Osterholz-Scharmbeck (;

Northern Low Saxon Northern Low Saxon (in Standard German, Standard High German: ', also ', lit. ''North(ern) Low Saxon/German''; in Dutch language, Standard Dutch: ') is a subgroup of Low Saxon dialects of Low German. As such, it covers a great part of the West ...

: ''Oosterholt-Scharmbeek'') is a town and the capital of the district of

Osterholz Osterholz is a district (''Landkreis'') 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. History Originally the prince-archbishop ...

, in

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Osterholz-Scharmbeck is situated between the cities of

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

and

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (; ) is a city on the east bank of the Weser estuary in northern Germany. It forms an exclave of the Bremen (state), city-state of Bremen. The Geeste (river), River Geeste flows through the city before emptying into the Weser. Brem ...

Geography

Neighbouring places

(22 km) *

Delmenhorst Delmenhorst (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Demost'') is an urban district (''List of German urban districts, Kreisfreie Stadt'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of 74,500 and is located west of downtown Bremen (city), Bremen with which ...

(31 km) *

Achim Achim (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Achem''), commonly Achim bei Bremen, is a municipality and the largest town (population 30,059 in December 2006) in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, a ...

(37 km) *

(39 km) *

Brake A brake is a machine, mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for Acceleration, slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of ...

(40 km) *

Zeven Zeven () is a town in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of around 14,000. The nearest large towns are Bremerhaven, Bremen and Hamburg. It is situated approximately 22 km northwest of Rotenburg, and 40& ...

(41 km) * Bremervörde (43 km) *

Nordenham Nordenham () is a town in the Wesermarsch district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located at the mouth (on the west bank) of the Weser river on the Butjadingen peninsula on the coast of the North Sea. The seaport city of Bremerhaven is locat ...

(46 km) * Oldenburg (48 km) * Rotenburg (50 km)

Division of the town

Official parts

* Freißenbüttel * Garlstedt * Heilshorn * Hülseberg * Ohlenstedt * Pennigbüttel * Sandhausen * Scharmbeckstotel * Teufelsmoor

Historical parts

* Ahrensfelde * Altenbrück * Altendamm * Auf Dem Raden * Auf Dem Rusch * Bargten * Bredbeck * Buschhausen * Büttel * Feldhof * Haslah * Hinter Dem Horn * Kattenhorn * Lange Heide * Lintel * Muskau * Myhle * Niedersandhausen * Ovelgönne * Ruschkamp * Settenbeck * Vorwohlde * Westerbeck * Wiste

History

The town was first mentioned in 1043 as ''Scirnbeci''. From 1180, the Scharmbeck belonged to the

Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen The Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen () was an Hochstift, ecclesiastical principality (787–1566/1648) of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church that after its definitive secularization in 1648 became the hereditary Bremen-Verden, Duchy of ...

. The monastery in Osterholz was founded in 1182 and persisted until 1650, when

became mostly Protestant. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the

Duchy of Bremen Bremen-Verden, formally the Duchies of Bremen and Verden (; ), were two territories and immediate fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire, which emerged and gained imperial immediacy in 1180. By their original constitution they were prince-bishoprics of th ...

, which was first ruled in

personal union A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...

by the Swedish and from 1715 on by the Hanoverian Crown. In 1823 the Duchy was abolished and its territory became part of the Stade Region in the

Kingdom of Hanover The Kingdom of Hanover () was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Hanover, and j ...

. In 1927, the two communities of Osterholz and Scharmbeck were merged under the name of Osterholz-Scharmbeck and in 1929

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

were granted. Between 1978 and 1992, 4,200 soldiers of the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

's 2nd Armored Division (Forward) were stationed, and another 4,000 family members resided in Osterholz-Scharmbeck.

Population Growth

* 1904: 4.701 * 1909: 6,060 * 1945: 12,500 * 1961: 19,258 * 1987: 24,150 * 2004: 31,145 * 2005: 31,055 * 2010: 30,218

Mayor

The mayor is Torsten Rohde (independent). He was elected in May 2014 with 59.02 % of the votes.http://www.landeswahlleiter.niedersachsen.de/download/87577/Einzelergebnisse_der_Direktwahlen_am_25._Mai_2014.pdf Einzelergebnisse der Direktwahlen am 25. Mai 2014 in Niedersachsen], The predecessor was Martin Wagener (SPD).

Notable people

Roland Baar Roland Baar (; 12 April 1965 – 23 June 2018) was a German rower who competed for his nation at several Olympic Games. After retiring from the sport in 1996, he received the Thomas Keller Medal in 1998. He served on the Athletes' Commission of ...

(born 1965), rowing sportsman * Eduard Neumann (1903–1985), professor and rector of the Free University of Berlin *

Bodo Ramelow Bodo Ramelow (; born 16 February 1956) is a German politician who has been serving as a Member of the Bundestag, representing The Left. He has been its Vice President as of March 2025. He served as Minister-President of Thuringia from December ...

(born 1956), politician (The Left), Minister President of Thuringia since 2014 *

Jimmy Fallon James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an Americans, American comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer. Best known for his work in television, Fallon's breakthrough came during his tenure as a cast member on the ...

's paternal grandmother, Luise Schalla came from here * Vera F. Birkenbihl (1946-2011), facilitator, non-fiction writer, and esoteric *

Michael Carter (Colorado politician) Michael Carter is an American politician who was elected member of the Colorado House of Representatives for the 36th district in 2024. Carter is a third-generation Army Veteran. He is an Aurora defense attorney. He currently sits on the board ...

, politician

Books

* Friedrich Kühlken: ''Zwischen Niederweser und Niederelbe – Eine Heimatkunde des Landes Bremen und des Niedersächsischen Regierungsbezirks Stade.'' Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1950. * Reelf Menckhoff: ''Chronik von Osterholz-Scharmbeck – Band 1: Von den Anfängen bis 1929.'' Stadt Osterholz-Scharmbeck 2004. * Jürgen Meyer-Korte, Rolf Metzing: ''Osterholz-Scharmbeck: Picture and Development of a City.'' Saade, Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1979. * Johann Segelken: ''Osterholz-Scharmbecker Heimatbuch.'' Saade, Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1987, . * Ernstheinrich Meyer-Stiens: ''Heimliche Hauptstraße, die Bahnhofstraße in Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1865 – 1929 – 1945 – 1999. Menschen, Ereignisse und Innenansichten einer norddeutschen Kleinstadt.'' Saade, Osterholz-Scharmbeck 2000, .

References

External links

*
Official site of village Freißenbüttel
{{Authority control Towns in Lower Saxony Osterholz