Soest

Soest, in Westphalia, 37 miles SE. of Münster by rail, was once a Hanse town and a free imperial city, with a population of 30,000; now it has but 15,407 inhabitants (half of them Catholics). The Gothic Cathedral (Catholic), built in 1314, was restored in 1846. The municipal law of Soest served as the model for Lübeck, Hamburg, &c. In 1180 the Archbishop of Cologne seized the sovereignty; but in 1441 the people rose and sought the protection of the Duke of Cleves, and this led to a siege and heroic defence.