Oldenburg () is an
independent city
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
in the state of
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
, Germany. The city is officially named Oldenburg (Oldb) (''Oldenburg in Oldenburg'') to distinguish from
Oldenburg in Holstein
Oldenburg in Holstein () is a town at the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea. The nearest city is Lübeck. The town belongs to the (historical) region of Holstein, today in the state Schleswig-Holstein of Germany.
Oldenburg was the chief tow ...
.
During the French annexation (1811–1813) in the wake of the
Napoleonic war
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
against Britain, it was also known as ''Le Vieux-Bourg'' in French. The city is at the rivers
Hunte
Hunte is a long river in north-western Germany (Lower Saxony), a left tributary of the Weser.
The Hunte rises in the Wiehen Hills. In the North German Plain it flows through lake Dümmer. It flows generally northwards through the towns Bad Es ...
and
Haaren, in the northwestern region between the cities of
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
in the east and
Groningen
Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
(Netherlands) in the west. It has a population of 170,000 (November 2019). Oldenburg is part of the
Bremen/Oldenburg Metropolitan Region
The European Northwest Metropolitan Region (german: Metropolregion Nordwest), formerly Metropolitan Region of Bremen/Oldenburg (german: Metropolregion Bremen/Oldenburg) is one of the eleven metropolitan regions in Germany. It covers the area of the ...
, with 2.37 million people.
The city is the place of origin of the
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a Germans, German dynasty with links to Denmark since the 15th century. It has branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Duchy of Schleswig, Schleswig, Duchy ...
. Before the end of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
(1918), it was the administrative centre and residence of the
monarchs of Oldenburg.
History
Archaeological finds point to a settlement dating back to the 8th century. The first documentary evidence, in 1108, referenced ''Aldenburg'' in connection with
Elimar I (also known as Egilmar I) who is now commonly seen as the first count of Oldenburg. The town gained importance due to its location at a
ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
of the navigable Hunte river. Oldenburg became the capital of the
County of Oldenburg
The County of Oldenburg was a county of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1448 Christian I of Denmark (of the House of Oldenburg), Count of Oldenburg became King of Denmark, and later King of Norway and King of Sweden. One of his grandsons, Adolf, D ...
(later a
Duchy
A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a Middle Ages, medieval country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition.
There once exis ...
(1774- 1810),
Grand Duchy
A grand duchy is a sovereign state, country or territory whose official head of state or ruler is a monarch bearing the title of grand duke or grand duchess.
Relatively rare until the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the term was oft ...
(1815–1918), and
Free State (1918–1946)), a small state in the shadow of the much more powerful
Hanseatic
The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=German language, Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Norther ...
city of
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
.
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
Plague or The Plague may refer to:
Agriculture, fauna, and medicine
*Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis''
* An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural)
* A pandemic caused by such a disease
* A swarm of pes ...
epidemic and, shortly after, a fire destroyed Oldenburg. The Danish kings, who were also counts of Oldenburg at the time, had little interest in the condition of the town and it lost most of its former importance. In 1773, Danish rule ended. Only then were the destroyed buildings in the city rebuilt in a
neoclassicist
Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...
style.
[ (]German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
-speakers usually call the "neoclassicist style" of that period ', while ' specifically refers to the classicist style of the early 20th century.)
After the German government announced the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II
Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empir ...
(9 November 1918) following the exhaustion and defeat of the German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
in World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, monarchic rule ended in Oldenburg as well with the abdication of Grand Duke Frederick Augustus II of Oldenburg ''()'' on 11 November 1918. The Grand Duchy now became the Free State of Oldenburg ''(german: Freistaat Oldenburg)'', with the city remaining the capital.
In the 1928 city elections, the Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
received 9.8% of the vote, enough for a seat on the Oldenburg city council. In the September 1930 Oldenburg state elections, the Nazi Party's share of the vote rose to 27.3%, and on May 29, 1932, the Nazi Party received 48.4% in the state election, enough to put the Nazi party in charge of forming a state government and, significantly, making Oldenburg the first state in the country to put the Nazis in power based on electoral turnout. By that autumn, a campaign of Aryanization
Aryanization (german: Arisierung) was the Nazi term for the seizure of property from Jews and its transfer to non-Jews, and the forced expulsion of Jews from economic life in Nazi Germany, Axis-aligned states, and their occupied territories. I ...
began, forcing the sale of formerly Jewish-owned properties at steep discounts.
