Osnabrück

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Osnabrück
Osnabrück aerial.jpg
Coat of arms of Osnabrück
Coat of arms
Osnabrück is located in Germany
Osnabrück
Osnabrück
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Country Germany
State Lower Saxony
District Urban district
Government
 • Lord Mayor Wolfgang Griesert[1] (CDU)
Area
 • City 119.80 km2 (46.26 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[2]
 • City 156,315
 • Density 1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
 • Metro 272,674
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 49074–49090
Dialling codes 0541
Vehicle registration OS
Website www.osnabrueck.de
Old Townhall

Osnabrück (German pronunciation: [ɔsnaˈbʁʏk] ( listen); Westphalian: Ossenbrügge; archaic English: Osnaburg) is a city in the federal state of Lower-Saxony in north-west Germany. It is situated in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of around 160,000, Osnabrück is the fourth-largest city in Lower Saxony.[3] The city is the centrepoint of the Osnabrück Land region as well as the District of Osnabrück.[4]

The founding of Osnabrück was linked to its positioning on important European trading routes. Charles the Great founded the Diocese of Osnabrück in 780. The city was also a member of the Hanseatic League. Later Osnabrück became well known for its role in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 which brought the Thirty Years’ War to an end; the treaty was signed both there and in nearby Münster.[5] The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in the surrounding region of Osnabrück. The city is also known as the birthplace of novelist Erich-Maria Remarque (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) and painter Felix Nussbaum.

Osnabrück's role in the Treaty of Westphalia later led it to adopt the title Friedensstadt ("city of peace"). 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.[6] In spite of the massive destruction inflicted on the city during World War II, the Altstadt (old town) was eventually reconstructed extensively with designs loyal to the original medieval architecture there. Osnabrück was also the home of the largest British garrison outside of the United Kingdom.[7] Osnabrück's modern, urban image is enhanced by the presence of more than 22,000 students studying at the University and the University of Applied Sciences.[8] Although situated in the region of Lower Saxony, historically, culturally and linguistically Osnabrück is held to belong to the region of Westphalia.

Name

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See also: Names of European cities in different languages: Osnabrück

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 of Ochsenbrücke (meaning "ox bridge"), 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".[9] The way in which the city's name is pronounced can also serve as a means of telling if the speaker is a native of Osnabrück or a visitor: most locals stress the last syllable, while those from elsewhere tend to stress the first one.[citation needed] The city gave its name to the textile fabric of osnaburg (note: "-burg" means castle and often denotes town).

History

Medieval

Osnabrück initially developed as a marketplace next to the bishop's see founded by Charlemagne, King of the Franks, in 780. Some time prior to 803, the city became the seat of the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück. Although the precise date is uncertain, it is likely that Osnabrück is the oldest bishopric in Lower Saxony.

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 Arnulf of Carinthia. Osnabrück was first referred to in records as a "city" in 1147. A decade later, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted the city fortification privileges (Befestigungsrecht). Most of the towers which were part of the original fortifications are still visible in the city. Osnabrück became a member of the Hanseatic League in the 12th century, as well as a member of the Westphalian Federation of Cities.

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 and 1639 there was a considerable amount of social unrest and tension in Osnabrück due to the Protestant Reformation, the Thirty Years' War and also witch hunting. In 1582, during the rule of Mayor Hammacher (1565–1588), 163 women were executed as alleged witches; most of them were burned alive. In total, 276 women were executed, along with 2 men who had been charged with wizardry.

In 1632, a Jesuit university was founded, based on the Gymnasium Carolinum; however one year later it was closed while the Prince-Bishopric was under Swedish administration.

As well as being the places where the treaty was eventually signed in 1648, Munster and Osnabrück were also where the diplomatic negotiations leading to the Peace of Westphalia took place over the preceding five years.

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.[10] 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.[11]

19th century

The French Revolutionary Wars brought Prussian troops into the city in 1795, followed by the French in 1803.[12] As a result, the town's population was kept below 10,000 for the whole first decade of the 19th century.[12] The Napoleonic period saw possession of the city change hands several times. Control of Osnabrück passed to the Electorate of Hanover in 1803 during the German Mediatisation, and then briefly to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1806. From 1807 to 1810 the city was part of the Kingdom of Westphalia, after which it passed to the First French Empire. After 1815, it became part of the Kingdom of Hanover.

