Oldenburg in Oldenburg is the third largest city in Lower Saxony.
It is about 40 km west of Bremen and 90 km south of the North Sea
coast and 40 km south of the Jade Bay. The former royal seat or
capital of the State of Oldenburg has nine districts, each of which
is subdivided into further districts. As the regional center between
the Weser and Ems, Oldenburg is the administrative, economic and
cultural center of north-western Lower Saxony.
The city is
called Oldenburg in Oldenburg. The latter refers to the historic
state of Oldenburg, which is a.o. in the name of the regions of
Oldenburger Land and Oldenburger Münsterland. Oldenburg extends over
an area of approx. 10,300 hectares. The old town with pedestrian
area takes up 25 hectares. It is located approx. 45 km west of
Bremen and 90 km south of the North Sea coast. The lowest position
is around 0 m above sea level. NN and the highest position at 28 m
above sea level. NN.
Oldenburg's economy is characterized by
dynamic medium-sized companies and focuses on the service sector,
banks and insurance companies, and increasingly by the high-tech
sector and innovative spin-offs from universities. In the
manufacturing sector, automotive suppliers, the food industry,
printing companies, chemicals and services related to photography
are leading. The energy sector, especially renewable energies, is a
focus of economic development, alongside information technology,
construction, real estate and the health sector.
Living and
living in Oldenburg means neither small-town cosiness nor big-city
hectic. The city manages the difficult balancing act between these
two extremes with great ease. And that makes them extremely popular
with people. Oldenburg regularly achieves top scores in surveys on
residential satisfaction. This is certainly due to the settlement
structure with its high proportion of single and two-family houses.
Above all, however, it is thanks to the urban development qualities
of the districts. Addresses in the districts surrounding the city
center are in great demand: Judicial district, Dobbenviertel,
Haarenesch, Ziegelhof, Ehnern, Bürgeresch and Alt Osternburg are
characterized by a stable mix of a lot of historical buildings with
modern additions. Green street spaces and detailed architecture on a
human scale are just as important as the good local amenities and
the central educational and cultural offerings. The new building
quarters are characterized by high-quality urban spaces, good
accessibility to public facilities and private offers and allow the
building owners individual architecture - and at affordable building
land prices.
Tourism: investing in education, research and
creativity. Classicist architecture, traditional quarters,
gastronomic diversity, shopping experiences with a high proportion
of owner-managed retail as well as the creation of unique cultural
highlights, top-class sport and the symbiosis between tradition and
modernity are the engines of tourism competence.
St. Lamberti Church: With its striking
five towers, the St. Lamberti Church rises on the Oldenburg market
square. Built between 1155 and 1234 as a Romanesque hall church, it
was rebuilt several times. Today, for example, the first external
impression does not suggest that the rotunda, which is well worth
seeing, is modeled on the Roman pantheon and awaits visitors inside.
One of five round churches in Germany.
The eventful history of
the church begins with the conversion between 1377 and 1531 from a
hall church to a vaulted, three-aisled Gothic hall church. But over
the next 250 years it deteriorated. Between 1791 and 1794, a new
classicist rotunda with an entrance hall was replaced in the
dilapidated walls. The then Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig brought this
style to Oldenburg; he also personally took care of the construction
work on St. Lamberti Church. But as early as 1873 the temple-like
church with a gable roof and without a bell tower was rebuilt again.
The neo-Gothic sheathing that still exists today was built around
the classicist rotunda, as well as the 86-meter-high bell tower and
four other towers at the corners. To enable the organ to be
installed, the main entrance had to be relocated in 1968 and the
interior fittings adapted accordingly. In 2007 the church will be
restored in the original classical color scheme, the chapel will be
dismantled into a vestibule, the coffins of Count Anton Günther and
his wife will return to the church and the cenotaphs in memory of
the last count and the first duke will find their ancestral place
again . New rooms are being built in the east, including the large
“Lambertus Hall” on the first floor in the neo-Gothic apse of the
church.
Gertrudenkapelle + cemetery with mausoleum at the fork in
Alexanderstraße and Nadorster Straße. : 1428 Epidemic Hospital
outside the city walls. Rebuilt in 1480. Medieval frescoes. In the
cemetery there is a mausoleum as high as a house in the classicistic
style, which Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig had built for his wife, who
died early (the beginning of classicism in Oldenburg). The final
resting place of famous people.
Ev. Trinity Church: built
1614-1616. Hall church was built at the instigation of Count Anton
Günther. Contains an Art Nouveau window with Christ as Judge of the
World.
Catholic Church of St. Peter: built 1873-1876. First
significant neo-Gothic building in Oldenburg. The hall church is
equipped with a towering tower and richly structured by buttresses
and tracery. The originally higher and steeper spire was destroyed
by a hurricane in 1972. It has been restored in a very shortened
form.
Ev.-luth. Garrison Church: built 1901-1903 for the
Oldenburg garrison. The design shows early Gothic forms. After 1918
the church was used by the civil parish. Renovations took place in
1955 and 1974, which significantly changed the interior of the
church.
Friedenskirche: The Methodist congregation in Oldenburg,
which has existed since 1858, built its church in the neo-Gothic
style in 1894 on the west side of Friedensplatz in an exposed
location.
Synagogue: Jewish cultural center. Behind the cultural
center PFL are some buildings that belonged to the former hospital
complex. One of them, a former Baptist church (1868), has housed the
synagogue and cultural center of the Jewish community, which was
newly founded in 1992, since 1995. The new synagogue is therefore
not far from the location of the former Oldenburg synagogue. It
stood in Peterstrasse across from the PFL cultural center and was
destroyed in the night of the pogroms in 1938.
Oldenburg Castle. Built on the foundations of a medieval moated castle, the Oldenburg renaissance castle is now presented in bright yellow to the citizens and guests. Count Anton Günther had it built as a residence in place of the old "Aldenborg". Towards the Schlossplatz it rises up with an imposing bell tower. The subsequent sovereigns had the building extended by side wings. For example, the library wing was built under Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig and the interior of the palace was redesigned in a classical style. The boundaries to the bourgeois areas have been marked since 1839 by the castle guard opposite, whose gable relief commemorates the victory over Napoleon. After the last Grand Duke abdicated in 1918 and the Free State was proclaimed, the palace became the State Museum for Art and Cultural History in 1923. In three buildings (Augusteum and Prinzenpalais) it not only shows 400-year-old exhibits by Tischbein or Italian Baroque painting from the possession of the former Grand Duke, but also the diversity and cultural and historical peculiarities of the Oldenburg region.
Old Town Hall: Today's town hall has stood on the
triangular property on the market square since 1888. There were
already two previous buildings. By 1635, the Gothic town hall built
in 1355 had become dilapidated. Count Anton Günther had a
Renaissance town hall built in its place. In the 19th century the
city grew and the town hall became too small for the city
administration. This circumstance should be remedied with a new
building. In 1886 the Renaissance building was demolished. After
discussions about the location of the new town hall, the decision
was made to use the previous site. Under the architects Matthias von
Holst and Carl Zaar (design) and Carl Franz Noack (execution),
today's building was created with stylistic elements of neo-Gothic
and neo-renaissance. The town hall is still the seat of the mayor
today. Most of the city administration is housed in other buildings
in the city.
Augusteum: With the Augusteum in the neo-Renaissance
style, Oldenburg's first art museum was opened in 1867. Parts of the
grand ducal painting collection can be seen today as well as the
"Old Masters Gallery" of the State Museum for Art and Cultural
History Oldenburg.
Cäcilienbrücke: over the coastal canal at the
end of the dam / beginning of Bremer Straße. Built 1927-1928. When
the Hunte-Ems Canal was expanded into a coastal canal, the narrow
bascule bridge over the canal was replaced by a modern, electrically
powered lift bridge. Its four squat bridge towers, executed in
expressive clinker brick architecture, mark the entrance to the
city. With a span of 40 meters, the Cecilia Bridge is an important
technical cultural monument. The bridge's lane will be raised with
steel cables and counterweights to allow ships to pass through.
