Oldenburg

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Coordinates: 53°8′N 8°13′E

Oldenburg
Coat of arms of Oldenburg Location of Oldenburg in Germany
Country Germany
State Lower Saxony
District urban district
Population 158,341 source (2005)
Area 102.96 km²
Population density 1,538 /km²
Elevation 5 m
Coordinates 53°8′ N 8°13′ E
Postal code 26001-26135
Area code 0441
Licence plate code OL
Mayor Gerd Schwandner (No party, supported by the CDU)
Website oldenburg.de

Oldenburg (Low German: Ollnborg) is an Independent City in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 158,341 (as of 2005) which makes it the fourth biggest in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Brunswick and Osnabrück. In German, the city is known officially as Oldenburg (Oldenburg) or Oldenburg (Oldb) to distinguish it from Oldenburg, Schleswig-Holstein.

Contents

[edit] History

Castle Oldenburg
Castle Oldenburg

The town was first mentioned in 1108, at that time known under the name of Aldenburg. It became important due to its location at a ford of the navigable Hunte River. Oldenburg became the capital of the County of Oldenburg (later a Duchy, Grand Duchy and Republic), a small state in the shadow of the much more powerful Hanseatic city of Bremen.

Guard house and the Lamberti-Church
Guard house and the Lamberti-Church

In the 17th century, Oldenburg was a wealthy town in a time of war and turmoil and its population and power grew considerably. In 1667 the town was struck by a disastrous plague epidemic and, shortly after, a fire destroyed Oldenburg. The Danish kings, who were also counts of Oldenburg at the time, were not much interested in the condition of the town and it lost most of its former importance. In 1773, Danish rule ended. It was only then that the destroyed buildings in the city were rebuilt in a Classicist style.

In 1893 a canal connecting the Hunte and the Ems rivers was finished connecting the port of Oldenburg with the North Sea which greatly increased the city's economic importance.

In 1945 after World War II, Oldenburg grew to more than 100,000 inhabitants when refugees migrated into the city that was only sparingly bombed during World War II. In 1946, Oldenburg became part of the new German Land of Lower Saxony.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

[edit] Demography

Demographic evolution of Oldenburg between 1502 and 1900
1502 1667 1702 1769 1816 1828 1837 1855 1871 1880 1890 1900
~ 2,300 ~ 4,300 ~ 5,000 6,959 6,278 6,800 9,280 11,370 13,928 20,575 23,118 26,635

Up to 1870, it's only estimated data.

Demographic evolution of Oldenburg between 1910 and 2004
1910 1919 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1989 1995 2000 2004
30,242 32,540 55,485 80,605 122,809 122,337 131,545 136,764 140,785 151,382 154,832 158,394

[edit] Economy and Infrastructure

[edit] Traffic

The city centre of Oldenburg is surrounded by a ring of highways (Autobahnen) consisting of A28, A29 and A293. Oldenburg is part of the railway connections between Norddeich-Leer-Oldenburg-Bremen and Wilhelmshaven-Oldenburg-Osnabrück. InterCity railway connections to Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden and an InterCityExpress connection to Frankfurt exist.

Oldenburg is connected to shipping through the Küstenkanal, a ship canal connecting the rivers Ems and Weser. With 1.6 Million tons of goods annually it is the most important non-coastal harbour in Lower Saxony.

Bicycles play a very important part in personal transport.

Because of its close proximity to the city of Bremen, the city is only about half an hour drive from the Bremen Airport.

Oldenburg castle (used as a museum today)
Oldenburg castle (used as a museum today)

[edit] Media

  • Nordwest-Zeitung, daily newspaper for the region
  • Oldenburger Sonntagszeitung, weekly newspaper
  • Huntereport, weekly newspaper
  • Mox, fortnightly information magazine
  • Oldenburger Stachel, alternative monthly newspaper
  • sisol, school information
  • Oldenburg Eins, local semi-open TV and Radio station

[edit] Education

[edit] Agriculture

The city is in a largely agricultural area. There are farms near and even in the city. Common agricultural activities are the cultivation of livestock (especially dairy cows and other grazing animals) and crops such as asparagus, corn, and kale.

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Honorary Citizens

In 1937 Adolf Hitler and Carl Röver were made honorary citizens, but this was reverted in 1948

  • 2006: Mike Oldenburg, Rich Prosecutor, Genius person Died 2???

[edit] Famous People from Oldenburg

[edit] Famous People who worked in Oldenburg

Johannes Ullrich Model and Singer

[edit] External links

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