St. Peter's Cathedral

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.[13] 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 Hammsersen Weaving Mill established in 1869 and the Osnabrücker Kupfer- und Drahtwerk metallurgical firm following in 1873.[12] The later 19th century also saw growth in the number of schools and the arrival of electricity and modern sanitation.[14]

20th century

By 1914, Osnabrück had over 70,000 inhabitants.[12] The outbreak of the First World War necessitated food rationing; the Allied blockade and a harsh winter in 1917 led to further shortages.[14] Following Germany's defeat in 1918, a council made up of workers and soldiers took control during the November Revolution, but were replaced by the new Weimar Republic the following year.[15] Similarly to many other German cities, Osnabrück experienced considerable inflation and unemployment in the 1920s, with over 2,000 out of work by 1923 and nearly 14,000 receiving some form of government assistance by 1928.[16]

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.[17] During the campaigns prior to the two federal elections in 1932, both Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels made well-attended speeches in the city.[18]

Southern part of the inner city

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.[19] However, dissenters, supporters of opposition parties and Jews did not share in this growth and found themselves discriminated against, imprisoned or forced to close their businesses and leave town.[20] During the war, both Jews and Romany were deported to concentration camps and extermination camps en masse.[21] During World War II the city was bombed extensively, requiring major reconstructive programmes following the war's end.

In January 2009, more than 15,000 Osnabrück residents were evacuated when German bomb disposal teams had to come in and detonate two World War II-era bombs, as well as defuse another two.[22]

The war ended for Osnabrück on 4 April 1945, when the XVII Corps of Montgomery's Second Army entered the city with little resistance.[23] Leading Nazis fled the city and the British appointed a new mayor, Johannes Petermann. However, power remained chiefly with the occupiers, represented locally by the military governor, Colonel Geoffrey Day.[24] Relations between the occupiers and the citizens of Osnabrück were generally peaceful, though tensions existed; some minor fights broke out between British soldiers and local youths and some Osnabrückers resented the relationships that developed between the occupiers and local women.[25] Additionally, the British took over more than seventy homes for their own use by the middle of 1946.[26] Amidst shortages, the black market thrived and became one of the main focuses of police activity.[27]

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 4000 troops and employing around 500 local civilians.[28] It was the target of a PIRA attack in 1996.[29] Due to budget cuts, the troops were withdrawn in 2008 and the property returned to the local government.[30]

Largest minority groups in Osnabrück as of 2014:[31]

Rank Nationality Population (2014)
1  Turkey 2,810
2  Poland 1,171
3  Portugal 1,000
4  Bulgaria 920
5  Russia 692

Main sights

Heger Tor, formerly called Waterloo Tor, a memorial to Elector Georg's 'German' Legion in Osnabrück.
Osnabrück Castle
  • 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
  • Felix Nussbaum Haus, a gallery and museum dedicated to the Jewish artist and painter Felix Nussbaum, who died during the Holocaust. It was designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind
  • Kalkriese Museum, situated on the battlefield of the Teutoburger Wald, 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 (castle[32]/palace[33]) 17th century Baroque construction, nowadays the main building of the University of Osnabrück
  • 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 was 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[34]
  • Hyde Park, a traditional music hall established in 1976, a haven of pop music and youth culture[35]
  • Leysieffer, a traditional German chocolate producer founded in Osnabrück. The main Leysieffer site is in the city centre

Famous people

Famous Osnabrück personalities include the writer Erich Maria Remarque and painters Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart and Felix Nussbaum. Nussbaum has been honoured by Osnabrück in the form of a museum designed by Daniel Libeskind which opened in 1998; it was designed as a scaled-down version of Libeskind's own Jewish Museum in Berlin. The poet and scholar Johann Ernst Hanxleden was born in Osnabrück, as were reggae musician Gentleman and DJ Robin Schulz. Victory Records and recording artists Waterdown are also based in Osnabrück.

Actress Birgitta Tolksdorf, who became a well-known figure in American television in the 1970s, as well as stage and screen actor Mathias Wieman (the 1958 recipient of the Justus-Möser-Medaille) (see German article Justus-Möser-Medaille) were also born in the city. Peter van Pels, the love interest of world-famous diarist Anne Frank, and his parents Auguste van Pels and Hermann van Pels, all hailed from Osnabrück.

Friedrich Clemens Gerke, writer, journalist, musician and pioneer of telegraphy who revised the Morse code in 1848, is another of the city's famous sons. (Gerke's notation is still used today.)

Further notable Osnabrückers are Heinrich Abeken, theologian and Prussian Privy Legation Councillor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin; Justus Moser, jurist and historian of the city; and Hans-Gert Pöttering, former President of the European Parliament. One of the best-known Osnabrückers in recent times is Christian Wulff, Prime Minister of Lower Saxony (2003–2010) and German President (2010–2012).

