Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Ossenbrügge (Westphalian) | |
---|---|
Urban district | |
Government | |
• Lord mayor (2021–26) | Katharina Pötter[1] (CDU) |
Area | |
• City | 119.80 km2 (46.26 sq mi) |
Elevation | 63 m (207 ft) |
Population (2021-12-31)[2] | |
• City | 165,034 |
• Density | 1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi) |
• Metro | 272,674 |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 49074–49090 |
Dialling codes | 0541 |
Vehicle registration | OS |
Website | www.osnabrueck.de |
Osnabrück (German pronunciation: [ɔsnaˈbʁʏk] ⓘ; Westphalian: Ossenbrügge; archaic Osnaburg) is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168,145[3] Osnabrück is one of the four largest cities in Lower Saxony.[4] The city is the centrepoint of the Osnabrück Land region as well as the District of Osnabrück.[5]
The founding of Osnabrück was linked to its positioning on important European trading routes.
More recently Osnabrück has become well known for its industry. Numerous companies in the automobile, paper, steel and grocery sectors are located in the city and its surrounding area.
Name
The origin of the name Osnabrück is disputed. The suffix -brück suggests a bridge over or to something (from German Brücke = bridge) but the prefix Osna- is explained in at least two different ways: the traditional explanation is that today's name is a corruption[clarification needed] of Ossenbrügge (westphalian meaning "oxen bridge"), which is etymologically and historically impossible, because the town is older than this corruption of consonants (documented in 13th century, Osnabrück was founded in 8th century), but others state that it is derived from the name of the Hase River which is arguably derived from Asen (Æsir), thus giving Osnabrück the meaning "bridge to the gods",[10] and previously Tacitus named people living near the grey river (Hase) Chasuarii. It may also be noted that Osnabrück is situated on the northern end of the Teutoburg Forest, which until the 19th century was known as the Osning.[citation needed] The city gave its name to the textile fabric of osnaburg.
History
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
780 | 800 | — |
1171 | 3,500 | +337.5% |
1500 | 6,000 | +71.4% |
1646 | 5,500 | −8.3% |
1800 | 8,564 | +55.7% |
1871 | 23,308 | +172.2% |
1900 | 51,573 | +121.3% |
1910 | 65,957 | +27.9% |
1919 | 85,017 | +28.9% |
1925 | 88,911 | +4.6% |
1933 | 94,277 | +6.0% |
1939 | 99,070 | +5.1% |
1946 | 88,663 | −10.5% |
1950 | 109,538 | +23.5% |
1961 | 138,658 | +26.6% |
1970 | 143,905 | +3.8% |
1987 | 150,807 | +4.8% |
2011 | 154,513 | +2.5% |
2018 | 164,748 | +6.6% |
Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions. Source:[11] |
Medieval
Osnabrück initially developed as a marketplace next to the bishopric founded by
In the year 804 Charlemagne was said to have founded the Gymnasium Carolinum in Osnabrück. This would make it the oldest German Gymnasium school, but the charter date is disputed by historians, some of whom believe it could be a forgery.
In 889 the town was given merchant, customs, and coinage privileges by King
The history of the town in the later Middle Ages was recorded in a chronicle by Albert Suho, one of Osnabrück's most important clerics in the 15th century.
Early Modern age
From 1561 to 1639 there was a considerable amount of social unrest and tension in Osnabrück due to the
The first
Peace negotiations took place in Osnabrück and the nearby city of
In the early 18th century, renowned local jurist and social theorist Justus Möser wrote a highly influential constitutional history of the town, the Osnabrücker Geschichte.[13] Following the Seven Years' War, the town's population fell below 6,000, however an economic revival linked to the linen and tobacco industries caused it to rise again from the 1780s onwards.[14]
19th century
The
The town's first railway line was built in 1855, connecting it with Löhne. Further rail connections appeared over the following decades, connecting Osnabrück with Emden from 1856, Cologne from 1871 and Hamburg from 1874.[16] In 1866, Osnabrück was annexed by Prussia after the Austro-Prussian War and administered as part of the Province of Hanover. Growth of the local economy and population was fuelled by expansion in the engineering and textile industries, with the Hammersen Weaving Mill established in 1869 and the Osnabrücker Kupfer- und Drahtwerk metallurgical firm following in 1873.[15] The later 19th century also saw growth in the number of schools and the arrival of electricity and modern sanitation.[17]
20th century
By 1914, Osnabrück had over 70,000 inhabitants.