Degodehaus: In 1676 a big fire raged in Oldenburg. More than 700
houses were burned down by a lightning strike. One of the few
remaining houses is the Degodehaus on the market square from 1502.
It was given its current form in 1616/17. The half-timbered house
with its steep gable has a beautifully painted wooden ceiling
inside. In 1645 this was commissioned by the then owner, Hermann
Mylius von Gnadenfeld. It shows an allegorical representation of the
worldview then represented. Incidentally, the house got its name
from its former owner, the merchant Wilhelm Degode.
Oldenburg
Central Station: In 1867 the first railway connection between
Bremen, Oldenburg and Wilhelmshaven opened. The first station was a
converted goods shed, later a neo-Gothic building was built near the
horse market as a station. But at the beginning of the 20th century
it was decided to build a new building at the current location. The
Art Nouveau building was designed by the architect Friedrich
Mettegang. With dark Bockhorn clinker brick on the outside, many
preserved Art Nouveau elements can still be found in the interior.
The well-preserved waiting room, in which the ticket sales are
located today, is particularly worth seeing. The grand ducal family
was given its own waiting and boarding area to the left of the train
station, the so-called Prince's Hall.
Oldenburgisches
Staatstheater: The impressive Wilhelminian-style theater welcomes
guests from afar with its large dome. It was built in 1893 according
to plans by the architect Gerhard Schnitger. These had already been
implemented once in 1842, but the theater burned down. The imposing
building captivates with its antique porch and the neo-baroque
interior, especially of the large house. The main entrance and the
small house can now be found in the extension, which was only added
a few years ago. The big house is currently being renovated and from
September 2011 it will shine in new splendor.
Lappan: The
"angelappte", applied landmark from 1467, is the oldest in the city.
The 35 m high bell tower with a Renaissance dome survived the fire
of 1676 unscathed. The Holy Spirit Hospital belonging to the brick
tower was destroyed. The Lappan received the distinctive hood in
1709 - the clapboard covering was replaced with copper fittings and
gives the tower its “green” roof. Located on the outskirts of
Oldenburg's city center, the tower today marks an important stop and
junction for local transport in Oldenburg.
Peter Friedrich Ludwig Hospital (PFL): The former hospital in
Peterstraße goes back to plans by the architect Heinrich Strack. The
original idea for a hospital came from Otto Friedrich Ernst Lasius.
The classicist building was built between 1838 and 1841 on behalf of
Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August. The hospital was named in honor of
the late sovereign Peter Friedrich Ludwig, father of the Grand Duke.
After the hospital was closed in 1984 it became a cultural center.
Today the building, known for short as PFL, is the seat of the city
library. For example, the KIBUM children's book fair takes place
here every year.
Prinzenpalais: The classicist building on the
access road into the Oldenburg city center was built by court
architect Heinrich Carl Slevogt between 1821 and 1826. Slevogt, a
student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, was commissioned by the then
Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig. Under his rule, the city was converted
into a residential city. In classical style he had the city renewed
and expanded and thus created the - almost unique - today's
cityscape. The two-storey Prinzenpalais became the residence of the
Russian Princes Alexander and Peter, and later the Grand Duke
Nikolaus Friedrich Peter. He had the building expanded again, for
example with a south wing. After being used as a hospital, school
building and official headquarters, it has belonged to the Oldenburg
State Museum for Art and Cultural History since 2003. From
Romanticism to Expressionism, the museum presents the development of
the fine arts in Germany.
Powder tower, castle wall. Built in
1529, round building made of bricks and part of the former city
fortifications of Oldenburg. Acts as an exhibition space today. The
powder tower was used to store gunpowder until 1765. He received the
conical dome only around 1735 during the Danish reign.
Peace column on Friedensplatz. The column, built in
1878 to commemorate the fallen in the war of 1870/1871, originally
carried a bronze figure, which was removed during World War II for
metal extraction.
Karl Jaspers statue on Cäcilienplatz (1983 by
Christa Baumgärtel). The bust, which is in the humanistic tradition,
was commissioned on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the
philosopher Karl Jaspers and placed in the immediate vicinity of the
house where he was born.
Julius Mosen on Julius Mosen Platz (1992
by Ivo Gohsmann, Stefan Sakic). Julius Mosen was a former dramaturge
at the Oldenburger Hoftheater. The sculpture was commissioned by the
Oldenburg businessman Kurt Müller-Meinhardt as part of the
renovation of the square and presented as a gift to the city of
Oldenburg.
Cushions on the town hall market in front of Galeria
Kaufhof (1979 by Yoshito Fujibe). As a commodity known in many
cultures, the pillow conveys the human need for relaxed sociability
and interpersonal exchange in a generally understandable form. The
provisional location corresponds to the Japanese usage.
Guardian
of the State Theater (1974 by Gerhard Marcks, based on the model of
the eldest daughter Brigitte) - healing, protective powers that God
has placed in female nature.
Oldenburg is
characterized by a density of important museums that arouse interest
not only among art lovers far beyond the city limits.
Horst
Janssen Museum. Horst Janssen got his own museum in Oldenburg in
2000. Janssen (1929-1995) is considered one of the greatest
draftsmen and graphic artists of the 20th century. He spent his
childhood in Oldenburg. In 1992 he was made an honorary citizen of
the city and in 1995 he was buried in the St. Gertudenkirchhof in
Oldenburg at his request. With the help of an Oldenburg patron, an
extensive collection of his works was acquired, which forms the
basis of the Horst Janssen Museum.
In a permanent exhibition on life and work, Janssen's work is
presented in exemplary drawings, watercolors, woodcuts, etchings and
lithographs. In addition to the graphic and graphic works, Janssen
is also presented as a writer. Objects from his personal
environment, such as utensils from his study, can be seen.
Multimedia stations enable visitors to create their own picture of
an extreme artist personality.
Horst Janssen was a draftsman,
etcher, lithographer, woodcut artist, author, poster artist and
illustrator. The many facets of Janssen's rich artistic talent are
the subject of the permanent exhibition in the Horst Janssen Museum
Oldenburg. In two halls with an area of around 600 square meters,
all aspects of Horst Janssen's work are presented in ten
content-related departments. The artistic all-rounder can thus be
constantly experienced and understood in the museum, regardless of
the subject of the respective temporary exhibition on the ground
floor of the house.
Augusteum and Prinzenpalais: The Augusteum,
built in 1867 in the style of the Italian Renaissance and
elaborately designed in the spirit of historicism, was the first art
museum in Oldenburg. Today, the building, which was specially built
for this purpose, houses parts of the former Grand Ducal painting
collection in the "Old Masters" collection, primarily Italian and
Dutch paintings from the 16th to the 18th centuries and European
paintings from the Middle Ages. Erected in the period from
1821-1826, the classicistic Prinzenpalais served the orphaned
grandchildren (Princes Alexander and Peter) of Duke Peter Friedrich
Ludwig as an appropriate domicile. After intermittent use, etc. As a
military hospital during the First World War and as an authority
building until 2001, it is now used for culture with the "Gallery of
19th and 20th Century Art".
Augusteum and Prinzenpalais belong to
the State Museum for Art and Cultural History in Oldenburg Castle.
Edith Ruß House for Media Art: The Edith Ruß House for Media Art
bears the name of the Oldenburg student Edith Maria Ruß, who
bequeathed her fortune to the city with the condition to create a
house "for art in the transition into the new millennium". The
result is a facility that is unique in northern Germany: It is
dedicated to the media that shape private and public life in the
21st century. Works by current artists who work with technologies
such as video, computers and the Internet are on view Changing
exhibitions is the increasing presence of new media and forms of
communication in today's everyday world. Events such as artist
talks, lectures and media (art) educational workshops offer the
opportunity to get to know the artists shown and to learn more about
new media Year several artists from different countries went to
Oldenburg for a few weeks.
