ARNSBERG

city, North RhineWestphalia Land (state), western Germany. It lies along a loop of the Ruhr River, east of Iserlohn. Situated between wooded mountains and known as the Pearl of the Sauerland (southern land of Westphalia), it is a popular spa and summer resort. Arnsberg originated in the 11th century around a castle of the counts of Werl and was chartered in 1238. The countship of Arnsberg was under the jurisdiction of the electors of Cologne after the 12th century and was the main seat of the Westphalian fehmic courts (or Vehmgericht; medieval secret tribunals that usurped many functions of government). The ruins of the old castle and the 13th14th-century church of Wedinghausen Abbey are notable. Industries include paper milling, woodworking, manufacture of metalware, and brewing. Pop. (1989 est.) 73,912. Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), east-central North RhineWestphalia Land (state), western Germany. Arnsberg is bordered by Hesse Land to the east, Rhineland-Palatinate Land to the southwest, and the Regierungsbezirke of Kln and Dsseldorf to the west and Mnster and Detmold to the north. The largest of five districts in North RhineWestphalia, it occupies an area of 3,088 square miles (7,998 square km) and is coextensive with the southern portion of the larger historic region of Westphalia (q.v.). Arnsberg district was created in 1816 and takes its name from that of its administrative seat. The level, loess-covered Hellweg plateau, a historic routeway and zone of early settlement, runs east-west across northern Arnsberg between the Lippe (north) and Ruhr (south) rivers. The heavily industrialized Ruhr urban complex and the immense Ruhr bituminous coalfield extend east from Dsseldorf Regierungsbezirk across the western Hellweg to Hamm. Five cities in the Ruhr complex of ArnsbergDortmund (the largest city in the district), Bochum, Herne, Hamm, and Wittenhave populations of more than 100,000. Population densities in these urban areas often exceed 7,800 persons per square mile (3,000 per square km). Dortmund is a major centre of heavy iron and steel processing. It is also a major manufacturer of heavy machine tools and is famous for its breweries. The eastern Hellweg is a fertile agricultural region centred on the Soester Plain. Sugar beets, vegetables, and fruits are the chief crops. The Sauerland, the most northerly plateau of the Middle Rhine Highlands, comprises the southern three-quarters of Arnsberg. This region is bounded on the north by the Ruhr River and its tributary the Mhne and on the south by the Sieg River and the Wester Forest (mountains). The chief city of the highly industrialized Sieg valley is Siegen, important for its production of special quality iron and steel. Northeast of Siegen the upwarped ridge of the heavily forested Rothaar Hills rises to 2,759 feet (841 m) in altitude at the heath-covered Kahler Asten and forms a natural frontier with Hesse. From the Rothaar Hills the Sauerland plateau slopes gradually to the north and northwest and is increasingly dissected by the tributaries of the Ruhr and Rhine rivers. Numerous dams and reservoirs in the deep river valleys supply water to the Ruhr urban industrial complex. In the area of the former northwestern County of Mark, many medium and small towns specialize in the manufacture of machinery, hardware, and electrical equipment. Pasture farming and forestry occur in some of the lower valleys, and tourism is growing at a number of health and winter sports resorts, including Winterberg and Schmallenberg. The majority of the population of Arnsberg Regierungsbezirk are descendants of the western Saxons and speak a Low German dialect. There is also a strong Frankish influence in regions of the Sauerland where the Ripuarian Franconian dialect is often spoken. More than 50 percent of the people are Protestants, and about 40 percent are Roman Catholics. The predominant rural settlement pattern is one of dispersed farmsteads and small hamlets of half-timbered houses. Higher education in the district is centred at universities in Bochum, Dortmund, and Siegen. Pop. (1989 est.) 3,634,467.