Politically, Osnabrück in the 1920s was a stronghold of support for the Social Democrats and the Catholic Centre Party. However, in the Reichstag elections of September 1930, the Nazi Party received the greatest percentage of votes in the city (nearly 28%) – a more than seven-fold increase from their electoral performance in Osnabrück two years prior.[20] During the campaigns prior to the two federal elections in 1932, both Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels made well-attended speeches in the city.[21]
Following the Nazis' seizure of power in January 1933, Osnabrück was subjected to the implementation of National Socialist economic, political, and social programmes. These resulted in economic growth for ethnic Germans who did not run afoul of the new regime, and the town went from having over 10,000 unemployed in early 1933 to actually having a labour shortage five years later.
The war ended for Osnabrück on 4 April 1945, when the
After World War II West Germany realigned its states; Osnabrück became part of the new state of Lower Saxony in 1946. The British continued to maintain Osnabrück Garrison, a garrison near the city, which at one point was the largest British garrison in the world, housing some 4,000 troops and employing around 500 local civilians.[33] It was the target of a PIRA attack in 1996.[34] Due to budget cuts, the troops were withdrawn in 2008 and the property returned to the local government.[35]
After three centuries, the city finally obtained its university when the government of Lower Saxony established the
Largest foreign resident groups in Osnabrück as of 31 December 2017[update]:[36]
Rank | Nationality | Population (31 December 2017) |
---|---|---|
1 | Syria | 2,725 |
2 | Turkey | 2,705 |
3 | Bulgaria | 2,025 |
4 | Poland | 1,580 |
5 | Portugal | 1,030 |
Climate
The climate is
Climate data for Osnabrück (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) |
5.6 (42.1) |
9.4 (48.9) |
14.4 (57.9) |
18.3 (64.9) |
21.2 (70.2) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.3 (73.9) |
18.8 (65.8) |
13.8 (56.8) |
8.3 (46.9) |
4.8 (40.6) |
13.8 (56.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) |
1.2 (34.2) |
4.9 (40.8) |
9.3 (48.7) |
13.2 (55.8) |
16.5 (61.7) |
18.8 (65.8) |
18.8 (65.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
10.0 (50.0) |
5.5 (41.9) |
1.8 (35.2) |
9.9 (49.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.3 (31.5) |
0.0 (32.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
4.8 (40.6) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.1 (52.0) |
13.6 (56.5) |
13.3 (55.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
6.7 (44.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
6.2 (43.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 83.3 (3.28) |
62.7 (2.47) |
66.6 (2.62) |
46.7 (1.84) |
62.8 (2.47) |
64.7 (2.55) |
85.3 (3.36) |
88.7 (3.49) |
73.2 (2.88) |
70.2 (2.76) |
78.2 (3.08) |
82.7 (3.26) |
885.1 (34.85) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 18.3 | 17.5 | 17.7 | 13.9 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 16.4 | 15.1 | 15.5 | 16.9 | 19.3 | 19.1 | 200.7 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
85.3 | 83.0 | 78.1 | 70.5 | 71.3 | 71.9 | 72.5 | 74.3 | 81.3 | 84.7 | 87.5 | 87.9 | 79.0 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 51.1 | 65.0 | 111.6 | 169.6 | 199.2 | 195.7 | 211.0 | 190.4 | 137.2 | 104.1 | 47.1 | 42.4 | 1,497.1 |
Source: World Meteorological Organization[37] |
Main sights
- Town Hall
- St. Peter's Cathedral, founded in the 11th century. It has two façade towers, originally the same size
- Gerdrudenberg Monastery
- Marienkirche
- Heger Tor ("Heger Gate"), a monument to the soldiers from Osnabrück who died at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815
- Bucksturm, the oldest tower in the city, and once part of the city walls. It was once used as a prison for women accused of witchcraft
- Ruwe Fountain" (1985), created to mark the city's 1200th birthday
- Gladiator 2000 (1986), a gigantic painting measuring (45 × 6 meters), by Nicu Covaci
- Holocaust. It was designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind
- Kalkriese Museum, situated on the battlefield of the Battle of the Teutoburger Wald in the Wiehen Hills, where German tribes under Arminius destroyed three Roman legions. It exhibits artefacts unearthed on the battlefield and tells the story of the battle
- Osnabrücker Schloss (castleUniversity of Osnabrück. It is the place were George I of Great Britaindied.
