OSNABRüCK (DISTRICT)

'Osnabrück' () is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Emsland, Cloppenburg, Vechta and Diepholz, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (districts Minden-Lübbecke, Herford, Gütersloh, Warendorf and Steinfurt) and the city of Osnabrück.

Contents

History

Geography

Coat of arms

Towns and municipalities

External links

History

The district is almost identical to the bishopric principality of Osnabrück which existed until 1803. When the clerical states of Germany were dissolved, Osnabrück became subordinate to Kingdom of Hanover, which in turn fell to Prussia in 1866. The district was established in 1972 by merging four former districts (Osnabrück, Melle, Bersenbrück, Wittlage).

Geography

The landscape is characterised by two mountain chains: the Wiehengebirge in the north and the northern foothills of the Teutoburg Forest in the south. These chains enclose the city of Osnabrück.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays the Bennoturm ("Benno's Tower") of Bad Iburg, which served as the fortress of the bishops until 1673. There is also a wheel displayed in the coat of arms, which is the heraldic symbol of the city of Osnabrück.

Towns and municipalities

Towns	Free municipalities	Samtgemeinden
#Bad Iburg#Bramsche#Dissen#Georgsmarienhütte#Melle	#Bad Essen#Bad Laer#Bad Rothenfelde#Belm#Bissendorf#Bohmte#Glandorf#Hagen#Hasbergen#Hilter#Ostercappeln#Wallenhorst	★ '1. Artland'# Badbergen # Menslage # Nortrup # Quakenbrück1, 2 ★ '2. Bersenbrück'# Alfhausen # Ankum # Bersenbrück1, 2# Eggermühlen # Gehrde # Kettenkamp# Rieste	★ '3. Fürstenau'# Berge # Bippen # Fürstenau1, 2 ★ '4. Neuenkirchen'# Merzen # Neuenkirchen1 # Voltlage
		1seat of the Samtgemeinde; 2 town

External links

★ Official website (German, English, Dutch, Polish, Russian)