the Rhine near the town of Wesel. Artillery projectiles fired by German soldiers from the right bank of the Rhine further devastated Xanten at this time. When the crossing of the Rhine finally succeeded on 24 March 1945, the Second World War was over for Xanten. Post-World War II The reconstruction of the town and the cathedral was influenced particularly by the archaeologist and monument conservationist Walter Bader, and lasted until 1966. Expellees from East Prussia were resettled in Xanten and caused the population to rise by almost 40%. In the course of the local re-organization in 1969, the localities Birten, Lüttingen, Marienbaum, Obermörmter, Vynen and Wardt were integrated into Xanten, so that around 16,000 inhabitants lived within the town boundaries. The area of the town increased from 8 km2 to 72 km2. In 1975, the Archäologischer Park Xanten (Xanten Archaeological Park), a partial reconstruction of the Roman Colonia Ulpia Traiana, was established and opened for tourism. On 28 November 1988, Xanten was granted the title of a Staatlich anerkannter Erholungsort (state-recognized leisure town) as the first such town in the region of Düsseldorf. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of inhabitants rose from 16,930 to about 22,000. Attractions The Archäologischer Park Xanten is built on the site of the Roman town, and it is one of the most frequently visited parks in Germany. In 2012, the Archaeological Park was expanded to nearly the whole area of the Roman colonia after Bundesstraße 57 was moved away from the area. Historical buildings in the town centre have been restored. At the Xantener Südsee and Xantener Nordsee, two lakes connected by a channel close to the localities Wardt and Vynen, the Freizeitzentrum Xanten (Xanten Leisure Center) was established in 1982. Today, it is a popular destination for sailors. Culture Big events include the Xantener Sommerfestspiele (a prestigious classical music festival lasting two weeks every summer from 1993 to 2012), the annual KleinMontMartre where artists from all over the world show their latest works as well as the annual German sandcastle-building championship. Education Among other schools there is one gymnasium (grammar school), the Stiftsgymnasium Xanten, and a private school for girls, the Marienschule, in Xanten. Governance Council Twin towns – sister cities Xanten is twinned with: Beit Sahour, Palestine Geel, Belgium Saintes, France Salisbury, England, United Kingdom Notable people Georg Bleibtreu (1828–1892), battle painter Gottfried Hagen (1230–1299), Cologne city writer Dorothe Ingenfeld (born