State Museum for Art and Cultural
History: The State Museum for Art and Cultural History consists of
three buildings: the Oldenburg Castle, the Augusteum and the
Prinzenpalais. In the Oldenburg Castle, the former residence of
Count Anton Günther (1583–1667) and the Grand Dukes of Oldenburg
until 1918/19, there is now a museum for art and cultural history.
The permanent exhibition “Cultural history of a historical
landscape” is presented on three floors, showing the diversity and
cultural-historical peculiarities of the Oldenburg region over the
centuries, starting from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The
Augusteum, built in 1856 in the style of the Italian Renaissance and
elaborately designed in the spirit of historicism, was the first art
museum in Oldenburg. Today the building, which was specially built
for this purpose, again houses parts of the former Grand Ducal
painting collection, preferably Italian and Dutch paintings from the
16th to the 18th centuries and European paintings from the Middle
Ages to the modern era. On the ground floor there are alternating
outstanding exhibitions on the history of painting and contemporary
art. After its renovation and the restoration of its original
sequence of rooms, the former Prinzenpalais am Damm serves as an
exhibition center for art from the 19th and 20th centuries. The
development of the fine arts in Germany is illustrated on two
floors, starting with Romanticism and the art of Classicism.
Landesmuseum Natur und Mensch: The beginnings of the museum go
back to the year 1835, when Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August bought
a collection of insects and birds. Ethnological objects and
archaeological finds were added later. In keeping with the spirit of
the times, the Natural History Museum, later the State Museum for
Natural History and Prehistory and, since January 1st 2001, the
State Museum for Nature and Man, was created from the collection of
“natural objects and antiquities”. As has been the case since the
museum was first established, the redesign focuses on the natural
and cultural history of north-west Germany. Unlike in the past,
natural history is understood as a cultural history of nature that
is seen and shaped by people. Under the motto “nature and man”, the
history and stories of the large landscapes - moor, geest as well as
coast and marshland - are told from their beginnings to modern
nature conservation. The new exhibitions “Neither lake nor land -
MOOR a lost landscape” and “Liberated from the ice - GEEST - rich
history on barren land” are the first parts of this redesign.
Oldenburger Kunstverein: In the "Small Augusteum" the works of
nationally important artists of the contemporary art scene are shown
in up to six changing exhibitions a year. In addition, the art
association organizes readings by authors and lectures on questions
of culture and literature in its rooms.
City museum: The two
villas of the museum founder Theodor Francksen (1875-1914) preserve
civil living culture from the 17th century to the eve of the First
World War in over 25 room ensembles and a small but considerable
collection of antiquities of over 100 vases and terracottas from the
7th century BC to the 3rd century AD. The Ballin'sche Villa presents
the life and work of the Oldenburg artist Professor Bernhard Winter
(1871-1964) as well as the city's history from the Middle Ages to
the 19th century. The 20th century is shown on the ground floor of
the Neue Galerie. Its upper floor and the “Claus Hüppe Foundation
Hall” offer space for numerous temporary exhibitions and special
events in the field of art, cultural, social and technological
developments in the city and region of Oldenburg. In the museum
garden, not only historical objects from the history of the city,
which were threatened by destruction and loss, are presented, but
also larger sculptures and sculptures that directly address the
topic of art and nature.
Rathausplatz:
On one side the square is lined by the town hall and the
Lambertikirche, on the other side by various cafes and bars that
invite you to take a coffee break after a shopping spree. Here you
can relax or meet people in a historic atmosphere. The weekly market
(Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) and farmers' market (Friday) also have
a regular place here. During the Advent season, Rathausplatz is also
home to the popular "Lambertimarkt" with numerous mulled wine
stalls, stalls with delicacies, handicrafts, jewelry, etc.
Schlossplatz: A spacious square directly between the Oldenburg
Castle and the Castle Guard. Due to construction sites and
renovation work, Schlossplatz will be available again as a central
event location from 2012.
Horse market: Originally used as such,
today primarily a large car park and location of the weekly market
(Tues., Thurs., Sat.). In addition, major events take place here,
such as public viewing for the soccer World Cup or "Horse Day".
Waffenplatz: One of the central squares in the city center. Every
year there is the "Tanz in den Mai", the wine festival and other
events. As part of the "Dream Gardens" campaign, the area is
creatively planted and designed. Easy parking in the neighboring
multi-storey car park.
Friedensplatz: corner of Ofener
Str./Peterstr. In the middle of the square is the "Peace Column",
which was built in 1878 to commemorate those who fell in the war of
1870/1871. This column originally carried a bronze figure that was
used for metal extraction during World War II.
Julius-Mosen-Platz: Once designed as a semicircle, the square got
its current appearance in the early 1990s. There is the bronze bust
of Julius Mosen, the poet and theater dramaturge in Oldenburg,
1844-1848.
Cäcilienplatz: Park-like square behind the State
Theater, surrounded by beautiful old town villas. This is a small
park where people like to meet, especially to play boules. There are
also two bronze busts showing Helene Lange (champion of the women's
movement) and Karl Jaspers (philosopher).
Traffic jam / harbor: Today the front part is used as a marina.
Location of the harbor festival and the city beach. The port lies at
the intersection of the Hunte sea waterway and the inland waterway
coastal canal. With an average annual turnover of 1.4 million tons,
the Oldenburg port is one of the most heavily handled inland ports
in Lower Saxony.
Bergstrasse and Nikolai-Viertel: The old city
quarter "Nikolai-Viertel" forms an idyllic counterpoint to the newly
designed pedestrian zone. Many artisans have settled on the
cobblestone streets, arguably the oldest in the city.
Dobbenviertel: This quarter was built in the former floodplain of a
river. The term "Dobben" refers to swampy areas with many ponds and
watercourses. Nowadays there is a popular residential area with
stately buildings. The so-called "dog huts" are an architectural
style that was preferred in Oldenburg in the 19th century and is
often found in the Dobbenviertel.
Johannisviertel and
Ziegelhofviertel: The narrow streets, small squares and the old
houses and villas with rustic shops create an original atmosphere.
The proportion of forest, gardens and green
spaces is over 50% of the total area. Since over 70% of the
population lives in one or two-family houses with their own garden,
there is also a significant proportion of private green spaces.
Castle garden: laid out in the style of an English landscape
garden, age-old trees, magnificent rhododendrons (some of the oldest
in Germany), watercourses and meadows characterize the image in the
middle of the city center. The castle garden can also be explored
from a different perspective by boat on the Mühlenhunte. The
Elisabeth-Anna-Palais (today the seat of the social court) is
located on the approx. 18 hectare park
Botanical Garden: Founded
in 1882 as a "seminar garden" for teacher training, the Botanical
Garden is now a scientific facility of the Institute for Biology and
Environmental Sciences at the Carl von Ossietzky University in
Oldenburg. It covers 3.7 hectares and contains around 7000 different
plant species in different planting areas (medicinal plant and farm
garden, Alpinium) as well as exotic woody plants.
Hörgarten:
Right next to the "House of Hearing" of Oldenburg Hearing Research,
you can find out more about hearing and acoustics in a playful way.
Fascinating exhibits such as the whispering gallery, the acoustic
cannon or the wind harp serve this purpose. The initiative "Germany
- Land of Ideas" has named the Hörgarten a 'selected place'.
Wall
systems: The former city fortifications ran around the city center
and these wall systems with their curved watercourses are still a
reminder of the old days when the city center had to be defended.
After 1800 the fortifications were removed and the ramparts turned
into a park landscape. Today they shape the cityscape with their
lush greenery.
Eversten Holz: Eversten Holz is located in the
immediate vicinity of the Dobbenviertel, which is well worth seeing
with its historic villas. In 1832, Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August
commissioned the respected landscape gardener Julius Bosse to
transform Eversten Holz into a landscape park. Today there are shady
paths between beeches and oaks for walking, jogging and walking.
There is also a large playground.