- Botanischer Garten der Universität Osnabrück, the university's botanical garden
- Old town with its small streets and medieval buildings
- Osnabrück Zoo
- Vitischanze – formerly a defence station in the north-west of the old city, it has the only undestroyed bridge in Europe with a defence walk below its surface. It is also the site of certain faculty of the University of Applied Science. It was earlier used as a casino
- Haseuferweg
- Katharinenkirche (St. Catherine's Church), which dates back to 1248 and is one of the 150 tallest churches in the world, and also the tallest medieval building in Lower Saxony[40]
- Hyde Park, a traditional music hall established in 1976, a haven of pop music and youth culture[41]
- Leysieffer, a traditional German chocolate producer founded in Osnabrück. The main Leysieffer site is in the city centre.
Education
There are two higher education institutions in Osnabrück,
Sport
The city's football team is VfL Osnabrück, founded in 1899. Currently, the team plays in the 2. Bundesliga. Its basketball team was founded the same year.
The Schlosswallhalle has been home to the GiroLive Panthers Osnabrück of the 1. Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga.
Politics
The current mayor of Osnabrück is Katharina Pötter (CDU), elected in September 2021.[1]
Osnabrück is part of the electoral constituency Stadt Osnabrück for elections to the Bundestag.
Transport
The city of Osnabrück is connected by road to the A1, the A30 and the A33. It shares its airport with Münster.
Osnabrück Hauptbahnhof (central railway station) is an important rail travel hub. Travellers from the Netherlands heading to either Hamburg, Denmark, or Eastern Europe often have to change here.[citation needed]
An extensive bus network operated by the Stadtwerke Osnabrück (public utility provider) provides public transport within the city and the surrounding region.[2] The central hub is situated on Neumarkt close to the main shopping street, roughly 10 minutes' walk from the railway station.
Districts of Osnabrück
The city is divided into 23 districts:
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|
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Twin towns – sister cities
Osnabrück is twinned with:[42]
- Haarlem, Netherlands (1961)
- Angers, France (1964)
- Gmünd, Austria (1971)
- Derby, United Kingdom (1976)
- Greifswald, Germany (1988)
- Tver, Russia (1991)
- Evansville, United States (1991)
- Gwangmyeong, South Korea (1997)
- Çanakkale, Turkey (2004)
- Vila Real, Portugal (2005)
- Hefei, China (2006)
Twinning with Derby
This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2023) |
Previously Osnabrück had made contact with the British authorities as early as 1948, hoping to find an English twin town and therefore achieve greater understanding with their former enemies in the Second World War. This attempt was unsuccessful and Osnabrück did not actively consider the idea again for another quarter-century. The twinning agreement with Derby was signed on 17 February 1976.[43] Every year since then the two cities have exchanged envoys. Derby also has a square named after Osnabrück in honour of the twinning arrangement; this features an obelisk among other things.
Notable people
Public service & public thinking
- Benno II of Osnabrück (ca 1020 – 1088), Bishop of Osnabrück from 1068 to 1088.
- Albert Suho (c. 1380 – c. 1450), clergyman, theologian, historian
- Friedrich Staphylus (1512–1564), theologian, first a Protestant, a Catholic convert.[44]
- Johann Wilhelm Petersen (1649–1727), evangelical theologian, mystic, and Millennialist.
- Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (1674–1728), brother of George I of Great Britain.[45]
- Sophia von Kielmansegg, Countess of Darlington (1675–1725), courtier and a half-sister of George I of Great Britain
- Justus Möser (1720–1794), jurist and social theorist.[46]
- House of Hannover
- Justus von Gruner (1777-1820), a Prussian official, the first president of the Berlin Police.
- philologist
- Karl Fortlage (1806–1881), philosopher.[47]
- Heinrich Abeken (1809–1872), evangelical theologian.[48]
- Ludwig Windthorst (1812–1891), politician and leader of the Catholic Centre Party.[49]
- Friedrich Blass (1843–1907), classical scholar.[50]
- Georg Thieler (1854–1945), jurist and mayor of Jena from 1885 to 1889.
