Lippstadt () is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest town within the district of Soest. Lippstadt is situated about 60 kilometres east of Dortmund, 40 kilometres south of Bielefeld and 30 kilometres west of Paderborn. Geography Lippstadt is situated in the Lippe valley, roughly 70 kilometres east of Dortmund and roughly 30 kilometres west of Paderborn. The historic town centre is situated between several branches of the river Lippe. Neighbouring municipalities Division of the town Lippstadt consists of 18 districts: History Lippstadt was founded in 1168 by Bernhard II zur Lippe. In the early 13th century Lippstadt, with a population of 2700, had four parish churches. There was an Augustinian abbey which had existed since 1281. From 1400, the enclave and town of Lippstadt were to be a condominium shared by the county of Lippe and the counts of Cleves-Mark, who were succeeded by the Hohenzollerns (Brandenburg/Prussia), a situation that endured until the middle of the 19th. century. Heinrich von Ahaus founded one of his communities for women of the Brethren of the Common Life there. In 1523 it formed a defensive alliance together with the neighbouring cities of Osnabrück, Dortmund, Soest and Münster. Augustinians studying at the University of Wittenberg brought Martin Luther's doctrine home with them. Thus in 1524 Lutheran doctrines were preached at Lippstadt by their prior Westermann, and the town was one of the first to embrace Lutheranism officially, though it resisted the rise of Calvinism in rural areas of Westphalia. Colonel Edward Morgan, (c. 1616 – after 1665), a Royalist during English Civil War 1642–1649, was Captain General of the Kings (Charles I) forces in South Wales. After the King's arrest and execution, he fled to the continent, and married Anna Petronilla the daughter of Baron von Pöllnitz from Westphalia, Governor of Lippstadt. They had six children, two sons, and four daughters. He was later appointed Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica 1664–65. His nephew Henry Morgan left his Jamaican property to his godsons Charles Byndloss (b.1668) and Henry Archbold on condition they adopted the surname of Morgan. These were the children of his two cousins Anna Petronilla Byndloss (née Morgan), and Johanna Archbold (née Morgan). In 1821 the Papal Bull "De salute animarum", made over to the Bishopric of Paderborn the Lippian parishes of Cappel, Lipperode and Lippstadt, which had previously belonged to the Archbishopric of Cologne without producing any ensuing agreement