Unlike many other countries of the Holy Roman Empire in the area, Lippe kept its independence in the Napoleonic era, and thus wasn't incorporated into Prussia afterwards.

The last prince of Lippe was forced to abdicate during the November Revolution of 1918 following the Collapse of the Imperial German Army, whilst Germany as a whole became the Weimar Republic.

The small territories of Lippstadt, Lipperode, and Cappel that belonged to Lippe until the mid 19th century, do lie in the valley of the river.

The coat of arms shows the traditional symbol of the state of Lippe, the rose, as the district covers nearly the same area as the historic country.

Despite the relatively small size of Lippe, the Lippish rose is also one of only three symbols included in the coat of arms of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.