In 1945, after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the State of Oldenburg became part of the British zone of occupation
Germany was already de facto occupied by the Allies from the real fall of Nazi Germany in World War II on 8 May 1945 to the establishment of the East Germany on 7 October 1949. The Allies (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and France ...
. The British military government of the Oldenburg region resided in the city. Several displaced-persons camps were set up in the city that had suffered only 1.4% destruction during the bombing campaigns of World War II. About 42,000 refugees migrated into Oldenburg, which raised the number of residents to over 100,000. In 1946 the Free State of Oldenburg was dissolved and the area became the 'Administrative District' of Oldenburg ''()'' within the newly formed federal German state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
''()''. The city was now capital of the district. In 1978 the district was dissolved and succeeded by the newly formed Weser-Ems
The Regierungsbezirk Weser-Ems was the most westerly of the four administrative regions of Lower Saxony, Germany, bordering on the Dutch provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel. It was established in 1978 by merging the former regions Osnab ...
administrative region ''()'', again with the city as administrative capital. The state of Lower Saxony dissolved all of the by the end of 2004 in the course of administrative reforms.
City government
Local elections take place every five years. The city council ''(Stadtrat)'' has 50 seats. The lord mayor ''(Oberbürgermeister)'' is elected directly by the citizens.
Economy and infrastructure
Transport
The city centre of Oldenburg is surrounded by a ring of freeways (autobahns
The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...
) consisting of A 28, A 29 and A 293. Because of this, Oldenburg is connected to the nationwide network of federal autobahns, as well as to the international E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads cross national borders. It also reaches Centr ...
(German: ''Europastraßen'').
Oldenburg Central Station
Oldenburg Hauptbahnhof (originally ''Oldenburg Centralbahnhof'') is the main passenger station in the city of Oldenburg in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is a through station, with seven platform tracks. Its large reception hall was built ...
, ''Oldenburg (Oldb) Hauptbahnhof'', is at the intersection of the railway lines Norddeich Mole
Norddeich Mole is a railway station located in Norddeich, Lower Saxony, Germany. The station is located on the Emsland Railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn.
Norddeich Mole is a port for combined passenger and car ferrie ...
— Leer—Oldenburg—Bremen and Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...
—Oldenburg—Osnabrück, with Intercity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
services to Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
and Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
and InterCityExpress
The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...
services to Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
and Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
.
Oldenburg is only about half an hour drive from Bremen Airport
Bremen Airport (German: ''Flughafen Bremen'', ) is the international airport of the city and state of Bremen in Northern Germany. It is located south of the city and handled 2.66 million passengers in 2015. It mainly features flights to Europ ...
(about 50 km , 31 miles). Other international airports nearby are Hamburg Airport
Hamburg Airport , known in German as ''Flughafen Hamburg'', is a major international airport in Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany. Since November 2016 the airport has been christened after the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt. ...
(160 km , 100 miles) and Hannover-Langenhagen Airport
Hannover Airport is the international airport of Hanover, capital of the German state of Lower Saxony. The ninth largest airport in Germany, it is in Langenhagen, north of the centre of Hanover. The airport has flights to European metropol ...
(170 km , 106 miles).
The small Hatten
Hatten is a municipality in Oldenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated southeast of Oldenburg, on the North-West edge of the Wildeshausen Geest Nature Park.
Activities
Tourism endeavours emphasise the recreational and sporting opportun ...
Airfield,
Flugplatz Oldenburg-Hatten
ICAO airport code
The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-letter code designating aerodromes around the world. These codes, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization and published in ICAO Document 7910: ''Location Indicators'', ...
: EDWH), is located about 17 km south-west of Oldenburg. It serves to small aircraft (private planes, gliders, balloons, and helicopters). A flight training school is also located there, and small planes can be chartered. Scenic flights can be booked as well.
Oldenburg is connected to shipping through the Küstenkanal, a ship canal
A ship canal is a canal especially intended to accommodate ships used on the oceans, seas, or lakes to which it is connected.
Definition
Ship canals can be distinguished from barge canals, which are intended to carry barges and other vessel ...
connecting the rivers Ems and Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Bre ...
. With 1.6 million tons of goods annually, it is the most important non-coastal harbour in Lower Saxony.
Bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bic ...
s play a very important part in personal transport.
Agriculture
The city is surrounded by large agricultural areas, about 80% of which is grassland. There are farms near and even a few within city limits. Predominant agricultural activities of the region are the cultivation of livestock, especially dairy cows and other grazing animals, crops such as grains for food and animal feed, as well as asparagus, corn, and kale.
