states and awarded them to Bavaria. In the Congress of Vienna the affiliation of the region with Bavaria was confirmed, and the sovereignty of the Ries ended. The present district was established in 1972 by merging the former districts of Nördlingen and Donauwörth. Geography In the south the district is crossed by the Danube, which runs from west to east. It is joined by the Lech river coming from the south. North of the river there is a hill chain, the so-called Riesalb connecting the mountain chains of the Swabian Alb in the west and the Frankish Alb in the east. Further north there is the Nördlinger Ries, a huge depression, which is in fact an ancient impact crater, caused by a meteorite some 14.8 million years ago. Politics Donau-Ries (electoral district) Coat of arms The coat of arms displays: The eagle of the Holy Roman Empire symbolising the Free Imperial Cities of Donauwörth and Nördlingen The yellow cross on red background was part of the arms of all Oettingen counties The blue and white checkered pattern of Bavaria Towns and municipalities References External links Official website (German)