Economy

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has its headquarters in the city.[36]

Education

There are two higher education institutions in Osnabrück, the Universität Osnabrück (University of Osnabrück) and the Hochschule Osnabrück (University of Applied Science of Osnabrück). All of the types of German grammar schools are represented in the city, including seven Gymnasien. Gymnasium Carolinum claims to be the oldest school in Germany. Another well-known Gymnasium is the Ursulaschule, a private school, located directly opposite the Carolinum.

Transportation

The city of Osnabrück is connected by road to the A1, the A30 and the A33. It shares its airport with Münster.

The "Hauptbahnhof" (main train station) of Osnabrück 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 service operated by the Stadtwerke Osnabrück provides public transportation within Osnabrück and the surrounding region.[3] The central bus stop is located at the Neumarkt shopping area, a short distance from the train station.

Districts of Osnabrück

Boroughs of Osnabrück

The city is divided into 23 districts:

  • 17 Sutthausen
  • 18 Hellern
  • 19 Atter
  • 20 Pye
  • 21 Darum/Gretesch/Lüstringen
  • 22 Voxtrup
  • 23 Nahne

Twin towns and sister cities

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Osnabrück is twinned with:

Twinning with Derby

Osnabrück is twinned with the city of Derby in England.

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. Unfortunately, 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 in the historic Friedenssaal (Hall of Peace) in Osnabrück's town hall. Every year since then the two towns have exchanged envoys. Derby also has a square named after Osnabrück in honour of the twinning arrangement; this features an obelisk among other things.

Osnabrück now has eleven twin and friendship cities: Derby (England), Angers (France), Haarlem (Netherlands), Çanakkale (Turkey), Tver (Russia), Greifswald (Germany), Vila Real (Portugal), Hefei (China), Evansville (USA), Gmünd (Austria), Gwangmyeong (Korea) and there are five envoys working at the twinning office in Osnabrück, who represent Derby, Angers, Haarlem, Tver and Çanakkale.

Every year, Derby and Osnabrück each appoint an envoy who spends twelve months in their respective twin city. The envoy's role is varied, but primarily focuses on promoting the exchange of ideas between the two cities, as well as acting as an educational and general information officer to promote awareness of the twinning scheme. The envoy's specific duties are numerous: translating, giving talks and presentations to local societies and schools, finding pen friends and short-term host families during work placements, working in day-to-day contact to assist groups who want to get involved in twinning by identifying and approaching possible counterparts, planning the Derby Day at the annual Maiwoche (May Week) festival, and many more.

The exchange of envoys between two cities is very unusual. The team of envoys in Osnabrück changes every year and Osnabrück also sends envoys to Derby, Angers and Çanakkale. No other city in Germany participates in this exchange of envoys, and in Britain, only one other city, Wigan, receives and sends an envoy.

The twinning gives the inhabitants of both places the opportunity to interact with their international neighbours. Town twinning aims to enhance international understanding and break down social barriers.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Hinrichs 2013.
  2. ↑ Landesbetrieb für Statistik und Kommunikationstechnologie Niedersachsen, 102 Bevölkerung - Basis Zensus 2011, Stand 31. Dezember 2013 (Tabelle K1020014)
  3. ↑ Team Strategische Stadtentwicklung und Statistik 2013, p. 1.
  4. ↑ Osnabrück: Lebendiges Zentrum im Osnabrücker Land www.osnabruecker-land.de
  5. ↑ Friedensstadt Osnabrück: Der Westfälische Friede
  6. ↑ Staedtereport_Osnabrueck_okt_2009.pdf (application/pdf-Objekt; 106 kB)
  7. ↑ Garrison town fears slump as army pulls out
  8. ↑ Stadtporträt: Osnabrück stellt sich vor
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Panayi 2007, pp. 15-16.
  11. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 15.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Panayi 2007, p. 16.
  13. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 16-17.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Panayi 2007, p. 17.
  15. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 17-18.
  16. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 18.
  17. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 37.
  18. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 44.
  19. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 55.
  20. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 23-24,81, 186-200.
  21. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 197-98,211.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 137.
  24. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 135,137.
  25. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 136-37.
  26. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 150-51.
  27. ↑ Panayi 2007, p. 153-56.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Geraghty, Tony (2000). The Irish War. Johns Hopkins University Press, p. 193. ISBN 0-00-255617-0
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ [1] Retrieved 2015-05-26
  33. ↑ [2] p.19, retrieved 2015-05-26
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Hyde Park-Memories Retrieved 2011-12-13
  36. ↑ "Imprint." Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. Retrieved on September 3, 2011. "Hellmann Worldwide Logistics GmbH & Co. KG Elbestrasse 1 D-49090 Osnabrueck"

References

  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. ISBN 978-0-85771-440-4
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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

External links


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