Lippe [on sheet with] Dortmund. (Lippstadt and Dortmund)

Two bird's-eye views on one sheet: Dortmund and Lippstadt, by Braun and Hogenberg.

LIPPSTADT with TRANSLATION OF CARTOUCHE TEXT: Although the town of Lippe is subject to the Counts of Lippe, nevertheless half of it was once ceded to the Counts of Mark, so that now they have equal rights of ownership with the Counts of Lippe; the town makes its living from agriculture and draws lucrative benefits from the River Lippe.

The engraving shows Lippstadt from the north, which lies on the River Lippe. The bustling trade routes are a prominent feature. The town was built in the second half of the 12th century at the same time as the Romanesque church of St Nicholas, and was fortified from the start. On the right is the Augustinian convent of St Mary, identifiable by the thin spire of its collegiate church. Around 1198 St Mary's quarter was added in the north, and included the parish church of St Mary, the city's landmark today. Lippstadt was granted a municipal charter in 1220 and was one of the founding members of the Hanseatic League. Braun gives no description in his atlas of this city in North Rhine-Westphalia, which has been known as Lippstadt since the 17th century.

DORTMUND with COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "This country of the Holy Roman Empire, with th city of Dortmund in the middle of it, is one of those territories that are under the direct authority of the Roman Emperor as their liege lord. In the old days the Swabian peoples called it Trutmannen/Tromannia, later Tremonia, and in the common vernacular it is called Dortmund."

In this view of Dortmund from the north the churches are larger than life-size, and among them the church of St Reinold stands out in particular. The city is first mentioned in the 9th century AD. Like Soest it lay on the Hellweg, a major road running from west to east. Dortmund was granted a municipal charter in 1202, and played a model role as the principal Westphalian Hanseatic city. Besides being a centre of long-distance trade, the city developed a cloth industry and coal was mined from the beginning of the 14th century. (Taschen)

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Reference: Van der Krogt 4, 2396-2397, state 1; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.294.