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Osterholz

Statistics
State:Lower Saxony
Adm. Region:Lüneburg
Capital:Osterholz-Scharmbeck
Area:651 km²
Inhabitants:112,000 (2003)
pop. density:172 inh./km²
Car identification:OHZ
Website:landkreis-osterholz.de
Map

Osterholz is a district 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.

Table of contents
1 History
2 Geography
3 Coat of arms
4 Towns and municipalities
5 External links

History

Originally ruled by the bishops of Bremen, the region became subordinate to Hanover in 1803. 1866 the kingdom of Hanover fell to Prussia. The Prussian administration established districts in 1885, among them the district of Osterholz.

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 Hamme river, which runs through the district from north to south to join the Wümme river. The Wümme forming the southern border is a tributary of the Weser river; the Weser forms the western border of Osterholz.

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

Towns and municipalities

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

External links