Großer and Kleiner Bürgerbusch:
Entrances: Scheideweg, Bahnweg and Feldstraße. The Bürgerbusch was
once the forest area of the Oldenburg citizens from which they
fetched their firewood. Today it is divided into the small and the
large Bürgerbusch. While the Große Bürgerbusch has extensive green
areas, a playground and a fitness trail, the Kleine Bürgerbusch,
located directly on Alexanderstraße, is more inviting for a short
walk.
Stadtwald and Blankenburger Holz: out of town via Holler
Landstrasse, at the level of Blankenburg Abbey on the left. At the
end of 1995, the Oldenburg City Forest was founded as part of a
large public planting campaign. Approx. 150,000 trees were planted
on an area of 30 hectares. This semi-natural mixed deciduous
forest is composed primarily of native deciduous tree species such
as oak, birch, aspen, alder, beech, winter linden and mountain ash.
Around 10 ha of the area was reserved for the development of various
biotopes. Part of the urban forest is also dedicated to a forest
adventure trail. The tour through the city forest and the
Blankenburger forest provides information about the forest habitat
at 17 stations.
Cycling: Oldenburg is a cycling city. The cycle
paths are well developed throughout the city and the surrounding
area (Ammerland, Wildeshauser Geest Nature Park, Wesermarsch). There
is a bicycle station at the main train station where bicycles can be
safely parked and where there are also bicycles to borrow.
Sport:
Whether passively - for example at the games of the EWE Baskets
(basketball Bundesliga) - or actively: The Oldenburgers are
extremely enthusiastic about sports. There are more than 100 clubs
in Oldenburg that offer sports from aerobics to yoga. Recreational
sports can be found in the swimming pools, at the running clubs or
in the commercially operated fitness studios. Water hiking is also
very popular. A varied and diverse landscape can be explored on the
river Hunte. And since 2010 it has also been possible to take part
in a city tour by canoe.
Kale tours: Kale is Oldenburg's national
dish. His palms can only be harvested after the first frost. The
cold takes the bitter substances out of the leaves, increases the
sugar content of the cabbage and makes it easier to digest. The
vegetables are cooked fat and hearty and are preferably served with
pee, boiled sausage and smoked pork.
Oldenburg merchants drove
their horse-drawn carriages to East Friesland as early as the 19th
century to enjoy winter vegetables in the village inns there. The
cabbage rides, which are popular throughout the northwest, have
their origins in this tradition. The Kohlfreunde roam the country in
groups to finally stop off at a (country) inn to eat and drink
together. On this occasion the "Kohlkönig" is determined every year.
Since the summer of 2010, Oldenburg has been referring to itself
with a wink as the “Kohltourhauptstadt” [www.kohltourhauptstadt.de].
Regular cultural events
Oldenburger Promenade (Chamber Music
Festival in June): International music festival with a strolling
character. Music from classical to jazz, world music, early music,
church and choral music.
Cultural summer (July to August): The
cultural summer offers a wide variety of events: jazz, pop, rock,
classical, open-air cinema, exhibitions, readings and theater.
International Ceramic Days Oldenburg (August 1st weekend): This
weekend, Oldenburg is all about ceramic art. Part of the Ceramic
Days is the traditional ceramic market with exhibitors of different
nationalities.
Internationales Filmfest Oldenburg (September): A
specialty for all film buffs who love and appreciate independent
filmmaking and the productions of young German and international
filmmakers.
KIBUM (largest non-commercial children's and youth
book fair): Every year in November, the KIBUM presents new
publications in the field of children's and youth media. A varied
supporting program with readings by authors and theater
performances. Storytelling and fairy tale hours, hands-on events and
lectures enrich the fair.
Lamberti market (Christmas market): Set
up between the historical sites of the Old Town Hall, the Oldenburg
Castle and the venerable St. Lamberti Church, this market is a
magnet for many visitors from the region and from the neighboring
Netherlands for four weeks before Christmas.
Kramermarkt
Oldenburg (end of September / beginning of October): Every year up
to 1.5 million visitors are drawn to the folk festival in Oldenburg,
which is heralded with a large parade. The Kramermarkt starts on a
Friday and lasts 10 days
www.kramermarkt-oldenburg.de.
Oldenburg is a traffic junction in the northwest. Motorways and
rail network intersect here and thus have an important function for
travelers and goods. These also play an important role in transport
on the waterways. In addition, with Bremen Airport, a European
commercial airport is in the immediate vicinity.
By plane
The largest civil airport in the northwest region is located in
Bremen. From here there are regular connections to numerous German
and European airports. Southern European holiday destinations are
dominant in charter flights.
Although Münster / Osnabrück
Airport is more than twice as far away from Oldenburg as compared to
Bremen, this international airport is also enjoying increasing
popularity with passengers from the Oldenburg area.
The
nearest regional airports are in Hatten, Ganderkesee,
Westerstede-Felde and Wilhelmshaven-Mariensiel.
By train
The Oldenburg main station is the only station in Lower Saxony with
a platform hall.
Oldenburg is integrated into the
long-distance network of Deutsche Bahn via Bremen / Hanover, which
is mainly served by Intercity (IC). Bremen and Hanover can also be
reached from Oldenburg by regional train (RB) and regional express
(RE). These types of train, especially the regional train, also stop
at smaller stations along the route.
The
Wilhelmshaven-Oldenburg-Osnabrück route, and also to Bremen, is
served by the NordWestBahn (NWB) trains. Since December 2010
Oldenburg has been connected to the regional S-Bahn Bremen / Lower
Saxony. The next car train station is at the Hildesheim freight
station. It is only a few minutes from the main train station to the
city center. The ZOB (Central Bus Station) with all bus lines is
also on the north side. There is also a bike rental service at the
main train station.
Oldenburg Central Station is served by
long-distance trains (Intercitys) from the direction of Leer or
Leipzig via Braunschweig, Hanover and Bremen as well as regional
traffic from Wilhelmshaven, Norddeich and Quakenbrück. The next more
important train stop is Bremen.
Train routes traveled every
hour from Oldenburg:
Hanover - Bremen - Oldenburg - Leer - Emden
- Norddeich Mole (DB)
Wilhelmshaven - Oldenburg - Osnabrück
(NordWestBahn)
Wilhelmshaven - Oldenburg - Bremen (NordWestBahn)
By bus
Oldenburg is directly connected to the A28 and A29
motorways. All roads lead from the city motorway ring into the city.
There are parking spaces for coaches at Cäcilienplatz (behind the
State Theater), on the Bundesbahnweg and at the Weser-Ems-Halle. In
and around Oldenburg, Verkehr und Wasser GmbH (VWG) operates bus
services. More than 45,000 people drive the VWG every day. With the
exception of line 304, all buses run via the central bus station
(ZOB) on the north side of the Oldenburg main station. VWG is a
partner in the Bremen / Lower Saxony transport association (VBN), an
association of numerous transport companies. The Weser-Ems buses
take care of the area supply in the region.
Regular bus
connections of the Weser-Ems buses to surrounding communities such
as Wardenburg, Bad Zwischenahn, Edewecht or Friesoythe also allow
"non-Oldenburgers" from the region to travel to the region at low
cost.
The central hub for all bus traffic in and around
Oldenburg is the central bus station (ZOB) directly behind the main
train station and the "Lappan" stop in the city center.
By
street
Oldenburg lies at the intersection of a north-south and an
east-west connection, which is supplemented by a 32-kilometer-long
city motorway ring. The A 29, from Wilhelmshaven via Oldenburg,
joins the Hansalinie A 1 at the Ahlhorner Heide motorway triangle.
It provides the shortest road connection to the Rhine-Ruhr area via
Osnabrück and Münster.
The A 28 connects Oldenburg with
Bremen and provides a direct connection to the important routes
Hamburg-Scandinavia and Hanover-Kassel-Frankfurt. In the west, the A
28 leads in the direction of Emden, Leer and the Netherlands. The A
28 (direction Leer) leads to the A 31 (Emsland motorway) at Dreieck
Bunde. It is an alternative to the often congested A 1. The A 31
joins the A 2 in the north of the Ruhr area near Essen and
Oberhausen.
