Osnabrück guide
Osnabrück is a town in the federal state of Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany. With a population of more than 168,000, it is one of the four largest cities in Lower Saxony.
Accommodation
The largest representation here are 3 and 4 * hotels, including international chains such as Holiday Inn or Vienna House, right in the historic center you will find the beautiful Romantik Hotel Walhalla, Dom Hotel or apartment hotel Bergmann Boardinghouse Osnabrück.
History
Osnabrück was founded in 780 by Charlemagne as the seat of the archbishop. The name "city" first appears in the records around the middle of the 12th century. Most of the towers, which were part of the city fortifications built at this time, can still be seen in the city today. From the mid-16th to almost the middle of the 17th century, there was a great witch-hunt in the city, and the whole process resulted in the deaths of 276 women and two men. In 1575, Osnabrück hit the plague, in which about 75% of the population died. Between 1643 and 1648, peace negotiations took place here and in nearby Münster, which ended with the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia on October 24, 1648.
During World War II, Osnabrück was the target of about 80 air raids, in which many historic buildings were destroyed and more than 65% of the city was damaged.
The most famous natives include the writer Erich Maria Remarque and the painters Fridrich Vordemberge-Gildewart and Felix Nussbaum, who also has a museum here, which opened in 1998. Felix Nussbaum was assassinated in 1944 in Auschwitz. The museum was designed as a scaled-down version of the Lebeskind Jewish Museum in Berlin. The monument to E. M. Remarque is commemorated by the Peace Center and also by the Remarque Peace Prize, which is awarded every two years.
Monuments and interesting places
We recommend a walk through the historic city center at the town hall, which was completed in 1512 in the late Gothic style and whose construction took more than 25 years. Here, too, peace negotiations ending with the Peace of Westphalia took place. Other interesting sights include the Heger Tor (Heger Gate), which was built as a monument to the soldiers from Osnabrück who died in the Battle of Waterloo. Furthermore, the already mentioned Felix Nussbaum Museum, which houses the largest collection of works by this painter. The Bucksturm is definitely worth a visit, which is the oldest tower of the former city walls, which was also used as a prison or torture chamber in the past. In Osnabrück you will also find a beautiful zoo or a large botanical garden which belongs to the local university.