Industry
Sea salt production in the Oldenburg region has been used since the 15th century to supply the huge salt demand in the Baltic region. Peat extraction in the area continued for many centuries until it was replaced by coal mines.
Demographics
As of 31.12.2019 Oldenburg had 169,960 residents. 24.8% of the population were first or second generation immigrants.
Cultural life
Recurring cultural events
* ''Kultursommer'' (summer of culture), series of free musical and other cultural events in the city centre during summer holiday season in July.
* ''CSD Nordwest (Christopher Street Day)'' parade of the regional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community in June, with up to 10,000 participants (since 1995).
* ''Stadtfest'', a three-day festival of the city centre in August/September, comprises gastronomical offerings and rock and pop music performances on various stages.
* ''Oldenburg International Film Festival
The Oldenburg International Film Festival has covered the international movie scene in all aspects since 1994. It is situated in Oldenburg, Germany. Its open-minded approach leads to a mixture of movie premieres and original independent production ...
'', privately organised film festival
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...
in September, focussed on independent film
An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
and film makers. The festival is funded through public subsidies and private sponsoring.
* ''Kramermarkt'', fun fair at the Weser-Ems Halle on ten days in September/October. The tradition of this annual volksfest
A Volksfest ( ; German for "people's festival")Cognate of "folk festival" in English is a large event in German-speaking countries which usually combines a beer festival or wine festival and a travelling funfair. Attractions may include amusement ...
dates back to the 17th century, when the Kramermarkt was a market event at the end of the harvest.
* ''Oldenburger Kinder- und Jugendbuchmesse (KIBUM)'', an exhibition of new German language
German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...
children's and youth literature, takes place over 11 days in November. A non-commercial fair organised by the city government in cooperation with the public library and the university library. In the course of the fair, a prize, the ''Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis'', is awarded to a debuting author or illustrator.
Points of interest
* Core city centre, large pedestrianized shopping destination for the region.
* Oldenburg State Theatre
The Oldenburgisches Staatstheater (Oldenburg State Theatre) is a German theater in the city of Oldenburg, Lower Saxony.
Beginnings
The theatre was first opened in the times of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, on 1 February 1833. At that time it was ...
, oldest mainstream theatre in Oldenburg, first opened in 1833.
* Schloss Oldenburg
Schloss Oldenburg (Oldenburg palace) is a schloss, or palace, in the city of Oldenburg in the present-day state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the former residence of the counts (1667–1785), dukes (1785–1815) and grand dukes (1815–1918) o ...
in the city centre, until 1918 residence of the monarchic rulers of Oldenburg, today a museum. A public park, the ''Schlossgarten'', is nearby.
* Weser-Ems Halle, exhibition and congress centre with outdoor fair area, located in Oldenburg Donnerschwee.
* Small EWE Arena and Large EWE Arena
Large means of great size.
Large may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Arbitrarily large, a phrase in mathematics
* Large cardinal, a property of certain transfinite numbers
* Large category, a category with a proper class of objects and morphisms (o ...
, two sports and event halls located near the main railway station, opened in 2005 and 2013, and seating up to 4,000 and 6,852 visitors respectively. The large arena is also home to the ''EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Baskets Oldenburg, for sponsorship reasons EWE Baskets Oldenburg, is a professional basketball club that is based in the city of Oldenburg, Germany. The club plays in the Bundesliga. The club's name is derived from the team's main sponsor EWE AG, ...
'' basketball club.
Lutheran community
Oldenburg is the seat of administration and bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg (german: Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Oldenburg) is a Lutheran church in the German state of Lower Saxony.
The seat of the church leaders is in Oldenburg, as is the preaching venue of its bishop at St L ...
, whose preaching venue is the St Lamberti Church
St. Lambert's Church (in German language, German: ''St Lamberti-Kirche'') is the main Evangelical Lutheran church (building), church in the centre of the city of Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Overview
The church is named aft ...
.
Jewish community
The history of the Jewish community of Oldenburg dates back to the 14th century. Towards and during the 19th century, the Jews in Oldenburg were always around 1% of the total population, and by that time had acquired their own synagogue, cemetery and school. Most of them were merchants and businessmen. On 1938 Kristallnacht
() or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from ...
, the town men were led to Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen () or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a German Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used from 1936 until April 1945, shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May later that year. It mainly held political prisoners ...
