Year

Event

Discussion

500BC

People of Celtic Origin

The people of what is now Nordrhine - Westfalen were Celtic. They smelted ore and forged swords.

200BC

German Tribes

The Celtic people were displaced by German Tribes who carried on with the craft and skills of ironworking.  The Cimbri and Teuton tribes began a migration southward from their northern homeland, now Denmark and Sweden, probably because of the encroachment on their land by  the sea. They fought their way against the Romans into France and, in 102BC, a Roman army led by Marius defeated them an pushed them across the Rhine River. The Teutons consisted of the Alamanni, Cherusci, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes, Goths, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Visgoths, Angles and Franks amoung others.

49BC

Roman Occupation

The Rhineland is occupied by the troups of Julius Caesar. Intensive sellement and cultural change begins.

ABT 0

Vetra I

Vetra I, the first military fortress was established on the Fürstenberg as a base for the conquest of Germany east of the Rhine.

9

The Battle of 
Teutoburger Wald

The Germanic Cherusci tribe led by Arminius (Hermann) wiped out three Roman legions.

69

Vetera II

During the revolt of the Batavians Vetera I was destroyed. The new fortress, Vetera II was established at a new site. A legion was stationed there until at least 270.

98

Germania

Tacitus publishes Germania, the first historical work describing the Germanic Tribes.

ABT 100

COLONIA ULPIA 
TRAIANA

The Vetera II civilian settelment was elevated to a colony (Xanten) Also COLONIA CLAUDIA ARA AGRIPPINESIUM (Köln) was established.

ABT 200

Saxons Invade

Saxons pushed their way into the area between the Rhein and Wesser rivers. They came from the Cimbrian penninsula. Other tribes joined them either voluntarily or by compuslion. They formed a large confederation which became known as Saxons. They were divided into three main groups: Wespphalians (Westfalen), Angrians (Engern) and Eastphalians (Ostfalen). 

700

Westphalians Settle

The Westphalians who had settled in the area of the Ems and Hunte rivers, spread south almost as far as Cologne.

768

Charlemagne, King

Becomes king of the Franks.

772

Saxon Wars

The Franks considered the Saxon tribes to be devil worshipers and fierce. There were murders and thefts. Therefore, the Franks waged war against the Saxons. The Westphalians resisted the Frank advance and the region retained its identity in spite of the rise of the more powerful aggregated Saxon stem duchy.

800

Charlemagne

Crowned by Pope Leo III.

804

Saxon Wars End

The subjecton to Carolingian rule brought about the partition of the land into Counties (Grafschaften).

1077

Henry IV Submits 

In the struggle between emperor and church King Henry IV is obliged to go to Canossa and submit to Pope Gregory VII.

1079

Siegen First Mentioned

It was mentioned in a record along with some other surrounding communities.

ABT 1100

Westphalia

The distinction between Westphalians and Angrians fell into disuse and all Saxony west of the Wesser River became known as Westphalia.

1180

Dutchy of Westphalia

The archbishops of Cologne received Westphalia as a duchy, confined mainly to the area just north of Cologne. Numerous other political entities were formed around it: Bishoprics of Münster, Paderborn, Osnabrück, and Minden; countships of Waldeck, Schaumburg, Lippe, Ravensberg and Mark (with Limburg); the imperial city of Dortmund; and the Abby of Essen.

1190

Frederick I Dies

Emperor Frederick I Barbarosa dies in Asia Minor on the Third Crusade.

1224

Siegen the Town

Siegen officially embodied as a town.

1226

Teutonic Order

The Teutoic Order of Knights establishes itself in Prussia.

1273

Habsburg Rule

The election of Rudolph I, first Habsburg emperor.

1348

First German University

Founded by Charles IV in Prague.

1356

Golden Bull

Charles IV promulgates the Golden Bull, whereby seven electors will choose the emperor.

1456

Bible

The Gutenberg Bible is printed.

1512

Kreis Westfalen

the Lower Rhine-Westphalian circle (Kreis) was formed.

1517

Lutheranism Sprouts

Martin Luther posts his 95 theses on the door of castle church in Wittenburg.

1521

Luther Outlawed

His writings are banned by the Edict of Worms. He takes refuge in the Wartburg Castle, where he translates the New Testament .

1555

Peace of Augsburg

Sanctions the co-existance of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism in the German Empire. The following year Charles V abdicates.

