Rüthen is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.GeographyRüthen is situated at the northeastern border of the natural preserve Arnsberger Wald between the Haarstrang and the valley of the river Möhne, approx. 20 km south of Lippstadt and south-west of Paderborn. The highest point is the Wehberg with a height of, the lowest point the valley of the river Pöppelsche at. With an area of more than it is the largest town within the district of Soest.Neighbouring municipalitiesDivision of the townToday Rüthen is the commune largest in area in the district of Soest with an area of 158km2. After the local government reforms of 1975 Rüthen consists of the following 15 districts:  Rüthen (5,360 inhabitants) Altenrüthen (550 inhabitants) Drewer (780 inhabitants) Hemmern (170 inhabitants) Hoinkhausen(170 inhabitants) Kallenhardt(1,810 inhabitants) Kellinghausen (90 inhabitants) Kneblinghausen (310 inhabitants) Langenstraße-Heddinghausen (460 inhabitants) Meiste (410 inhabitants) Menzel (426 inhabitants) Nettelstädt (111 inhabitants) Oestereiden (870 inhabitants) Weickede (25 inhabitants) Westereiden (530 inhabitants)International relationsRüthen is twinned with:  25px Dereham (United Kingdom) – since 1983 25px Egeln (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) – since 1991