Greater Westphalia was the ancestral home to the Saxon peoples who initially settled along the three great waterways of the region: the Weser, Ems, and Ruhr rivers. As the centuries rolled by, each river took on a distinct cultural identity, deeply connected to the bounty that each river provided. The Weser brought the Renaissance to North Germany, the Ems facilitated great trade routes, and the Ruhr powered the Industrial Revolution. Today Westphalia is a dramatically dynamic region, from Germany’s industrial heartland to rolling hills and windswept plains. Below are the regions that comprise Westphalia, each with a unique identity.