Direct motorway connections to the
A 28 Bremen
- Emden - Leer
A 29 Wilhelmshaven - Ahlhorner Dreieck (A 1)
A
293 city motorway between the triangles orientated west and
orientated north
By boat
Liner connections to Oldenburg do not exist. In the
old city harbor there is a possibility of berth for sport boaters.
Water sports enthusiasts come via the Weser and the Hunte or the
coastal canal and dock at the Stau city harbor.
Oldenburg's
inland port has a leading position in cargo handling among the port
cities of the same type in Lower Saxony. The Deutsche Bahn container
handling facility is of great importance here. It is also
significant that the port can also be reached by seagoing vessels
via the Hunte, up to a maximum load capacity of 1500 tons. The Hunte
and the coastal canal are extremely interesting for the Oldenburg
economy as well as for sport boaters and leisure captains.
Shipping
Oldenburg has one of the most heavily handled inland
ports in Lower Saxony. About 2 km in length as a parallel port on
the lower Hunte. The Seewasserstraße Hunte is navigable for inland
and seagoing vessels.
Hunte
The Hunte flows into the Weser
at Elsfleth, the Hunte spring is located on the northern edge of the
Wiehengebirge. The course of the river is interrupted by the
Dümmersee.
Coastal channel
The coastal channel connects
the Hunte from Oldenburg with the Ems near Lathen. The coastal canal
lock in Oldenburg is navigable for inland vessels.
By bicycle
De Hunte-Radweg and Meer-Radweg lead through Oldenburg.
The city of Oldenburg is part of the Bremen / Lower Saxony
transport association, whose tariff is used. In addition, the Lower
Saxony Ticket and the Nice Weekend Ticket are valid throughout the
network, the BahnCard 100 is only valid in the cities of Bremen,
Bremerhaven, Oldenburg and Delmenhorst.
Fares
Within the
urban area, price level I applies with the special rule that single
tickets are valid for 90 minutes from validation for any number of
journeys including return journeys. Day tickets are valid from
validation until 3:00 a.m. on the following day. All prices as of
February 2016: Single adult ticket: 2.35 Adult 4-person ticket: 8.00
euros (2 euros per trip) Adult day ticket (plus a maximum of 3
children up to 14 years of age): 1 adult € 6.70, 2 adults 9, € 30, 3
adults € 11.90, 4 adults € 14.50, 5 adults € 17.10. Single ticket
child: 1.20 €
Rail transport
In the city of Oldenburg
there are no trams or subways and only two passenger stations:
Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf (please enter without spaces in the information
website of Deutsche Bahn) and Oldenburg-Wechloy. In the main station
there is a connection to individual InterCitys in long-distance
traffic, in regional traffic to the regional S-Bahn line RS3 (Bad
Zwischenahn - Bremen), to the regional express lines RE1
((Norddeich-Mole - Norddeich) - Emden - Leer - Augustfehn -
Oldenburg - Hude - Delmenhorst - Bremen - Verden - Eystrup -
Hanover), RE18 (Wilhelmshaven - Rastede - Oldenburg - Ahlhorn -
Osnabrück) and RE19 (Wilhelmshaven - Rastede - Oldenburg - Hude -
Delmenhorst - Bremen). Oldenburg-Wechloy only has a connection to
the regional S-Bahn RS3.
Bus transport
Apart from the
regional S-Bahn line RS3 with two stops in the city area, all public
transport is served by buses. These have three-digit line numbers
that start with 3.
A charming old town with small owner-managed shops, a large pedestrian zone and shopping centers makes Oldenburg a worthwhile shopping destination for visitors from near and far. In the city center you will find regional and international fashion shops in the pedestrian zone. The Nikolai district, an old part of the city, forms a counterpoint to the modern pedestrian zone. In 2011, the Schlosshöfe shopping center with around 100 stores was completed in the heart of the city centre. The large furniture stores (e.g. Ikea, Poco, Möbel Buss) and shopping centers (famila Kaufland Wechloy) can be found on the outskirts. Several shopping Sundays and numerous flea, flea and craft markets invite you to browse at the weekend.
Each part of the city and especially the city center offers a variety
of different restaurants. You can find home-style and regional cuisine
as well as Italian, Indian, fast food, etc. or even certified organic
restaurants. Various cafés, bistros and bars are right next to each
other on Rathausplatz. There is an overview here.
Mockturtle soup
is an imitation turtle soup with a very long tradition. In the Ammerland
region, beef, pork and beef or pork hearts are used as a substitute for
turtle meat. In Oldenburg, calf's head and calf's tongue are preferred.
The soup is sold in cans by butchers ready to eat.
Wallstraße between Lappan and Waffenplatz. Oldenburg's "pub mile", d.
H. there are various pubs (partly with live music), bistros and bars.
Ideal for meeting friends or meeting new people. Especially turbulent
during the city festival (end of August).
Baumgartenstraße, a popular
meeting point for partygoers in the heart of the old town with the
locations "César", "Loft" & "Cubes", where theme parties often take
place.
If you want to stay overnight in Oldenburg, you have plenty of
choice. In addition to a campsite and a youth hostel, there are many
hotels in different price categories.
Cheap
Youth hostel,
Straßburger Straße 6, 26123 Oldenburg (on the north side of the main
train station). Tel.: +49 (0)441 87135, fax: +49 (0)441 8852493, e-mail:
oldenburg@jugendherberge.de. Price: 2022: from €39.00/BB, 2023: from
€45.10/BB.
Campsite at the Flötenteich, Mühlenhofsweg 80. Tel.: +49
(0)441 32828.
Oldenburg is a diverse educational location with all kinds of institutions. Around 10,000 students and more than 1,000 scientists research and teach at the universities of the future city of Oldenburg. There is also a wide range of further training opportunities for many professional groups. In the 2009 city ranking of the magazine "Capital", Oldenburg managed to jump from 48th place in the previous ranking to 34th place. Oldenburg is the location of the Carl von Ossietzky University and the Jade University. Since November 2010, the adult education center in Oldenburg has been located at its new location opposite the main train station and the central bus station.
The enormous importance of science in Oldenburg was confirmed by the award of the Donors' Association for German Science as "City of Science 2009". After the year, Oldenburg continues to pursue the motto "The City of the Day After Tomorrow" as "City of Science". University, technical college and institutes on the one hand, companies that conduct research or draw attention to themselves with innovative products, concepts and developments on the other. IT, hearing research, new energies and education form the focus. In addition, Oldenburg is a research center of the Max Planck Society in the field of marine research. For 10 years, researchers at Oldenburger HörTech gGmbH have been setting international milestones in hearing research. Since 2002, the HörTech Competence Center has been working under one roof - in the so-called "House of Hearing" - with the Hörzentrum Oldenburg, the Department of Medical Physics at the University of Oldenburg and the degree in Hearing Technology & Audiology at the Jade Hochschule Oldenburg. 80% of all hearing aids worldwide have a piece "Made in Oldenburg" as part!
Oldenburg's economy is characterized by dynamic medium-sized companies and a healthy mix of industries with a large range of retail and service offerings. The Institute of German Economy certifies Oldenburg top values in terms of business friendliness. In 2009, Oldenburg was the "City of Science": 20,000 people study at the Carl von Ossietzky University and at technical colleges, and many institutes and other research facilities enjoy a worldwide reputation.
Oldenburg is considered safe compared to other major cities.
There is a doctor search on the website of the regional daily
newspaper:
Specialist clinic Oldenburger Land
Evangelical Hospital
Oldenburg
eye day clinic
Klinikum Oldenburg gGmbH
Pius Hospital
Oldenburg
Rehabilitation Center Oldenburg GmbH
Karl Jaspers Clinic
Oldenburg Tourismus und Marketing GmbH maintains a tourist
information center in the historic old town.