- Friedrich Westmeyer (1873–1917), politician and trade unionist
- Walter Warlimont (1894–1976), General of the Artillery
- Hans Georg Calmeyer (1903–1972), attorney, Righteous Among the Nations
- Fritz Buntrock (1909–1948), SS officer and war criminal
- Rudolf Beckmann (1910–1943), SS-Oberscharführer and war criminal
- Franz Lucas (1911–1994), concentration camp doctor
- Wilhelm Schitli (1912–1945?), SS officer
- Hubertus Brandenburg (1923–2009), Bishop of Stockholm
- Hermann van Pels, occupant at the Secret Annex in Amsterdam together with Anne Frankand her family
- Jürgen Kühling (1934–2019), lawyer, former judge at the Federal Constitutional Court between 1989 and 2001
- Rudolf Seiters (born 1937), politician (CDU), Vice-President of the Bundestag 1998–2002
- Paul Kirchhof (born 1943), former judge of the Federal Constitutional Court, prof. of tax law
- Hans-Gert Pöttering (born 1945), lawyer and politician, former President of the European Parliament
- Ferdinand Kirchhof (born 1950), judge at the Federal Constitutional Court, professor of tax law
- Thomas Bellut (born 1955), journalist
- Olaf Scholz (born 1958), politician (SPD) and Chancellor of Germany from 2021
- Christian Wulff (born 1959), politician and lawyer, President of Germany from 2010 to 2012
- Boris Pistorius (born 1960), politician, former Lord mayor of Osnabrück, Minister of Defence from 2023
- Anke Hennig (born 1964), politician (SPD)
- André Berghegger (born 1972), politician (CDU); from 2006 to 2013, mayor of the city of Melle
- ancient historian
The arts
- Gerlach Flicke (c. 1500–1558), painter, an artist of the Tudor court in London
- John Closterman (1660–1711), portrait painter, mostly of European noblemen and their families.[51]
- Friedrich Clemens Gerke (1801–1888), journalist, musician and pioneer of telegraphy, he revised the Morse code.
- Alfred Runge (1881–1946), architect
- Hinnerk Scheper (1897-1957), mural painter and architectural colourist, monument conservator and restorer
- Erich Maria Remarque (1898–1970), novelist, he wrote All Quiet on the Western Front in 1928
- Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart (1899–1962), a De Stijl painter
- Mathias Wieman (1902–1969), stage-performer, silent-and-sound motion picture actor from 1925 to 1966
- surrealistpainter
- Herbert Tiede (1915–1987), actor from 1943 to 1975.
- Benno Sterzenbach (1916–1985), cinema and theatre actor and director from 1948 to 1983
- child psychologistand Holocaust survivor
- Birgitta Tolksdorf (born 1947), German-American actress
- Markus Becker (born 1963), pianist
- Evelyn Herlitzius (born 1963), opera singer, and a dramatic soprano.
- Gentleman (born 1974), reggae musician, real name Tilmann Otto
- Robin Schulz (born 1987), musician, DJ and record producer
- Waterdown (1999–2012), hardcore punk band
Science & business
- Ludwig Clamor Marquart (1804–1881), pharmacist and entrepreneur, coined the term "anthocyanin"
- Hermann Kemper (1892–1977), engineer and pioneer in magnetic levitation
- Heinrich Wenner (1912–2008), antiquarian bookseller
- Wilhelm Karmann Jr. (1914–1998), motor industry entrepreneur with VW (Karmann).
- Reinhold Remmert (1930–2016), mathematician, wrote two books on number theory and complex analysis
- Inge Schmitz-Feuerhake (born 1935), physicist and mathematician
- Hans Huchzermeyer (born 1939), physician and musicologist
- Cathrin Brisken (born 1967), medical doctor, researches the hormonal control of breast cancer
Sport
- Horst Borcherding (1930–2015), a football goalkeeper, played 254 games.
- Heike Nagel (born 1946), former swimmer, team bronze medallist at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
- Thomas Möllenkamp (born 1961), a retired rower, team gold medallist at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Volker Fried (born 1961), former field hockey player, team gold medallist at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Stefani Werremeier (born 1968), a rower, team silver medallist at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Daniel Flottmann (born 1984), footballer who has played over 490 games
- Felix Klaus (born 1992), footballer who has played over 330 games
- 2016 Paralympic Games
See also
- Ossensamstag – annual parade
- Steckenpferdreiten
- Route of Megalithic Culture, tourist route from Osnabrück to Oldenburg via some 33 megalithic sites
References
- ^ Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen. 13 October 2021.
- Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen.
- ^ "Osnabrück AKTUELL 4/2016" (PDF) (in German). Stadt Osnabrück. April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
- ^ Team Strategische Stadtentwicklung und Statistik 2013, p. 1.
- ^ Osnabrück: Lebendiges Zentrum im Osnabrücker Land www.osnabruecker-land.de
- ^ Friedensstadt Osnabrück: Der Westfälische Friede
- ^ "Staedtereport_Osnabrueck_okt_2009.pdf (application/pdf-Objekt; 106 kB)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ Hall, Allan (12 July 2008). "Garrison town fears slump as army pulls out". The Guardian.
- ^ "Stadtporträt: Osnabrück stellt sich vor".
- ^ "Environmental Education at the University of Osnabrück" (in German). Umweltbildung.uni-osnabrueck.de. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Link
- ISBN 9780698176256.
Both cities carried the scars o the war, but Osnabrück suffered worse, subjected to the troops of the Catholic League (1628-32) and a forcible Catholicization, and then Swedish war contributions.
- ^ Panayi 2007, pp. 15–16.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 15.
- ^ a b c d Panayi 2007, p. 16.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 16-17.
- ^ a b Panayi 2007, p. 17.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 17-18.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 18.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 37.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 44.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 55.
- ^ "OSNABRÜCK". jewishencyclopedia.com.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 23-24,81, 186–200.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 197-98,211.
- ^ a b "Osnabrück (2nd SS Construction Brigade)". KZ-Gedenkstätte Neuengamme. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-253-06089-1.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 137.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 135,137.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 136-37.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 150-51.
- ^ Panayi 2007, p. 153-56.
- ^ "IOE Archives". Archive.ioe.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ISBN 0-00-255617-0
- ^ "British soldiers march out of Osnabrück after 63 years". The Local. 19 July 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009.
- ^ "Bevölkerungsaufbau 2013 und Bevölkerungsveränderungen" (PDF). Stadt Osnabrück. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Osnabrück and Iburg Castle". www.germany.travel. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ [1] p.19. Retrieved 26 May 2015
- ^ "Höchstes mittelalterliches Bauwerk Niedersachsens". Osnabrück civic site. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- ^ Hyde Park-Memories Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 13 December 2011
- ^ "Freunde und Partner". osnabrueck.de (in German). Osnabrück. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ "Town twinning". Derby City Council. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ Löffler, Klemens (1912). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. .
- ^ Vian, Alsager Richard (1889). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 17. p. 393. .
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 895. .
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 725. .
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 38–39. .
- ^ Spahn, Martin (1912). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. .
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 44. .
- ^ Fagan, Louis Alexander (1887). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 11. pp. 125–126.
References
- Panayi, P. (2007), Life and Death in a German Town: Osnabrück from the Weimar Republic to World War II and Beyond, New York: Tauris Academic Studies ISBN 978-0-85771-440-4
- Team Strategische Stadtentwicklung und Statistik (August 2013), 02001 Amtliche Einwohnerzahlen der Stadt Osnabrück und der angrenzenden Gemeinden Stand: Volkszählung 25.5.1987 und jeweils 31.12. (PDF) (in German), City of Osnabrück, p. 1, retrieved 1 January 2014
Further reading
- Gerd Steinwascher (editor): Geschichte der Stadt Osnabrück Meinders & Elstermann, Belm 2006, ISBN 3-88926-007-1
- Bettina Meckel: Osnabrück und Umland. Wenner, Osnabrück, 2010. An excellent picture book includes translation to English by Nick Woods. ISBN 978-3-87898-417-7
- John M. Jeep, ed. (2001). "Osnabruck". Medieval Germany: an Encyclopedia. ISBN 0-8240-7644-3.
External links
- Official website (in German)
- Panoramas and virtual Tours of Osnabrück
- Horses & Dreams Annual Horse Dressage Show Archived 24 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- Independent Film Festival Osnabrueck official website Unabhaengiges FilmFest Osnabrueck
- The Ostensibles English Theatre in Osnabrueck, official website
- Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. .
- Derby City Council website, Town Twinning page. (retrieved 15/01/2015)