Drfer in Westfalen-Lippe

Villages are still the defining settlement units of rural areas in Westfalen-Lippe today. Whether in the Münsterland, Sauer- and Siegerland, in East Westfalen-Lippe, or in the vicinity of the Ruhr area, people still live in villages today, although these have changed significantly over the past decades. This raises the question: What is actually a village? In fact, there is no universally accepted understanding or even a clear scientific definition of it. In common usage, the term "village" is often used as a synonym for all rural settlements. With this publication, a comprehensive overview of the village settlements in Westfalen-Lippe is now available for the first time since the municipal territorial reform. Furthermore, the results of the quantitative and qualitative research provide a data foundation for discussing issues of village development based on knowledge. The authors also hope that this study can serve as a basis for further research on village development in Westfalen-Lippe and other regions.