Oldenburg Tourist
Information, Lange Straße 3, 26122 Oldenburg (im Lappan). Phone: +49
(0)441 36161366, fax: +49 (0)441 36161350, e-mail:
info@oldenburg-tourist.de. Open: Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-16:00
Service center of the city of Oldenburg: Tel. +49 (0)441 2354444
Oldenburg lies at the point where the Delmenhorster Geest
in the south-east merges into the Oldenburger Geest in the north-west,
at an altitude of 2-19 metres. To the west of this are the wide moors of
the Leda-Jümme-Moorniediye, to the east the marshland of the lower
Hunte, which is at sea level. The port of Oldenburg is roughly at sea
level, coastal ships do not have to pass through a lock on their way to
the North Sea.
There are also bog areas in the north-east of the
city. Most of Oldenburg is northwest of the river; the city center is at
the confluence of the Haaren and the Hunte. The city center is 23.5 km
from the mouth of the Hunte near Elsfleth and about 90 km from the open
North Sea, but since the Hunte lowlands below the city center are at sea
level, the tides of the North Sea can be felt in your hair , which
changes its flow direction up to four times a day shortly before it
flows into the Hunte.
The city of Oldenburg is located in the
center of the Oldenburger Land in western Lower Saxony, it is the
northernmost city in the federal state. The nearest major cities are
Bremen, about 45 km to the east, Wilhelmshaven, about 50 km to the
north, Osnabrück, about 100 km to the south, Hamburg, about 170 km to
the north-east, Groningen, about 110 km to the west, and Hanover, about
170 km to the south-east of Oldenburg.
The following municipalities border the city (clockwise, starting in the
east):
City of Elsfleth (Wesermarsch district), Hude (Oldenburg),
Hatten and Wardenburg (all Oldenburg district) as well as Edewecht, Bad
Zwischenahn, Wiefelstede and Rastede (all Ammerland district)
Around 266,000 people live in the Oldenburg conurbation.
The city is divided into nine districts,
which in turn are subdivided into districts. Urban districts according
to the city's 2005 statistical yearbook are:
with the districts of
Zentrum, Dobben, Haarenesch, the station district and the court district
with the districts of Ziegelhof and Ehnern
with the districts of
Bürgeresch and Donnerschwee
with the districts of Ostenburg and
Drielake
with the districts of Eversten, Hundsmühlerhöhe, Thomasburg,
Bloherfelde, Haarentor and Wechloy
with the districts of Bürgerfelde,
Rauhehorst (also Vahlenhorst), Dietrichsfeld, Alexandersfeld, Flugplatz,
Ofenerdiek and Nadorst
with the districts of Etzhorn, Ohmstede and
Bornhorst
with the districts of Neuenwege and Kloster Blankenburg
with the districts of Kreyenbrück, Bümmerstede, Tweelbäke West,
Krusenbusch and Drielaker Moor
In 1920, the total area of the
city was 1,152 hectares. After that, various communities or parts of
communities and districts were incorporated into Oldenburg, so that the
city area today, after various border adjustments, totals 10,296
hectares. In detail, the following were incorporated or hived off:
A new district is being built on the former Bundeswehr air base. On
June 15, 2017, the Urban Planning Committee of the City of Oldenburg
approved the master plan for the Mittelweg/air base areas - see
Oldenburg Air Base - New District. Since September 2021, a smart city
district with a total of around 210 residential units, which offers
innovative and climate-friendly energy supply, has been under
construction on the site.
Lakes and ponds
Immediately to the east of the A29 federal
motorway are four lakes, some of which are suitable for swimming and
water sports: the Kleiner Bornhorster See, the Große Bornhorster See,
the Blankenburger See and the Tweelbäker See (the city limits of
Oldenburg run through it; its eastern shore already belongs to the
municipality of Hude in the district of Oldenburg). The lakes owe their
formation to the construction of the Autobahns 28, 29 and 293. Large
quantities of sand were required, in particular for the construction of
the ramps on both sides of the Autobahn bridge over the Hunte, which was
dredged and washed out of the area on which the lakes are today.
Green spaces and forests
In addition to the castle garden and the
landscape park Mühlenhunte, the botanical garden, the Eversten Holz, the
Große and the Kleine Bürgerbusch as well as the area around
theosterburger Utkiek are also used for walks in the countryside. There
are also recreational opportunities in the ramparts, whose green belt
around the city center has been largely preserved. The two municipal
cemeteries in Bummerstede and on Patentbusch have a park-like character.
There are also smaller parks in the city area, such as the Cäcilienpark
near the State Theater.
Since 2005, temporary gardens called
“City Gardens” have been set up in the city center from May to August
every year. The purpose of the temporary gardens is to demonstrate
"Oldenburg's great affinity for parks and gardens".
There are six nature protection buildings in the city area
NSG Bornhorster Huntewiesen
The "Bornhorster Huntewiesen" cover
350 ha and were placed under protection in 1991. It is a bird protection
area based on the European Birds Directive of national importance. They
are part of the Natura 2000 network. The protected area is characterized
by wide meadows divided by an extensive system of ditches. The curlew,
black-tailed godwit and common snipe inhabit the wide, treeless plain
that is often flooded in winter. Migratory birds such as waterfowl and
waders rest in large numbers in the meadows every year. Rare plant
species such as swan flower, swamp vetchling or swamp trident can only
be found here within the city.
There is an absolute ban on
entering the entire nature reserve. It is divided into two protection
zones with different usage restrictions. In zone 2, for example, the
management of the areas during the breeding season of meadow birds and
the spreading of liquid manure are prohibited and the ditch edges may
only be mowed when the grassland is cut the second time. Interested
visitors can see the areas from the dykes or from the refuge on the cow
path.
NSG Everstenmoor
The approximately 105 ha "Everstenmoor"
was placed under nature protection in 1990. It is the last large
uncultivated raised bog in the area of the city of Oldenburg. Raised
moor specialties such as sundew, cotton grass, white beak reed, moor
frog, adder and rare dragonfly and butterfly species are still
represented here. By means of rewetting measures, the regular removal of
growing birch trees (de-cussing) and the grazing of the moor heathland
with Heidschnucke, attempts are made to preserve the rich structure and
the moor-typical communities. The Freesenweg and the Sandfurter Weg are
specially marked hiking trails on which the moor can be discovered.
NSG railway embankment site Krusenbusch
According to the results of
archaeological excavations, the history of Oldenburg began in the 7th or
8th century AD. On a Geestspur in the Ammergau near a ford over the
Hunte, a farming settlement was built in the area of today's market
square and to the north and east of it. On the trade route from Bremen
or Westphalia to Jever, there was an easy crossing over the river here.
In the first half of the 11th century, the ring wall system of the
Heidenwall was built east of Oldenburg. Archaeological investigations
from 2007 dated its construction to 1032 and 1042.
The place was
first mentioned in a document in 1108 under the name "Aldenburg". In the
12th century, the Counts of Oldenburg used the favorable topographical
situation to build a moated castle. They levied a toll, but could also
block this passage in times of war. The castle was the administrative
center of the county, and many members of the administration soon
settled in the surrounding area.
The Blankenburg monastery was
founded in 1294 for Dominican nuns of the Augustinian and preacher
orders. Today it is located on the eastern outskirts of the city, near
the Hunte.
In 1345, the settlement in the Archdiocese of Bremen,
which was now called Oldenburg, received city rights from Count Konrad I
of Bremen. Better fortifications were built, with an extremely wide moat
encircling the wall and five city gates controlling entry into the city.
The ground plan resembled a coat of arms: in the west the Obristentor or
Everstentor, in the north-west the Haarentor, in the north-east the
Heiliggeisttor, in the east the Stautor and in the south the mighty
Dammtor. This double gate building with two flanking round towers (1518)
and drawbridge over the city moat was located south of the ring castle
complex with its own moat. The city of Oldenburg also benefited
economically from this protection against robbers.
