Which country did Osnabrück belong to from 1224 to 1803?
Osnabrück Osnabrück ( ; ; archaic Osnaburg ) is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony . 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 Osnabrück is one of the four largest cities in Lower Saxony . The city is the centrepoint of the Osnabrück Land region as well as the District of Osnabrück . The founding of Osnabrück was linked to its positioning on important European trading routes . Charlemagne founded the Diocese of Osnabrück in 780 . The city was also a member of the Hanseatic League . At the end of the Thirty Years War ( 1618–1648 ) , the Peace of Westphalia was negotiated in Osnabrück and the nearby city of Münster . In recognition of its role as the site of negotiations , Osnabrück later adopted the title Friedensstadt ( city of peace ) . The city is also known as the birthplace of anti-war novelist Erich-Maria Remarque and painter Felix Nussbaum . 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.<ref ( application/pdf-Objekt ) ></ref> 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 the United Kingdom . Osnabrücks modern , urban image is enhanced by the presence of more than 22,000 students studying at the University and the University of Applied Sciences . Although part of the state of Lower Saxony , historically , culturally and linguistically Osnabrück is considered part of the region of Westphalia . 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 todays name is a corruption of Ossenbrügge ( westphalian meaning oxen bridge ) , which is etymologically and historically impossible , because the town is older than this corruption of consonants ( documented in 13 . century , Osnabrück was founded in 8 . 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 , 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 . The way in which the citys 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 . The city gave its name to the textile fabric of osnaburg . History . Medieval . Osnabrück initially developed as a marketplace next to the bishopric 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 Osnabrücks 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 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 . The first Lutheran services were held in Osnabrück in 1543 . Over the next century , Lutheranism expanded in the city and several Protestant bishops were elected . However , the Catholic churches continued to operate , and the city never became completely Lutheran . After the Thirty Years War broke out , a Catholic bishop was elected in 1623 , and the city was occupied by troops of the Catholic League in 1628 . The Gymnasium Carolinum was upgraded to a Jesuit university in 1632 , but the university was closed a year later when the city was taken by Swedish troops and restored to Protestant control . Peace negotiations took place in Osnabrück and the nearby city of Münster from 1643 to 1648 . The twin Treaties of Osnabrück and Münster , collectively known as the Peace of Westphalia , ended the Thirty Years War . Osnabrück was officially recognized as bi-confessional Catholic and Lutheran . The prince-bishopric would be held alternately by a Catholic bishop and a Lutheran bishop . The Protestant bishop would be selected from the descendants of the Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg , with priority given to the cadets of what became the House of Hanover . From 1667 , prince-bishop Ernest Augustus , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg , built the new baroque palace . His son , George I of Great Britain , died in the palace , at the time residence of his younger brother , prince-bishop Ernest Augustus , Duke of York and Albany , on a travel on 11 June 1727 . 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 . Following the Seven Years War , the towns 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 . 19th century . The French Revolutionary Wars brought Prussian troops into the city in 1795 , followed by the French in 1803 . As a result , the towns population was kept below 10,000 for the whole first decade of the 19th century . 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 . The towns 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 . 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 . The later 19th century also saw growth in the number of schools and the arrival of electricity and modern sanitation . 20th century . By 1914 , Osnabrück had over 70,000 inhabitants . The outbreak of the First World War necessitated food rationing ; the Allied blockade and a harsh winter in 1917 led to further shortages . Following Germanys 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 . 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 . 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 . During the campaigns prior to the two federal elections in 1932 , both Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels made well-attended speeches in the 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 . However , dissenters , supporters of opposition parties and German Jews ( who had experienced centuries of discrimination in the city ) did not share in this growth and found themselves discriminated against , imprisoned or forced to close their businesses and leave town . During World War II , both Jews and Romany were deported to concentration camps and extermination camps en masse . The war ended for Osnabrück on 4 April 1945 , when the XVII Corps of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomerys Second Army entered the city with little resistance . By the end of the war the city had been extensively bombed and required major reconstructive programmes following the wars end . Leading Nazis fled the city and the British appointed a new mayor , Johannes Petermann . However , during the allied occupation of Germany a British military governor , Colonel Geoffrey Day was placed in charge of administering the city . 