Osterode am Harz

Osterode am Harz often simply called Osterode (German: [ˌɔstəˈʁoːdə] (listen)), is a town in south-eastern Niedersachsen on the south-western edge of the Harz mountains. It was the seat of government of the district of Osterode. Osterode is located on the German Timber-Frame Road.

Kornmarkt (grain market)
St Aegidien church
St Jacobi church
castle ruins
For the town in East Prussia formerly called Osterode, see Ostróda.
Osterode am Harz
Old Town Hall
Coat of arms
Location of Osterode am Harz within Göttingen district
Osterode am Harz
Osterode am Harz
Coordinates: 51°43′43″N 10°15′08″E
CountryGermany
StateLower Saxony
DistrictGöttingen
Government
 • MayorKlaus Becker (Ind.)
Area
 • Total102.46 km2 (39.56 sq mi)
Elevation
220 m (720 ft)
Population
 (2018-12-31)[1]
 • Total21,731
 • Density210/km2 (550/sq mi)
Time zoneCET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes
37520
Dialling codes05522
Vehicle registrationGÖ, OHA
Websitewww.osterode.de

Geography
Altes Rathaus (former city hall), front view

Water

The Söse river flows through the town from the Söse Dam lake about 5 km upstream. The dam was built in 1931 and has a capacity of 25.5 million m³. The Harzwasserwerke water company pipes drinking water as far away as Bremen.

Districts

The following districts (mainly surrounding villages) are part of the borough of Osterode am Harz, with populations in brackets (as of 1 July 2012):[2]

  • Dorste (1,650)
  • Düna (140)
  • Förste (2,000)
  • Freiheit (2,100)
  • Kazenstein (1,200)
  • Lasfelde (1,300)
  • Lerbach (1,000)
  • Marke (150)
  • Nienstedt am Harz (440)
  • Osterode am Harz (11,500)
  • Petershütte (800)
  • Riefensbeek-Kamschlacken (350)
  • Schwiegershausen (1,800)
  • Ührde (100)

Political

Local council

The Gemeinderat or council of Osterode has 34 members:

  • SPD: 16
  • CDU: 12
  • Grüne: 3
  • FDP: 3

and one Bürgermeister (mayor). (local election on 11 September 2011)

Mayor

Klaus Becker has been Bürgermeister (mayor) of Osterode since 1 June 2004. He has no party affiliation.

Twinned towns
  • Armentières, France (one of the bridges over the Söse is called "Armentieres Bridge").
  • Ostróda, Poland, formerly had the same name "Osterode" and formerly in the German territory of Ostpreußen (in the town is a stone with the inscription: "Noch 826 Kilometer bis Osterode/ Ostpreußen" – "826 km to Osterode, East Prussia")
  • Whitby, England, United Kingdom

Culture and attractions

Museums

The Museum im Ritterhaus displays documents from Osterode's history from the Middle Ages to the recent past, as well as occasional temporary exhibitions.

The Lichtenstein Cave is an archaeological site near Dorste, in the western part of the municipality. Two inhabitants of the village Nienstedt am Harz, 2 km north of the cave, have the same rare DNA pattern as that found in the skeletal material of a man whose bones were found in the Lichtenstein Cave dating to about 1000 BC.[3]

Architecture

In the environs of Osterode there are several castle ruins, and Lichtenstein Castle between Dorste and Förste.

The town granary built between 1719 and 1722 is one of the most imposing buildings, built to supply the mining villages in the Upper Harz with grain. Today after a comprehensive renovation it has become the town hall.

Recreation

Osterode is the starting point of the 100 km long Harzer Hexenstieg, a hiking trail to Thale.

Transport

The B 243 federal route, built as a divided highway, is the main western link between the northern and southern Harz area. B 241 and B 498 link Solling to the eastern Harz.

Osterode lies on the Herzberg–Seesen railway, with services to Brunswick. In November 2004 the city gained two new stations at a cost of about 1 million Euro, replacing two previous halts and providing a more central access to public transport.

Educational institutions
  • Tilman-Riemenschneider-Gymnasium (high school), Osterode am Harz
  • Berufsbildende Schulen I des Landkreises Osterode am Harz
  • Berufsbildende Schulen II
  • Realschule Osterode
  • Hauptschule Neustädter Tor

Notable natives

See also
  • Metropolitan region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg

References
  1. Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen, LSN-Online Regionaldatenbank, Tabelle 12411: Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes, Stand 31. Dezember 2018.
  2. http://www.osterode.de/leben-in-osterode/ortschaften/ Ortschaften der Stadt Osterode am Harz
  3. ABC News: Two Men Are Related Through Cavemen

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