In 1448 Count
Christian von Oldenburg became king of Denmark and in 1450 also king of
Norway (personal union of both kingdoms). In 1457 he was also elected
King of Sweden. In 1460 he became Duke of Schleswig and Count of
Holstein (duchy from 1474). The small house of counts thus gained
national importance, which had a significant impact after the death of
the last count, Anton Günther.
The reign of Count Anton Günther began in 1603. He had part of
the castle rebuilt in the Baroque style and began breeding horses, which
soon became very popular as “Oldenburg” horses. In addition, the city
was protected from the effects of the Thirty Years' War for a long time.
Breeding draft horses for artillery proved particularly profitable in
times of war. Overall, the county emerged from the war with a slight
edge, largely because the city was never besieged or sacked. When
General Tilly and his troops, who were camped in Wardenburg, approached
Oldenburg, Count Anton Günther was able to use his negotiating skills
and bribes to persuade Tilly to move away again.
Despite a
so-called plague regulation, from August 1667 onwards 30 to 40 people
fell victim to the plague every week. The Blankenburg Monastery was
temporarily used as a camp for people suffering from the plague, after
it had been dissolved as a monastery in the course of the Reformation
and initially converted into the "malting and brewing works" of
Oldenburg Count Anton Günther. In 1632 he transferred the estate to a
foundation so that a poorhouse and orphanage could be set up there.
Count Anton Günther died in 1667 and was buried in the Oldenburg
Lamberti Church. As he had no legitimate offspring, Oldenburg was given
to the nearest male relative, the King of Denmark. Thus Oldenburg became
Danish.
From 1667 the territory of Oldenburg was administered administratively by the German Chancellery in Copenhagen. In the same year the plague broke out in the city. Nine years later, on July 27, 1676, three lightning strikes in Oldenburg. The city was on fire and was almost completely destroyed. Because their residents were neither insured nor received help from their government at the time, they had to move to relatives and friends outside of the city and region. In this way the castle and the city of Oldenburg fell into disrepair. The existing art objects were taken to Denmark: the Danish crown hardly supported Oldenburg and the reconstruction was laborious and took decades. The number of inhabitants dropped to 3000 by the middle of the 18th century. As a military outpost, Oldenburg was apparently of greater importance for Denmark, because the city was equipped with fortifications, today's ramparts, by order of the Danish crown. The residents of Oldenburg and the surrounding villages were forced to build.
The ruling houses of Germany, Denmark
and Russia were related to each other, so Oldenburg's affiliation
changed again and again. On August 27, 1773, the County of Delmenhorst,
together with the County of Oldenburg, passed to the head of the House
of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, the later Tsar Paul I, through an
exchange of lands. Four days later, he ceded the lands to his cousin
Friedrich August, the Prince-Bishop of Lübeck, who was then raised to
the rank of duke by Emperor Joseph II in 1774/1777. The duchy of
Oldenburg that came into being in this way belonged to the Holy Roman
Empire as an imperial principality. Oldenburg formally became the
capital of the duchy, but Duke Friedrich August continued to reside in
Eutin. After his death in 1785, his nephew Peter Friedrich Ludwig became
the state administrator of the duchy, since Friedrich August's actual
heir, Duke Peter Friedrich Wilhelm, was not able to govern.
By
moving his residence to Oldenburg, Peter Friedrich Ludwig made the city
a residence again, which he expanded in the classicist style during the
course of his reign. Among other things, the neoclassical row of houses
on Huntestraße, the teachers' seminary on Wallstraße, the infantry
barracks on Pferdemarkt and the Prince's Palace on Damm were built. The
Lamberti Church was also rebuilt in this style.
As the father of
the country, Peter Friedrich Ludwig attached great importance to the
expansion of education and health care. He himself had a wide range of
education and was also involved in social issues. Among other things, he
founded the "Ersparungskasse" in 1786 and, with basic financing,
provided the basis for the construction of a new hospital (Peter
Friedrich Ludwigs Hospital), which was only realized after his death. In
the same year, the police dragoon corps of the Duchy of Oldenburg was
set up to secure the state borders and overland routes and to support
the lower police authorities.
During the French annexation of the Duchy of Oldenburg under Napoleon I,
the duke was in exile. The city became a district of the department of
the Weser estuaries with a sub-prefect from 1811 to 1813. In Oldenburg,
new administrative and legal regulations were introduced in accordance
with the Code Napoléon. Among other things, the 34th Legion of the
Gendarmerie impériale was responsible for enforcing the laws; a
gendarmerie brigade was also stationed in the city of Oldenburg. After
liberation from French rule, the old rights were restored, with the
exception of serfdom. Peter Friedrich Ludwig did not appear in person at
the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and he did not accept the title “Grand
Duke” that was offered to him there.
In 1818, Oldenburg became a
"first-class city" and the seat of an office, i.e. a "district-free
city" in today's sense. In 1833 it was temporarily reclassified as a
"City II Class" before being "City I Class" again in 1855.
After
the death of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig in 1829, his successor Paul
Friedrich August assumed the title of Grand Duke. During his reign
(until 1853) there were numerous cultural innovations. The forerunner of
the Oldenburg State Orchestra was founded with the Grand Ducal Court
Orchestra. The theater was also located on the wall section named after
it. The Grand Ducal natural history cabinet founded at that time is now
part of the collection of the State Museum for Nature and Man.
The expansion of the military system also took place during this period,
which was also visible in the townscape in the construction of various
barracks, the military academy on the horse market (today the registry
office) and the artillery barracks on the Ofener Straße (today the
university of applied sciences).
The
revolutionary years were moderate in Oldenburg. On March 2, 1848, the
city council addressed an address to the Grand Duke in which a state
constitution was called for, but in a very loyal, cautious tone: "The
Oldenburger honors and loves his ancestral dynasty with unshakable love,
he knows what a treasure it is he is ahead of many others in this.”
On March 7, the City Council received the Grand Duke's reply through
the City Magistrate. This, in turn, contained only vague promises and he
did not respond at all to the desire to have the constitution discussed
by knowledgeable men. Disappointment with the Grand Duke's behavior was
considerable and as early as March 8th craftsmen gathered to discuss
submitting another petition. On March 10, deputations from Oldenburg and
Jever made personal representations to the Grand Duke and handed over
the petitions they had written. However, the addressee was not willing
to make concessions, whereupon the Jeversche deputation threatened an
uprising. The Grand Duke then gave in and promised to issue a
resolution. In the early evening, the patent issued by the Grand Duke
was publicly read out. He agreed to submit a basic state law as a draft
constitution to experienced men from all over the country. Specifically,
he promised to submit a draft to a meeting of 34 men to be determined by
him, which they should discuss. The enthusiasm of the people of
Oldenburg was immense and the Grand Duke and his family received
multiple cheers in the theater that same evening. This went so far as to
be asked to step on a flight of stairs to be cheered on, which he
obviously disliked.
Press censorship was lifted by decree on
March 11th. However, this did not have a major impact, as there were
hardly any restrictions beforehand. On March 24, riots broke out in
Oldenburg by members of the city's lower classes. Mainly apprentices and
journeymen ganged up in front of a colonel's house, destroyed a lantern
and threw a stone. This riot was condemned by the press. This was
followed by the Grand Duke's approval of arming the people and creating
a vigilante group to prevent further incidents of this kind. On March
25, rifles were handed out to Oldenburg citizens and drill exercises
began on March 26. In February 1849, the constitution was adopted in the
constituent state parliament.
In 1867 Oldenburg joined the North
German Confederation.
At the beginning of the First World War,
Oldenburg, an important military base, quickly became an army camp. In
addition to thousands of reservists, many volunteers also came to the
barracks. The largest unit stationed in Oldenburg was the Infantry
Regiment No. 91, which suffered high losses early on and was disbanded
after the war.
Weimar Republic and the time of National Socialism
The Oldenburg State Ministry was the office of the Oldenburg Prime
Minister and from 1946 to the end of 2004 the seat of the district
government.
