Osterholz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Osterholz

Map of Lower Saxony highlighting the district Osterholz
State Lower Saxony
County seat Osterholz-Scharmbeck
Area 651 km²
Population 112,000 (2003)
pop. density 172 inh./km²
Car identification OHZ
Web page landkreis-osterholz.de

Osterholz is a district (Landkreis) in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Wesermarsch, Cuxhaven, Rotenburg and Verden, and by the city of Bremen.

Contents

[edit] History

Originally ruled by the archbishops of Bremen, the region became part of Hanover in 1803. In 1866 the Kingdom of Hanover fell to Prussia. The Prussian administration established districts in 1885, among them the district of Osterholz.

[edit] Geography

The southern part of the district is part of the Bremen metropolitan area. In the north there is the Teufelsmoor ("Devil's fen"), one of the largest existing fens in Germany. Large marshes extend on both sides of the River Hamme, which runs through the district from north to south to join the River Wümme. The Wümme forms the southern border and is a tributary of the Weser; the Weser forms the western border of Osterholz.

[edit] Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays:

  • the heraldic key from the arms of Bremen
  • a ship on the water, symbolising the peat ships of the 19th century

[edit] Towns and municipalities

Cities Samtgemeinden Free municipalities
  1. Osterholz-Scharmbeck
  1. Hambergen
  1. Grasberg
  2. Lilienthal
  3. Ritterhude
  4. Schwanewede
  5. Worpswede

[edit] External links


Flag of Lower Saxony
Urban and rural districts in the
Federal State of Lower Saxony in Germany
Flag of Germany

Region

Hanover

Urban
districts

Brunswick | Delmenhorst | Emden | Oldenburg | Osnabrück | Salzgitter | Wilhelmshaven | Wolfsburg

Rural
districts

Ammerland | Aurich | Grafschaft Bentheim | Celle | Cloppenburg | Cuxhaven | Diepholz | Emsland | Friesland | Gifhorn | Goslar | Göttingen | Hamelin-Pyrmont | Harburg | Helmstedt | Hildesheim | Holzminden | Leer | Lüchow-Dannenberg | Lüneburg | Nienburg | Northeim | Oldenburg | Osnabrück | Osterholz | Osterode | Peine | Rotenburg | Schaumburg | Soltau-Fallingbostel | Stade | Uelzen | Vechta | Verden | Wesermarsch | Wittmund | Wolfenbüttel

In other languages