, among them Leo Trepp
Leo Trepp (March 4, 1913 – September 2, 2010) was a German-born American rabbi who was the last surviving rabbi who had led a congregation in Nazi Germany during the early days of The Holocaust. Early life and work
Trepp was born on March 4, ...
, the community Rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
who survived and later became an honorary citizen of Oldenburg and honored by a street named after him. Since 1981 an annual commemoration walk (Erinnerungsgang) has been held by Oldenburg citizens in memory of the deportation of the Oldenburg Jews on November 10, 1938. Those who remained after 1938 emigrated to Canada, USA, United Kingdom, Holland or Mandatory Palestine.
After World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a group of survivors returned to the city and maintained a small community until it was dissolved during the 1970s. Nevertheless, due to Jewish emigration from the former USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
to Germany in the 1990s, a community of about 340 people is now maintaining its own synagogue, cemetery and other facilities. The old Jewish cemetery, which is no longer active after the opening of a new one, was desecrated twice in 2011 and 2013.
Media
Print
Nordwest-Zeitung (NWZ)
Oldenburg-based daily newspaper, also provides local editions in neighbouring counties
* Free weekly newspapers delivered to households, mainly for ads and inserts: Hunte-Report (Wednesdays+Sundays), Sonntagszeitung (Sundays).
Diabolo
free weekly city magazine / listings magazine
A listings magazine is a magazine which is largely dedicated to information about the upcoming week's events such as broadcast programming, music, clubs, theatre and film information.
The BBC's ''Radio Times'' was the world's first listings m ...
Mox
free biweekly event listings magazine (from the same publisher as Diabolo)
Alhambra-Zeitung
bimonthly leftist, anti-fascist magazine
Oldenburger Stachel
local alternative magazine (discontinued)
Oldenburgische Wirtschaft
monthly magazine of the Oldenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer)
Radio and television
Oldenburg Eins
non-commercial public-access cable TV and radio station (live streams available online)
* Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), public TV and radio broadcaster (part of the ARD), maintains a regional studio in Oldenburg.
* Radio FFN, commercial radio broadcaster, maintains a regional studio located in the NWZ building.
Online
Nordwest-Zeitung TV
Local video news clips published by the Nordwest-Zeitung
Education
Tertiary education
There are two public universities
A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national university ...
in Oldenburg:
* The Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
The Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (german: Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg) is a university located in Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg, Germany. It is one of the most important and highly regarded educational facilities in no ...
was founded in 1973 based on a previous college for teacher training, the ''Pädagogische Hochschule Oldenburg'', which had a history in Oldenburg dating back to 1793. The university was officially named after Carl von Ossietzky
Carl von Ossietzky (; 3 October 1889 – 4 May 1938) was a German journalist and pacifist. He was the recipient of the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in exposing the clandestine German re-armament.
As editor-in-chief of the magazine ''Die ...
in 1991. As of 2014, it has almost 13,746 students, a scientific staff of 1,130, as well as 964 technical and administrative staff. A new faculty of medicine and health sciences was established in 2012 as part of the newly founded ''European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen'', a cooperation with the University of Groningen
The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a Public university#Continental Europe, public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen (city), Groningen in ...
(Netherlands) and local hospitals.
* The Jade University of Applied Sciences
The Jade University of Applied Sciences (german: Jade Hochschule) is a public university in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was founded in 2009 as a successor to the ''Fachhochschule Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven''. The university has campuses in ...
(Jade-Hochschule) The former ''Fachhochschule Oldenburg'' (until 1999) was founded in 1971, a merger of the previous engineering academy with the nautical college in Elsfleth
Elsfleth () is a town in the district of Wesermarsch, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the Hunte with the Weser, on the left bank of the Weser.
It has a school of navigation (university of applied sciences), a harbour an ...
. Oldenburg already had a history of construction engineering training dating back to 1882. Starting in 2000, the Fachhochschule had been part of multiple re-organisations involving several UAS (Fachhochschule) in the northwestern region. A relaunch under the name ''Jade-Hochschule'' took place in 2009 (previously: ''Fachhochschule Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven''). The Jade-Hochschule now comprises branches in three towns: Oldenburg, Elsfleth, and Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...
. Based in Oldenburg are the departments of architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
, construction engineering and construction management
Construction management (CM) is a professional service that uses specialized, project management techniques and software to oversee the planning, design, construction and closeout of a project. The purpose of Construction management is to control ...
, geodesy
Geodesy ( ) is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure (geometric shape and size), orientation in space, and gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properties change over time and equivale ...