ABT1600

Hohenzollern Influence

In the early part of the 17th century Hohenzollern rulers of Brandenburg - Prussia begin gaining territories in Westphalia.

1613

Houses of Stuart and Lorraine United

Fredrick of the Palatinate married Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I of England.

1618

Thirty Years War Begins

Fredrick of the Palatinate accepts the crown of Bohemia, offered to him by that countries rebellious nobles. He seems to have had "Rosecrucian" influence incurring the wrath of the Holy Roman Empire. Ferdinand II (1619 - 1637) strengthened by the Catholic Reformation fought against Protestant forces in the Empire.

1648

Thirty Years War Ends

Over 300,000 had been killed in battle. Millions died of malnutrition and disease. Wandering troups robbed, burned and looted.

1677

William Penn Visits

He visited the Palatinate and encouraged the people to go to Pennsylvania where there was religous freedom.

1701

Kingdom of Prussia

The Electoral prince of Brandenburg proclaims his realm the Kingdom of Prussia.

1756

Seven Years War Begins

Prussia is under Fredrick the Great.

1763

Seven Years War Ends

Prussia emerges as a major European power.

1700's

German Settlements in Virginia

In the late 1700's Germans had settled on the land which is Lovettsville, VA and built a German Reformed Church.

1775

American Revolution 
Begins

German settlers arrived from Pennsylvania between 1745 and 1760. A group of Loudoun residents met in Leesburg in 1774 which adoped the "Loudoun Resolves" and protested the Stamp Act. A number of Loudoun residents fought in the war.

1783

American Revolution 
Ends

1803

Acquisitions of Westphalia

Hohenzollerns acquire Paderborn and most of Münster; Hesse - Darmstadt acquires Cologne's part of Westphalia; Hanover acquires Onsabrück; Oldenburg acquires the remainder of Münster.

1806

War of 1812 Begins

Napolean excludes British goods from "fortress Europe". American ships are caught in the middle as the British respond with a blockade. The British seize 1000 US ships and the French about 500. 

Napleon assigns most of traditional Westphalia to the Grand Duchy of Berg. 

1815

War of 1812 Ends

The Congress of Vienna restored most of old Westphalia to Prussia which then established a province of Westphalia with its capital at Münster. Lippe and Waldeck remained under soverign princes. The west-bank (Rhine) posessions were joined with Prussia's east-bank possesions to form Rheinprovinz (Rhine Province) in 1824 

 The Battle of New Orleans: Jackson's forces defeat the British. 700 British were killed, 1400 wounded. US losses were 8 killed, 13 wounded.

1820

Streets of Lovettvile

The street plans were laid out by Daniel Lovett after whom it was named. It was also called Thrushers Store and New Town.

1824

Rheinprovinz

A new Palatinate was constituted for Bavaria. Northwest of this were some exclaves of other German states and northwest of these, the whole left (west) bank as far as Kleve, together with Jülich and Aachen in the west and Trier and Saarlouis in the south, became Prussian and were united with Prussia's other possessions on the right bank to form Rheinprovinz.

1861

American Civil War 
Begins

1865

American Civil War 
Ends

1866

Seven Weeks War

With Austria, removed from leadership in the Germanic states. The North German Confederation was established; all German lands north of the Main River. It is at this point that we have German lands rather than Germanic provinces, states, duchies, etc.

1871

German Empire

Prussian Prime Minister Otto von Bismark orchestrated the unification of the Northern German Confederation with the southern Germanic states to develop the German Empire. What was Prussia accounted for two thirds of the Empire's size and population. German identity to a large part became Prussian identity.

1914

World War I Begins

1918

World War I Ends

The German Empire was forced to give up the Danzig Corridor (western part of Prussia) to Poland.

1939

World War II Begins

Berlin becomes Hitler's Nazi headquarters which was consiquently blitzed by the Allies.

1945

World War II Ends

1946

Nordrhein- Westfalen is Created

The British government combines the former Prussian Provences of Westfalen and Rheinprovinz into a new protectorite on August 23. The principality of Lippe-Detmold was added six months later.

1947

The End of Prussia

The Allied Control Council officially proclaimed the dissolution of Prussia.

1949

Northrhein-Westfalen becomes a State

Nordrhein-Westfalen is now a member state of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany).

1991

Germany united

Nordrhein-Westfalen now a State (Land) of Germany.