Osnabrck: Germany
Osnabrck is a city in the Westphalian half of Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80km NNW of Dortmund, 45km NNW of Mnster, and some 100km due West of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehengebirge and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest, which is a series of parallel ridges running SE towards Bielefeld and beyond to Detmold, that makes the generally pretty area attractive to bicycle riders, amongst others. As of June 30, 2002, its population was 163,919, making it the third largest city in Lower Saxony.
History
Osnabrck was founded in 780 by Charlemagne, king of the Franks, although the date is not entirely certain. Some time before 803, the city became a bishopric. This date is also uncertain, but it makes Osnabrck the oldest bishopric in Saxony. In 889 it was given merchant, customs, and coinage privileges by King Arnulf of Carinthia. It is first mentioned as a “city” in records in 1147. Shortly afterwards, in 1157, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted the city fortification privileges (Befestigungsrecht). Most of the towers that were part of the medieval fortification are still visible in the city. Osnabrck became a member of the Hanseatic League in the 12th century, as well as a member of the Westphalian Federation of Cities.
Related Travel Information
Siegen: Germany
Siegen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Siegen-Wittgenstein. As of December 31, 2003 it has a population of 106,143.
Twinned cities:
Berlin-Spandau, Germany, since 1952
Rijnsburg, the Netherlands, since 1963
Leeds, since 1966
Ypres, Belgium, since 1967
Zakopane, Poland, since 1989
Plauen, Saxony, Germany, since 1990
Recklinghausen: Germany
Recklinghausen is a city in the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 123.562 inhabitants as of June 30, 2003 it is the capital of the district Recklinghausen.
Heilbronn: Germany
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart. This district-free city is completely surrounded by the district Heilbronn. It is located on the river Neckar . As of 2004, it has ~120,900 inhabitants.
Heilbronn was first mentioned as Helibrunna in 741. In 1281, it was declared city by Rudolph I.
Mülheim an der Ruhr: Germany
Mülheim an der Ruhr is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between Duisburg and Essen, 20 km to the north-east of Düsseldorf. Geographical location 51°26? N 6°53? E.
Its population is 170.745 (status 12/31/2003). The city covers about 91.26 km² and is between 26.0 and 152.7 m above sea level.
Witten: Germany
Witten is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany in the southern Ruhr area in the Ruhr valley. It was first mentioned in historic sources in 1214, however the borough Herbede (which was incorporated into the city in 1975) even dates back to 851. The city was a mining town from 1578.
Witten is twinned with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, UK