, as well as the institute of hearing aid technology and audiology
Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , ''-logia'') is a branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Audiologists treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage. By employing various ...
. There are about 2,000 students in the Oldenburg branch. (The Elsfleth branch offers bachelor's degree courses in nautical science, international logistics, and harbour management. The Wilhelmshaven branch offers courses in engineering, business management, and media management.)
Privately managed institutions of higher education:
* Founded in 2004, th
IBS IT & Business School Oldenburg
(forme
Berufsakademie Oldenburg
, a college of cooperative education
Cooperative education (or co-operative education) is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for struct ...
, offers a B.Sc.
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
degree course in business informatics and a B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree course in business studies
Business studies, often simply called business, is a field of study that deals with the principles of business, management, and economics. It combines elements of accountancy, finance, marketing, organizational studies, human resource management, a ...
. The dual-system course combines practical vocational training at one of the partnering local companies with periods of academic studies.
* Th
Private Fachhochschule für Wirtschaft und Technik
a regional college of cooperative education
Cooperative education (or co-operative education) is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for struct ...
, maintains a branch in Oldenburg offering bachelor's degree courses with integrated vocational training in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
and mechatronics
Mechatronics engineering also called mechatronics, is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the integration of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, ...
.
Other:
* The Oldenburg branch of the Lower Saxony police academy
Polizeiakademie Niedersachsen
maintains a study facility in Oldenburg preparing candidates for a career in higher-middle-level or higher-level police service.
Primary and secondary education
* Gymnasium Graf-Anton-Guenther School
The Graf-Anton-Guenther School is a Gymnasium (school), Gymnasium in Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg, Lower-Saxony, established in 1920. Over 1600 students attend the school in the City of Oldenburg. The school is named after the last Count of Oldenbu ...
* Wirtschaftsgymnasium Oldenburg
* Cäcilienschule Oldenburg
* Liebfrauenschule Oldenburg
* Herbartgymnasium Oldenburg
* Altes Gymnasium Oldenburg
* Neues Gymnasium Oldenburg
* Gymnasium Eversten
* IGS Flötenteich
* Helene Lange Schule Oldenburg (IGS)
* Realschule Hochheider Weg
* Real- und Hauptschule Osternburg
* Realschule Ofenerdiek
* Kath. Grundschule Lerigauweg
Sports
Oldenburg hosted the 2007 Fistball World Championship.
It has two football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
teams, VfB Oldenburg
VfB Oldenburg is a German association football club based in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony. In the 2022–23 season, they play in the 3. Liga, the third level of football in Germany.
History
Founded by a group of high school boys as ''FC 1897 Ol ...
and VfL Oldenburg
VfL Oldenburg is a German sports club from the town of Oldenburg, Lower Saxony which is best known for its football team, which plays in the Niedersachsenliga, the fifth level of the German football league system. The club has over 2,000 me ...
, who also have a handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
section of the same name.
Moreover, Oldenburg is home to the basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Baskets Oldenburg, for sponsorship reasons EWE Baskets Oldenburg, is a professional basketball club that is based in the city of Oldenburg, Germany. The club plays in the Bundesliga. The club's name is derived from the team's main sponsor EWE AG, ...
.
Twin towns – sister cities
Oldenburg is twinned with:
* Høje-Taastrup, Denmark (1978)
* Cholet
Cholet (, , probably from Latin language, Latin ''cauletum'', "cabbage") is a Communes of France, commune of western France in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department. With 54,307 inhabitants (2019), it is the second most populous c ...
, France (1985)
* Groningen
Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
, Netherlands (1989)
* Makhachkala
Makhachkala ( rus, Махачкала, , məxətɕkɐˈla, links=yes),; av, Махӏачхъала, Maħaçqala; ce, ХӀинжа-ГӀала, Hinƶa-Ġala; az, Маһачгала, Mahaçqala; nog, Махачкала; lbe, Махачкъала; ...
, Russia (1989)
* Rügen (district)
Rügen was a ''Kreis'' (district) in the northeastern part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany.
The district was bordered entirely by the Baltic Sea. The nearest districts were Nordvorpommern and the district-free city Stralsund. The dis ...
, Germany (1990)
* Mateh Asher, Israel (1996)
* Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as ...
, England, United Kingdom (2010)
* Buffalo City, South Africa (2012)
* Qingdao
Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...
, China (2014)
* Xi'an
Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...
