Osnabrück (district) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Osnabrück
District
Coat of arms
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
Capital	Osnabrück
Area
• Total	2,122 km2 (819 sq mi)
Population  (2003)
• Total	357,300
• Density	168.38/km2 (436.10/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Vehicle registration	OS
Website	http://www.lkos.de

The Osnabrück district is a region in Lower Saxony, Germany. It's like a county in other countries. This district is close to other areas in Lower Saxony, such as Emsland, Cloppenburg, Vechta, and Diepholz. It also borders parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, including the districts of Minden-Lübbecke, Herford, Gütersloh, Warendorf, and Steinfurt. The big city of Osnabrück is also right next to the district.

History of Osnabrück District

The Osnabrück district we know today is very similar to an old area called the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück. This special region existed until the year 1803. Back then, it was ruled by a prince-bishop, who was both a religious leader and a ruler of the land.

When many church-ruled states in Germany were ended, Osnabrück became part of the Kingdom of Hanover. Later, in 1866, the Kingdom of Hanover became part of Prussia.

The modern Osnabrück district was officially created in 1972. This happened when four older districts – Osnabrück, Melle, Bersenbrück, and Wittlage – joined together.

Geography of Osnabrück

The Osnabrück district has a unique landscape. You'll find two main mountain ranges here. In the northern part, there's the Wiehengebirge (say: VEE-hen-geh-beer-guh). In the south, you'll see the northern edges of the Teutoburg Forest (say: TOY-toh-burg).

These two mountain chains form a kind of circle around the central Osnabrück city. This makes the area quite scenic with hills and forests.

Symbols of the District

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Osnabrück district.

The coat of arms (like a special symbol or badge) for the Osnabrück district tells a story. It shows the Bennoturm, which means "Benno's Tower." This tower is part of a castle in Bad Iburg. It was used as a strong fortress by the bishops until 1673.

You can also see a wheel on the coat of arms. This wheel is a very old symbol for the City of Osnabrück itself. It represents the city's history and importance.

Towns and Villages in Osnabrück District

The Osnabrück district is made up of many different cities and smaller communities. These are organized into different types of areas.

Cities

• Bad Iburg
• Bramsche
• Dissen
• Georgsmarienhütte
• Melle

Free Municipalities

These are towns and villages that manage themselves directly.

• Bad Essen
• Bad Laer
• Bad Rothenfelde
• Belm
• Bissendorf
• Bohmte
• Glandorf
• Hagen
• Hasbergen
• Hilter
• Ostercappeln
• Wallenhorst

Samtgemeinden (Joint Municipalities)

A Samtgemeinde is a group of smaller towns and villages that work together on some services. Each group has a main town where their offices are located.

• 1. Artland
  • Badbergen
  • Menslage
  • Nortrup
  • Quakenbrück (This is the main town and also a city)

• 2. Bersenbrück
  • Alfhausen
  • Ankum
  • Bersenbrück (This is the main town and also a city)
  • Eggermühlen
  • Gehrde
  • Kettenkamp
  • Rieste

• 3. Fürstenau
  • Berge
  • Bippen
  • Fürstenau (This is the main town and also a city)

• 4. Neuenkirchen
  • Merzen
  • Neuenkirchen (This is the main town)
  • Voltlage

See also

In Spanish: Distrito de Osnabrück para niños