Oker (Goslar)
Encyclopedia
Oker has been part of the borough of Goslar
in central Germany
since 1972. It lies on the edge of the Harz mountains and has a population of 7,282 (as at 2006). Previously Oker had been a parish within Wolfenbüttel district since 1952.
in the north. Oker is divided into two unofficial districts: Oberoker ("Upper Oker"), south (and nearer the Harz) of the railway line, and Unteroker ("Lower Oker"), north of it.
The river Oker
gives its name to the village.
from the Rammelsberg mines, Oker was a centre of Harz smelting technology . In 1819 a branch of the Brunswick Postal Service was opened. This was moved to the railway station on the opening of the railway between Goslar and Vienenburg
(on 23 March 1866).
(Oberoker).
on the Oker river, and the tors of Treppenstein
, Mausefall and Kästeklippen
above the Oker valley. In the village itself there are 2 sports halls, sports pitches and tennis courts and an open-air swimming pool.
The largest sports club is VfL Oker, which is especially renowned for its pan-regional table tennis team. The 1st Men's team plays in the Oberliga West and the 1st Women's team in the Regionalliga Nord.
via Hildesheim
to Bad Harzburg
(Oker–Bad Harzburg railway, KBS 320) and from Brunswick
via Goslar
/Bad Harzburg to Kreiensen
(Vienenburg–Goslar railway
, KBS 353/354), with hourly and two-hourly services. Bus routes link Oker with Goslar and Bad Harzburg. The Bundesstraße 498 (Goslar–Osterode am Harz
) runs through Oker and the Bundesstraße 6
(Cuxhaven–Görlitz
) runs past Oker to the north.
For the development of postal services in Oker see: Wolfenbüttel-Harzburg post route.
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
in central Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
since 1972. It lies on the edge of the Harz mountains and has a population of 7,282 (as at 2006). Previously Oker had been a parish within Wolfenbüttel district since 1952.
Location
The village lies at the exit of the Oker valley between the Hahnenberg and Adenberg hills in the south and SudmerbergSudmerberg
Sudmerberg is a suburb of Goslar on the edge of the Harz Mountains in Germany, which is named after the prominent, 354 metre high hill to the east...
in the north. Oker is divided into two unofficial districts: Oberoker ("Upper Oker"), south (and nearer the Harz) of the railway line, and Unteroker ("Lower Oker"), north of it.
The river Oker
Oker
The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...
gives its name to the village.
History
Founded in 1527 as a smelting site for the processing of oreOre
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
from the Rammelsberg mines, Oker was a centre of Harz smelting technology . In 1819 a branch of the Brunswick Postal Service was opened. This was moved to the railway station on the opening of the railway between Goslar and Vienenburg
Vienenburg
Vienenburg is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the north of the Harz mountain range on the river Oker, approx. northeast of Goslar...
(on 23 March 1866).
Economy
Today Oker is home to chemical-metallurgical, recycling and specialised industrial concerns, like Harz-Metall and Norzinco. The largest employer in Oker and the district of Goslar is a factory belonging to H.C. Starck-Gruppe.Religion
The two Evangelical-Lutheran parishes of St. Paul (Unteroker) and Martin Luther (Oberoker) merged in October 2005 into the Oker parish; there is also the Roman-Catholic church of St. Konrad (part of the parish of St. Jacobus d.Ä. in Goslar) and a Turkish Muslim parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
(Oberoker).
Sport
The hiking trail network around Oker is well developed, with paths leading to popular destinations such as RomkerhallRomkerhall
Romkerhall is a former hunting residence of George V of Hanover in the Oker Valley, Harz, Germany.It lies next to the B 498 federal road and was built in 1862...
on the Oker river, and the tors of Treppenstein
Treppenstein
The Treppenstein is a rock formation in the Oker valley in the Harz mountains of central Germany. It lies on the trail from the Romkerhall Waterfall to the Kästeklippen. The rocks consist of granite and have clearly undergone so-called "wool sack weathering" .The Treppenstein is a popular...
, Mausefall and Kästeklippen
Kästeklippen
The Kästeklippen, often shortened to Käste, is a rocky tor above the Oker valley in the Upper Harz mountains of central Germany. It lies at a height of ....
above the Oker valley. In the village itself there are 2 sports halls, sports pitches and tennis courts and an open-air swimming pool.
The largest sports club is VfL Oker, which is especially renowned for its pan-regional table tennis team. The 1st Men's team plays in the Oberliga West and the 1st Women's team in the Regionalliga Nord.
Transport
Oker station lies on the railway lines running from HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
via Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
to Bad Harzburg
Bad Harzburg
Bad Harzburg is a town in central Germany, in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony. It lies on the northern edge of the Harz mountains and is a recognised saltwater spa and climatic health resort.- Location :...
(Oker–Bad Harzburg railway, KBS 320) and from Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
via Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
/Bad Harzburg to Kreiensen
Kreiensen
Kreiensen is a municipality in the district of Northeim, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Geography:Kreiensen is situated on the river Leine, approx. 20 km north of Northeim, and 35 km south of Hildesheim....
(Vienenburg–Goslar railway
Vienenburg–Goslar railway
The Vienenburg–Goslar railway is a main line between Vienenburg and Goslar on the northern edge of the Harz mountains in Germany. It was opened in 1866.- Route :...
, KBS 353/354), with hourly and two-hourly services. Bus routes link Oker with Goslar and Bad Harzburg. The Bundesstraße 498 (Goslar–Osterode am Harz
Osterode am Harz
For the town in East Prussia formerly called Osterode, see Ostróda.Osterode am Harz often simply called Osterode, is a town in south-eastern Niedersachsen on the south-western edge of the Harz mountains. It is the seat of government of the district of Osterode. The town is twinned with Scarborough,...
) runs through Oker and the Bundesstraße 6
Bundesstraße 6
The Bundesstraße 6 runs from the North Sea coast in a southeasterly direction through the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony to the Polish border.- History :...
(Cuxhaven–Görlitz
Görlitz
Görlitz is a town in Germany. It is the easternmost town in the country, located on the Lusatian Neisse River in the Bundesland of Saxony. It is opposite the Polish town of Zgorzelec, which was a part of Görlitz until 1945. Historically, Görlitz was in the region of Upper Lusatia...
) runs past Oker to the north.
For the development of postal services in Oker see: Wolfenbüttel-Harzburg post route.