, China (2017)
Notable people
*Christian I of Denmark
Christian I (February 1426 – 21 May 1481) was a Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union. He was king of Denmark (1448–1481), Norway (1450–1481) and Sweden (1457–1464). From 1460 to 1481, he was also duke of Schleswig (within Den ...
(1426–1481), King of Denmark
*John V, Count of Oldenburg
John V, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst (also counted as John XIV, including also non-ruling namesake siblings; 1460, Oldenburg – 10 February 1526, Oldenburg) was a member of the House of Oldenburg. He was the ruling Count of Oldenburg from ...
(1460–1526), Count of Oldenburg
* Martin Zaagmolen (? –c.1669), Dutch painter
*Friedrich Karl Hermann Kruse
Friedrich Karl Hermann Kruse (21 July 1790 – 3 August 1866) was a German historian born in Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg.
In 1813 he obtained his doctorate from the University of Leipzig. Beginning in 1816 he taught classes at Maria Magdalena ...
(1790–1866), historian
*Sophie Löwe
Johanna Sophie Christiane Löwe (24 March 1815 – 29 November 1866) was a German opera soprano, active mainly in Vienna and Berlin, and a Princess of Liechtenstein by marriage. She was one of the most famous German opera singers of her time.'' M ...
(1815–1866), opera soprano
*Isaac Friedlander
Isaac Friedlander (1823–1878) was a wheat broker and major early California land speculator who was known as the Wheat King or the Grain King.
Biography
Friedlander was born in Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg, Germany, but as a child moved to Ch ...
(1823–1878), American wheat broker and California land speculator
*Reinhard Schlichting
Reinhart Frederick George Schlichting (May 23, 1835July 6, 1897) was a German American immigrant, businessman, and Democratic politician. He served two years in the Wisconsin State Senate representing Calumet County and southern Outagamie County ...
(1835–1897), American manufacturer and politician in Wisconsin
*Helene Lange
Helene Lange (9 April 1848 in Oldenburg – 13 May 1930 in Berlin) was a pedagogue and feminist. She is a symbolic figure of the international and German civil rights feminist movement. In the years from 1919 to 1921 she was a member of the Hamb ...
(1848–1930), politician, educator and suffragist
*Diedrich A. W. Rulfs
Diedrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs (March 6, 1848 – February 14, 1926)''Louisiana, Statewide Death Index, 1819-1964'' was a German-American architect in Nacogdoches, Texas. Rulfs "is aptly called Nacogdoches' master architect for his work in the ci ...
(1848-1926), Architect
*August Dinklage
August Georg Dinklage (3 September 184920 April 1920) was a German architect and building official.
Life
August Dinklage was born in Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg shortly after the conservative Grand Duchy of Oldenburg had been relatively lightly ...
(1849–1920), architect and buildings official
*August Brauer
August Bernhard Brauer (3 April 186310 September 1917) was a German zoologist.
Brauer was born in Oldenburg. He studied natural sciences at the Universities of Bonn, Berlin and Freiburg, obtaining his doctorate in 1895 with a thesis on the ciliat ...
(1863–1917), zoologist
*Rudolf Heinze
Karl Rudolf Heinze (22 July 1865 – 26 May 1928) was a German jurist and politician. During the Weimar Republic, as a member of the right-of-centre German People's Party (DVP) he was vice-chancellor of Germany and minister of Justice in 1920/21 ...
(1865–1928), jurist and politician
*Karl Jaspers
Karl Theodor Jaspers (, ; 23 February 1883 – 26 February 1969) was a German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher who had a strong influence on modern theology, psychiatry, and philosophy. After being trained in and practicing psychiatry, Jasper ...
(1883–1969), philosopher and writer
*Otto Schultze
Otto Schultze (11 May 1884 – 22 January 1966) was a '' Generaladmiral'' with the ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II and a recipient of the ''Pour le Mérite'' during World War I. The ''Pour le Mérite'' was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest m ...
(1884–1966), Generaladmiral with the Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
*Otto Suhr
Otto Ernst Heinrich Hermann Suhr (17 August 1894 – 30 August 1957) was a German politician as a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He served as the Governing Mayor of Berlin (i.e. West Berlin) from 1955 until his death.
L ...
(1894–1957), politician
*Wilhelm Gideon Wilhelm Gideon (15 November 1898, in Oldenburg – 23 February 1977) was a Schutzstaffel officer and Nazi concentration camp commandant.
A native of Oldenburg in the state of Lower Saxony, Gideon began work as a trainee engineer but had his stud ...
