. The Reformation changed religious life in the county, while territorial disputes and debt continued to affect its rulers. In 1707 the heavily indebted county was acquired by Prussia. The castle gradually lost its former importance; from 1744 the Prussian authorities sold unwanted buildings for demolition. Tecklenburg's compact streets and surviving buildings reflect its long history as the centre of a small territorial lordship.