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 . Additionally , the British took over more than seventy homes for their own use by the middle of 1946 . Amidst shortages , the black market thrived and became one of the main focuses of police activity . 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 . It was the target of a PIRA attack in 1996 . Due to budget cuts , the troops were withdrawn in 2008 and the property returned to the local government . After three centuries , the city finally obtained its university when the government of Lower Saxony established the University of Osnabrück in 1974 . Largest foreign resident groups in Osnabrück : Main sights . - Town Hall - St . Peters 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 citys 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 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 ( castle/palace ) 17th century Baroque construction , nowadays the main building of the University of Osnabrück - Botanischer Garten der Universität Osnabrück , the universitys 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 . Catherines 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 - Hyde Park , a traditional music hall established in 1976 , a haven of pop music and youth culture - 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 , University of Osnabrück and Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences with more than 25,000 students . All of the types of German grammar schools are represented in the city , including seven Gymnasien . Gymnasium Carolinum claims to be the oldest still existing school in Germany . Another well-known Gymnasium is the Ursulaschule , a private school , located directly opposite the Carolinum . The University of Osnabrück invested heavily in infrastructure to take on more students for the following years . Sport . The citys football team is VfL Osnabrück , founded in 1899 . Its basketball team was founded the same year . 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 . An extensive bus network operated by the Stadtwerke Osnabrück ( public utility provider ) provides public transport within the city and the surrounding region . 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 : Twin towns – sister cities . Osnabrück is twinned with : - 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 . 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 . 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 & commerce . - Albert Suho ( c . 1380 – c . 1450 ) , clergyman , theologian , historian - Friedrich Staphylus ( 1512–1564 ) , theologian - Johann Wilhelm Petersen ( 1649–1727 ) , evangelical theologian - Ernest Augustus , Duke of York and Albany ( 1674–1728 ) , brother of George I of Great Britain - 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 - Ernst zu Münster ( 1766–1839 ) , politician , statesman in the service of House of Hannover - Bernhard Rudolf Abeken ( 1780–1866 ) , philologist - Karl Fortlage ( 1806–1881 ) , philosopher - Heinrich Abeken ( 1809–1872 ) , evangelical theologian - Friedrich Blass ( 1843–1907 ) , classical scholar - Friedrich Westmeyer ( 1873–1917 ) , politician and trade unionist - Walter Warlimont ( 1894–1976 ) , General of the Artillery - Elfriede Scholz ( 1903–1943 ) , victim of national socialism - 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 - Reinhold Remmert ( 1930–2016 ) , mathematician - Jürgen Kühling ( 1934–2019 ) , lawyer , former judge at the Federal Constitutional Court - Inge Schmitz-Feuerhake ( born 1935 ) , physicist and mathematician - Rudolf Seiters ( born 1937 ) , politician ( CDU ) , Vice-President of the Bundestag 1998–2002 - Hans Huchzermeyer ( born 1939 ) , physician and musicologist - 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 ) - Christian Wulff ( born 1959 ) , politician and lawyer , President of Germany from 2010 to 2012 - Sabine R . Huebner ( born 1976 ) , ancient historian The Arts . - Gerlach Flicke ( c . 1500–1558 ) , painter - John Closterman ( 1660–1711 ) , portrait painter - Friedrich Clemens Gerke ( 1801–1888 ) , writer , journalist and pioneer of telegraphy - August von Kreling ( 1819–1876 ) , painter and sculptor - Alfred Runge ( 1881–1946 ) , architect - Erich Maria Remarque ( 1898–1970 ) , writer - Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart ( 1899–1962 ) , painter - Mathias Wieman ( 1902–1969 ) , actor - Felix Nussbaum ( 1904–1944 ) , surrealist painter - Herbert Tiede ( 1915–1987 ) , actor - Benno Sterzenbach ( 1916–1985 ) , actor - Ursula Levy ( born 1935 ) , American author , child psychologist and Holocaust survivor - Birgitta Tolksdorf ( born 1947 ) , German-American actress - Evelyn Herlitzius ( born 1963 ) , opera singer - Gentleman ( born 1974 ) , reggae musician - Robin Schulz ( born 1987 ) , musician , DJ and record producer - Waterdown ( 1999–2012 ) , hardcore punk band