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{{Infobox German location
|imagesize         = <!-- Photo size. Default is 250px -->
|image_caption     = Rietberg town centre, 2005
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 7 54 032
|image_photo       = Rietberg_town_centre.jpg
|image_flag        = Flagge der Stadt Rietberg.svg
|type              = Stadt
|image_coa         = Wappen der Stadt Rietberg.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|51|48|N|8|26|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan        = Rietberg in GT.svg
|state             = North Rhine-Westphalia
|region            = Detmold
|district          = Gütersloh
|elevation         = 74-93
|area              = 110.37
|postal_code       = 33397
|area_code         = 05244 / 02944 / 05242 / 05248
|licence           = GT
|divisions         = 7
|website           = [https://www.rietberg.de/ www.rietberg.de]
|mayor             = Andreas Sunder<ref>[https://wahlen.regioit.de/2/BM_Rietberg/05754032/html5/Buergermeisterwahl_NRW_178_Gemeinde_Stadt_Rietberg.html Wahl des Bürgermeisters Stadt Rietberg 16.09.2018], accessed 21 June 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2018&ndash;23
|party             = FWG
}}
'''Rietberg''' ({{IPA|de|ˈʁiːtˌbɛʁk|lang|De-Rietberg.ogg}}) is a town in the [[Gütersloh (district)|district of Gütersloh]] in the state of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], [[Germany]]. It is located approximately 10&nbsp;km south of [[Gütersloh]] and 25&nbsp;km north-west of [[Paderborn]] in the region [[Ostwestfalen-Lippe]]. The town is located at the river [[Ems (river)|Ems]]. There are 28,878 people living in Rietberg.<ref>{{in lang|de}} [http://www.it.nrw.de/statistik/a/daten/amtlichebevoelkerungszahlen/rp7_dez08.html Bevölkerung im Regierungsbezirk Detmold] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912124904/http://www.it.nrw.de/statistik/a/daten/amtlichebevoelkerungszahlen/rp7_dez08.html |date=2009-09-12 }}, ''Information und Technik Nordrhein-Westfalen''</ref>
==History==
Rietberg was first mentioned as 'Rietbike' around the year 1100. This name refers to Ried which is an old name for reed and to 'Bach' which means creek. There was a castle that dated back to the 11th century. From 1237, it was seat of the imperial [[County of Rietberg]].
The County of Rietberg was an independent German territory until the year 1807. In the [[Middle Ages]] the Rietberg county was a very small state. Nevertheless, Rietberg had its own militia, its own currency and its own laws. Even foreign policy, on a small scale, was conducted independently. Until the 17th century Rietberg coined its own money. Until the 18th century the government was located in the castle, built in the 14th century.
[[Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg]], the Austrian chancellor, inherited the county from his mother. At the beginning of the 19th century the castle was torn down because it was not needed anymore. Only the [[John of Nepomuk|St. John]]'s chapel from 1748 can still be visited today.
In the year 1807 Rietberg became a part of [[Kingdom of Westphalia]], while the title [[Count of Rietberg|Count Rietberg]] remains extant in the [[House of Liechtenstein]], with [[Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein]] and each born member of his dynasty and their [[dynasty#dynasts|dynastic]] wives bearing the title currently.
The village itself was not independent anymore, in the year 1843 the municipality Rietberg was established. Since 1970 Rietberg has been organised politically as it is today.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071112011330/https://www.stadt-rietberg.de/index.php?a=23 stadt-rietberg.de]</ref>
==Mayors==
* Franz Funke:1970–1973
* Hans Paehler: 1973-1975
* Josef Kühlmann: 1975–1977
* Hubert Deittert (born 1941): 1977–1997
* André Kuper (born 1960): 1997–2012
* since 2012 (born 1973): Andreas Sunder
==Sights==
[[File:Rietberg historisches Rathaus.jpg|thumb|The historic town hall from around 1800]]
[[File:Rietberg historischer Stadtkern.JPG|thumb|200px|Rietberg centre]]
The best known building in Rietberg is the town hall from around 1800 in the centre of the town. There are several other interesting historical buildings in the town like the Altes Progymnasium, the chapel of [[John of Nepomuk|St John]] or the old Court House. In the historical Town centre there are around 60 old renovated [[Timber framing|half-timbered]] houses. That's why Rietberg is also known as the town of beautiful [[gable]]s.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} It's still possible to see where the former rampart surrounded the town. In the ward Varensell there is the [[Varensell Abbey]] from 1902.
==Events==
In Rietberg [[carnival]] is the biggest event throughout the year. Every year around 50,000 people watch the Parade at Carnival Monday. After the parade people [[street party|party in the streets]] and the bars for the whole night.
Other events are the Maikirmes Fair and the Stoppelkirmes Fair. And there are some traditional ''[[Schützenfest]]e'', which are fairs featuring shooting matches in Rietberg.
Since  2004, there has been a summer Guitar Festival every year, with [[Tommy Emmanuel]].
==Education==
Schools in Rietberg:<ref>{{in lang|de}} [http://www.stadt-rietberg.de/index.php?a=84 Schools in Rietberg], official website of Rietberg</ref>
* 6 elementary schools
* 1 secondary school of the type ''[[Hauptschule]]''
* 1 secondary school of the type ''[[Realschule]]''
* 1 secondary school of the type ''[[Gesamtschule]]''
* 1 secondary school of the type ''[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]]''
* 8 libraries
* 1 school for mentally handicapped children
* adult evening classes ''[[Folk high school|Volkshochschule]]'' with around 100 courses each semester
==Economy==
An important industry for Rietberg and the surrounding area is the furniture industry. In Rietberg itself there is a big [[galvanization|galvanizing]] plant and a [[schnapps]] distillery.
General facts, percentage of employees:<ref>[http://www.stadt-rietberg.de/index.php?a=447 Economy and work], official website of Rietberg</ref>
*Industry:    54.5%
*Commerce:    18.8%
*Service:     18.3%
*Agriculture:  1.0%
*Other:        7.4%
==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Rietberg is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerschaften|url=https://www.rietberg.de/leben-in-rietberg/stadtportraet/partnerschaften.html|website=rietberg.de|publisher=Rietberg|language=de|access-date=2021-03-05}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Ribérac]], France (1983)
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Gmina Głogówek|Głogówek]], Poland (1999)
==Landesgartenschau==
[[File:Logovorstellung Landesgartenschaustadt Rietberg.jpg|thumb|right|Presentation of the Logo for the 2008 gardening show]]
The ''Landesgartenschau'' of the year 2008 took place in Rietberg. The ''Landesgartenschau'' is a show of the [[federal state]] of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] that shows gardens and parks of an area. It takes part in different cities each three years. A lot of park area has been created for the Landesgartenschau. Now there is an area with parks, gardens and playgrounds in Rietberg that can only be entered after paying an entrance fee.
==Built-up areas in the town of Rietberg==
*Bokel
*Druffel
*Mastholte
*Neuenkirchen
*Rietberg
*Varensell
*Westerwiehe
==Notable people==
*[[John II, Count of Rietberg]] (c. 1523–1562), nobleman
*[[Johann Conrad Schlaun]] (1695–1773), architect and building master
*[[Kitty Marion]] (1871–1944), suffragette, birth control advocate, activist, actress and music hall performer
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons|Rietberg}}
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
*[http://www.karneval-rietberg.de/ Website of the Carnival Club] {{in lang|de}}
{{Cities and towns in Gütersloh (district)}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Burial sites of the House of Cirksena]]
[[Category:Gütersloh (district)]]