Osterwieck
Encyclopedia
Osterwieck is a historic town
in the Harz district
, in the German
state of Saxony-Anhalt
. It is situated on the river Ilse, north of Wernigerode
and the Harz
mountain range. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of the former Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Osterwieck-Fallstein
merged in Osterwieck.
The Altstadt
(Old Town) with St. Stephen's Church is a stop on the scenic German Framework Road
and on the Romanesque Road.
in course of the Saxon Wars
crossed the Oker
river and had a church dedicated to Saint Stephen
erected at a place then called Salingenstede. This church became a centre of the Christian mission among the pagan Saxons
, overseen by Hildegrim of Châlons
, and the origin of the later Bishopric of Halberstadt
. On April 1, 974 Emperor Otto II
granted market
and mint
rights to Seligenstadt, it is commonly regarded as the date of the town's foundation.
The name Osterwieck was first mentioned in a 1073 letter by Archbishop Liemar of Bremen to Bishop Burchard II of Halberstadt. Destroyed by a blaze in 1511 the town was rebuilt and today features an ensemble of about 400 Fachwerk
buildings. The nave of the St. Stephen Church erected in the 16th century is one of the oldest Protestant
church buildings, while its Romanesque
twin steeples date back to 1100.
with: Hornburg
, Germany Ardouval
, Les Grandes-Ventes
and Saint-Hellier
in the Seine-Maritime
département, France
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Harz district
Harz (district)
- History :The district was established by merging the former districts of Halberstadt, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg as well as the city of Falkenstein as part of the reform of 2007.-Towns and municipalities:...
, in the German
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...
state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. It is situated on the river Ilse, north of Wernigerode
Wernigerode
Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
and the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountain range. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of the former Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Osterwieck-Fallstein
Osterwieck-Fallstein
Osterwieck-Fallstein was a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was situated north of the Harz, and north of Wernigerode. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft was in Osterwieck...
merged in Osterwieck.
The Altstadt
Altstadt
Altstadt is the German language word for "old town", meaning "historical city centre within the city wall", in contrast to a Neustadt built outside later....
(Old Town) with St. Stephen's Church is a stop on the scenic German Framework Road
German Framework Road
The German Timber-Frame Road is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to Lake Constance in the south. Along the road you can find nearly 100 cities and towns with remarkable timber-framed houses...
and on the Romanesque Road.
History
The settlement was first mentioned about 780 when CharlemagneCharlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
in course of the Saxon Wars
Saxon Wars
The Saxon Wars were the campaigns and insurrections of the more than thirty years from 772, when Charlemagne first entered Saxony with the intent to conquer, to 804, when the last rebellion of disaffected tribesmen was crushed. In all, eighteen battles were fought in what is now northwestern Germany...
crossed the 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 :...
river and had a church dedicated to Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
erected at a place then called Salingenstede. This church became a centre of the Christian mission among the pagan Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
, overseen by Hildegrim of Châlons
Hildegrim of Châlons
Hildegrim was a Benedictine, bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne from 804, and brother of Saint Ludger. He is also traditionally given as the first bishop of Halberstadt, a position now discounted by scholars; he is known to have been active in spreading Christianity into the region of the diocese, as a...
, and the origin of the later Bishopric of Halberstadt
Bishopric of Halberstadt
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese from 804 until 1648 and an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire from the late Middle Ages...
. On April 1, 974 Emperor Otto II
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto II , called the Red, was the third ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty, the son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy.-Early years and co-ruler with Otto I:...
granted market
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and mint
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
rights to Seligenstadt, it is commonly regarded as the date of the town's foundation.
The name Osterwieck was first mentioned in a 1073 letter by Archbishop Liemar of Bremen to Bishop Burchard II of Halberstadt. Destroyed by a blaze in 1511 the town was rebuilt and today features an ensemble of about 400 Fachwerk
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
buildings. The nave of the St. Stephen Church erected in the 16th century is one of the oldest Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
church buildings, while its Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
twin steeples date back to 1100.
International relations
Osterwieck is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Hornburg
Hornburg
Hornburg is a town in the Wolfenbüttel district, in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated at the Ilse river, a tributary of the Oker. Hornburg is part of the Samtgemeinde Schladen and home to numerous historically valuable half-timber buildings...
, Germany Ardouval
Ardouval
Ardouval is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small farming and forestry village in the Pays de Bray, situated some southeast of Dieppe, at the junction of the D212 and D915 roads....
, Les Grandes-Ventes
Les Grandes-Ventes
Les Grandes-Ventes is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A large village of farming, forestry and associated light industry situated in the Pays de Bray, some southeast of Dieppe at the junction of the D77, the D915 and the D22...
and Saint-Hellier
Saint-Hellier
Saint-Hellier is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A forestry and farming village situated by the banks of the Varenne River in the Pays de Caux, at the junction of the D15, the D76 and the D154 road, some south of...
in the Seine-Maritime
Seine-Maritime
Seine-Maritime is a French department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre...
département, France
Notable people
- Winfried FreudenbergWinfried FreudenbergWinfried Freudenberg was the last person to die in an attempt to escape from East Germany to West Berlin across the Berlin Wall....
(1956–1989), last victim of the Berlin WallBerlin WallThe Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, was born in Osterwieck