(1898–1977), Nazi SS commandant of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp
, known for =
, location =
, built by =
, operated by =
, commandant =
, original use =
, construction =
, in operation = Summer of 1940 – 14 February 1945
, gas cham ...
*Hermann Behrends
Hermann Johann Heinrich Behrends (11 May 1907 – 4 December 1948) was a Nazi Party member and SS official with the rank of lieutenant general ('' Gruppenführer'').
Born in Rüstringen, Oldenburg, the son of a provincial innkeeper, he was educa ...
(1907–1948), Nazi SS officer executed for war crimes
*Hans Günther Aach
Hans Günther Aach (2 October 1919 – 4 December 1999) was a German botanist.
Life
Aach was born in Oldenburg. He gained his doctorate in March 1952 in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Göttingen. In July 196 ...
(1919–1999), botanist
* Heinz Rökker (1920–2018), WWII fighter pilot
* (born 1927), actor and director
*Ulrike Meinhof
Ulrike Marie Meinhof (7 October 1934 – 9 May 1976) was a German left-wing journalist and founding member of the Red Army Faction (RAF) in West Germany, commonly referred to in the press as the "Baader-Meinhof gang". She is the reputed author ...
(1934–1976), journalist, far-left activist and co-founder of the Red Army Faction
The Red Army Faction (RAF, ; , ),See the section "Name" also known as the Baader–Meinhof Group or Baader–Meinhof Gang (, , active 1970–1998), was a West German far-left Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group founded in 1970.
The ...
*Brigitte Boehme
Brigitte Boehme (born 21 June 1940) is a German lawyer and church administrator. She was the president of the ' (church committee) of the (Bremen Protestant Church) from 2001 to 2013.
Life
Born in Oldenburg, Boehme studied law in Marburg from 1 ...
(born 1940), lawyer and church administrator
* Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski (1949–2013), composer
*Manfred Milinski
Manfred Milinski (born 8 February 1950) is a German biologist who was Director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
Career
He was born in 1950 in Oldenburg. He studied biology and mathematics in Bielefeld and Bochum, went to Oxford ...
(born 1950), biologist and member of the Max Planck Institute
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE)
* Max (gorilla) (1 ...
*Stefan Czapsky
Stefan Czapsky, A.S.C. (born 15 December 1950) is an American cinematographer, best known for his collaborations with director Tim Burton on films like ''Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns,'' and ''Ed Wood,'' for which he won several film critic ...
(born 1950), American cinematographer
*Klaus Modick
Klaus Modick (born 3 May 1951) is a German author and literary translator.
Education and early career
Klaus Modick was born in Oldenburg and completed his secondary education at the Altes Gymnasium there in 1971. He then attended Hamburg Univ ...
(born 1951), author and literary translator
*Rena Niehaus
Rena Niehaus (born 18 December 1954) is a German film actress.
Born in Oldenburg, Rena Niehaus was a minor star in 1970s Italian genre cinema, also appearing in several important "auteur" films as Alberto Lattuada's ''Cuore di cane'' and Eriprand ...
(born 1954), film actress
*Thomas Schütte
Thomas Schütte (born 16 November 1954) is a German contemporary artist. He sculpts, creates architectural designs, and draws. He lives and works in Düsseldorf.
Education
From 1973 to 1981 Schütte studied art at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf al ...
(born 1954), sculptor and draftsman
*Heiko Daxl
Heiko Daxl (21 September 1957 – 21 May 2012) was a German media artist, exhibition curator, art gallery owner and design / art collector. Born in Oldenburg, Germany, he lived and worked in Berlin and Zagreb.
Life
Until 1976 he grew up i ...
(1957–2012), media artist and curator
*Andrea Clausen
Andrea Clausen (born 17 January 1959) is a German stage actress and a member of the Burgtheater ensemble.
Life and theatre career
Born in Oldenburg, Clausen first studied at the acting school of Étienne Decroux in Paris and then at the F ...
(born 1959), stage actress, member of the Burgtheater
The Burgtheater (literally:"Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater"), originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in Vi ...
ensemble
*Bernd Althusmann
Bernd Althusmann (; born 3 December 1966) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Deputy Minister-President and State Minister for Economic Affairs in the government of Minister-President Stephan Weil from 2 ...
(born 1966), politician (CDU)
* Thyra von Westernhagen (born 1973), Hanoverian princess by marriage
* Hasnain Kazim (born 1974), journalist
*Sarah Nemtsov
Sarah Nemtsov (née Reuter, born 28 May 1980) is a German composer.
