RAVENSBERG

The 'County of Ravensberg' () was a historical county of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory was in present-day eastern Westphalia, Germany at the foot of the Osning or Teutoburg Forest.
Ravensberg was first mentioned in the 12th century; its first capital was Burg Ravensberg. The Counts of Ravensberg then had Sparrenburg Castle built in Bielefeld ca. 1240-1250, which they made their seat. The county was later inherited by the House of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. During the Jülich-Cleves succession war, the County of Ravensberg came to the Margraviate of Brandenburg in the Treaty of Xanten in 1614. It was later integrated into the Kingdom of Prussia.