Ostwestfalen-Lippe ([ˌɔstvɛstfaːlənˈlɪpə] , literally East(ern) Westphalia-Lippe, abbreviation OWL) is the eastern region of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, congruent with the administrative region of Detmold and containing the eastern part of Westphalia, joined with the Lippe region. The region has a population of about two million inhabitants. The region includes the cities of Bielefeld, Paderborn and Gütersloh, and the major towns of Minden, Detmold and Herford. The highest hill of Ostwestfalen-Lippe is the Totenkopf (498 m).
The Teutoburg Forest and the Egge Hills stretch across the region and form the frontier to the Westphalian Lowland. Eastern Westphalia–Lippe is one of the supposed regions of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in the year 9 AD, where an alliance of Germanic tribes defeated a Roman army. In 1875, a statue was unveiled of the commander Arminius, who led the Germans to victory at the battle. This statue, the Hermannsdenkmal, is one of the best-known sights and landmarks in Ostwestfalen-Lippe.