Nemtsov was born in Oldenburg and now lives in Berlin. She started her music lessons and composing aged eight. She started playing the oboe aged 14. Her compositions are recognizab ...
(née Reuter, born 1980), composer
*Klaas Heufer-Umlauf
Klaas Heufer-Umlauf (born 22 September 1983 in Oldenburg) is a German television host, producer, actor and singer. He is best known as part of the duo Joko & Klaas, alongside Joko Winterscheidt.
Biography
Heufer-Umlauf is a trained hairdresse ...
(born 1983), host and actor
Sport
*Felix Gerritzen
Felix Gerritzen (6 February 1927 – 3 July 2007) was a German footballer who played as a forward for VfB Oldenburg and Preußen Münster
Preußen or Preussen is the German word for Prussia.
It also refers to:
Ships
* ''Preußen'' (ship), ...
(1927–2007), footballer
* Karsten Baumann (born 1969), football player and manager
*Hans-Jörg Butt
Hans-Jörg Butt (; born 28 May 1974) is a German former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Known for taking penalty kicks, and for often running into the opposing penalty box in an attempt to find a winner whenever his team were trailing, h ...
(born 1974), footballer
* Oliver Köhrmann (born 1976), handball player
*Johannes Bitter
Johannes Bitter (born 2 September 1982) is a German handball goalkeeper for HSV Hamburg.
Club career
Bitter started his senior career with SG VTB Altjührden in 1999, before moving to Wilhelmshavener HV three years later. After only one season ...
(born 1982), handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
player, goalie of the German international team
Associated with Oldenburg
See in particular the Counts, Dukes and Grand Dukes of Oldenburg
120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg
120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst
This is a list of the counts, dukes, grand dukes, and prime ministers of Oldenburg.
Counts of Oldenburg
* 1088/1101–1108 Elimar I
* 1108–1143 E ...
for the rulers who were not born in Oldenburg.
*Arp Schnitger
Arp Schnitger (2 July 164828 July 1719 (buried)) was an influential Northern German organ builder. Considered the most paramount manufacturer of his time, Schnitger built or rebuilt over 150 organs. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, es ...
(1648–1719), organ builder
*Princess Cecilia of Sweden (1807–1844)
Cecilia of Sweden (22 June 1807 in Stockholm – 27 January 1844 in Oldenburg) was a composer, a Swedish princess by birth, and Grand Duchess of Oldenburg by marriage. She was the daughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and Frederica ...
(1807–1844), Princess of Sweden
* Wilhelm Heinrich Schüßler (1821–1898), medical doctor and naturopath
*Lothar Meyer
Julius Lothar Meyer (19 August 1830 – 11 April 1895) was a German chemist. He was one of the pioneers in developing the earliest versions of the periodic table of the chemical elements. Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (his chief rival) and he ...
(1830–1895), chemist, studied here
*Peter Suhrkamp
Peter Suhrkamp (full name ''Johann Heinrich Suhrkamp''; 28 March 1891, Hatten – 31 March 1959, Frankfurt) was a German publisher and founder of the Suhrkamp Verlag.
Early years
Suhrkamp was a farmer’s son from Kirchhatten, some south-east o ...
(1891–1959), founder of the Suhrkamp-Verlag
*Hermann Ehlers
Hermann Ehlers (1 October 1904 – 29 October 1954) was a German politician. He was the 2nd President of the Bundestag from 19 October 1950 to 29 October 1954.
He was a member of the Christian Democratic Union.
Early life
Ehlers was born in ...
(1904–1954), politician ( CDU), President of the German Bundestag, was at the beginning of his political career a landlord in Oldenburg
* Erna Schlüter (1904–1969), operatic dramatic soprano
See also
*Route of Megalithic Culture
The Route of Megalithic Culture (german: Straße der Megalithkultur) was first created as a tourist route that meanders from Osnabrück to Oldenburg in North-West Germany. Signposted with brown road signs it links many places of archaeological ...
– tourist route from Osnabrück to Oldenburg via some 33 Megalithic sites.
References
External links
Official website
Official Oldenburg tourist information centre
360-degree panning views
Straßen von Oldenburg
Drive-through videos of Oldenburg streets
Alt Oldenburg
Large collection of historical photographs of Oldenburg
genealogy of emigrants from Oldenburg
Oldenburgische Landschaft
, Oldenburg-based public body of municipalities within the area of the former State of Oldenburg
{{Authority control
Cities in Lower Saxony
Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
Holocaust locations in Germany