The last
Grand Duke Friedrich August abdicated in 1918 and with the proclamation
of the Weimar Constitution in 1919 Oldenburg became the capital of the
federal Free State of Oldenburg in the Weimar Republic.
Here the
NSDAP succeeded in the elections to the Oldenburg Landtag in 1932 for
the first time in a state of the German Reich to achieve an absolute
majority of over 48%. Carl Röver, who had been active in Oldenburg since
the mid-1920s under Nazi Gauleiter Weser-Ems, was then appointed Prime
Minister. Shortly after the National Socialists took power throughout
the German Reich, Röver was appointed "Reich Governor" for Bremen and
Oldenburg in early May 1933. The Hanseatic city of Bremen thus lost its
political independence. In return, the Oldenburg office was
significantly enlarged during the Nazi era in 1933 and the new
administrative district was later called the Oldenburg district.
In 1935 the "Conservation and Nursing Home Cloister Blankenburg" was
closed and converted into an "auxiliary service camp of the SA Labor
Service" for unemployed young people. In February 1937, the camp was
closed and instead the municipal care facility in Gertrudenheim was
relocated to Blankenburg. As part of the "euthanasia" campaign, the
residents of the home were moved again.
In the night from
November 9th to 10th, 1938, Oldenburg SA troops took part in the
nationwide anti-Jewish November pogroms. The synagogue and the Jewish
school were burned down, and some shops were destroyed. The Jewish
Oldenburgers were rounded up in the police barracks at the Pferdemarkt,
now the Oldenburg State Library. On the morning of November 10, the
families were separated and 43 Jewish men were driven past the rubble of
the still burning synagogue through the city center to the prison.
Deportation by train followed a day later. A total of almost 1,000 men
from the north-west and Bremen were taken to the Sachsenhausen
concentration camp, from which they returned broken for weeks and
months. As a reminder and reminder, in 1982 the citizens of Oldenburg
initiated a reenactment of this deportation as a walk of silence. Since
then, this commemorative walk has been celebrated annually on November
10th by several hundred to several thousand Oldenburgers. Schools and
institutions each design an extensive supporting program.
During
the Nazi era, numerous Oldenburg Sinti were also deported and murdered.
At least 74 Sinti from the city of Oldenburg and the surrounding area
were murdered in concentration and extermination camps.
During
World War II air raids on Oldenburg caused only minor damage. Only 1.4%
of Oldenburg was destroyed. In June 1941 an air raid caused damage in
the area of Stau, Sophienstrasse and Würzburger Strasse as well as on
the railway line to Leer. In September 1943, the state library on Damm
was destroyed by bombs, as did the district court at Elisabethstraße 7,
which burned down, as well as the museum on Damm and the Reich financial
administration on Damm at the corner of Festungsgraben. In April 1945
there were four more major air raids. The Georgenvilla, the brick yard
and the meat factory of the G.E.G. were destroyed. The barracks on
Ofener Strasse and Donnerschweer Strasse and the infantry barracks on
Cloppenburger Strasse were badly damaged. Heavy damage also occurred in
the residential areas east of Cloppenburger Strasse and around
Klingenbergplatz. On April 17, 1945, British planes attacked the
Donnerschwee barracks. 13 children lost their lives in this bomb attack.
During an air raid on April 21, 1945, the station forecourt, the harbor
and the commercial area in the east of the old town were destroyed. The
barracks in Kreyenbrück were also destroyed in April/May 1945. During
the air raids, many people sought shelter in the high-rise bunker built
in 1942/43 on Moslestraße (blown up and demolished in 1979) and in the
hundreds of small, shatterproof round bunkers distributed throughout the
city. A total of 130 houses were destroyed in Oldenburg during the
Second World War.
After the end of the Second
World War, Oldenburg belonged to the British occupation zone. In 1945,
the British city commander took over the villa at Gartenstraße 5 as his
residence, which had previously been the official residence of the head
of the NSDAP Weser-Ems district (later the "Bridge of Nations" was
housed there). The British military administration set up several DP
camps in Oldenburg to accommodate up to 5,000 so-called displaced
persons. The majority of them were former forced laborers from Poland
and the Baltic States, but also non-German refugees from the areas
occupied by the Red Army. The camps "Ohmstede", "Wehnen", "Sandplatz",
"Unterm Berg" and "Ammerländer Heerstraße" existed after the founding of
the Federal Republic until the 1950s.
Latvians and Estonians were
settled on the site of the former racecourse in Ohmstede, many of whom
have remained in Ohmstede to this day. On the one hand, these exiles did
not want to return to their homeland, which was occupied by the Soviet
Union in 1940, but on the other hand, they also did not want to emigrate
to a country where Germany was wartime enemies in the West. In 1960, the
wooden houses of the "Lettenlager" were demolished and gradually
replaced by apartment buildings, which, however, were not only inhabited
by exiles from the Balts. In the 1970s, around 300 Latvians still lived
in Oldenburg. Most of the Latvians and Estonians who lived in Ohmstede
after World War II and their descendants remained in Germany in 1990
even after the restoration of the state of Latvia's sovereignty. The
most prominent Latvian exile who died in exile in Ohmstede was the
former Latvian general and later general of the Waffen-SS Rūdolfs
Bangerskis. The Latvian composer and conductor Bruno Skulte led a
Latvian opera ensemble in Oldenburg after 1945.
By taking in
around 42,000 displaced persons after the end of the war, Oldenburg
exceeded the number of 100,000 inhabitants and grew into a big city. In
1946, the English occupying power decided that the state of Oldenburg
became part of the new federal state of Lower Saxony. Oldenburg became
the seat of the "administrative district of Oldenburg", one of the eight
administrative districts in the state at the time.
In 1949, a
municipal retirement home was opened in the former Blankenburg
monastery, and from 1957 the long-term psychiatric “Blankenburg Clinic”
was mainly operated. The dissolution in 1987/88 was considered a
nationwide model project for outpatient psychiatric care.
View of the Altfeld of the Ostenburger Utkiek: hiking trail,
pergola and heart-shaped climbing element between two hills
2021
burnt down boat kiosk on the Mühlenhunte (2009)
The district of
Oldenburg was changed as a result of various district reforms in the
1970s. In 1978, the administrative district of Oldenburg and the
administrative districts of Aurich and Osnabrück became the
administrative district of Weser-Ems, with the capital Oldenburg.
Despite all the administrative and regional reforms, Oldenburg remained
an independent city. In 1988, the district administration of the
district of Oldenburg, which had previously been located in the city of
Oldenburg, was relocated to Wildeshausen by decision of the district
council.
In 1954 the Weser-Ems-Halle was opened and in 1967 the
redesign of the old town began, making Oldenburg one of the first cities
in Germany to have a pedestrian zone. Oldenburg developed into a banking
center in the region, including a branch of the Deutsche Bundesbank. The
Carl von Ossietzky University was founded in 1973 after the abolition of
the teacher training colleges in Lower Saxony. In the same year,
construction of the auxiliary hospital in Oldenburg began.
From
1990 to the end of June 2011, the state of Lower Saxony maintained a
reception center for asylum seekers in the "Blankenburg Monastery",
which in the course of the 1990s provided communal accommodation
(according to § 53 Asylum Procedure Act (today called: Asylum Act)) and
a departure facility (according to § 61 Para. 2 Residence Act) was
attached.
In 2009, Oldenburg bears the title of City of Science
with the vision of the future city. In 2009, work began on transforming
the former municipal garbage dump in Ostenburg into a park.
Theosterburger Utkiek is located at the highest point of the former
heap.
The thatched boat kiosk on the Mühlenhunte was dismantled
in 2018 and was to be rebuilt on the site of the Cloppenburg Museum
Village from 2021. The unique specimen was completely destroyed in a
fire in a depot of the museum village in July 2021.
The function of the Heidenwall, which was built in 1032, has
not been clearly clarified. It is likely that it served to secure a ford
of the Hunte. The castle, which was probably built in the 11th century,
was converted into a fortress in the old Italian style from around 1530.
The first armory was built in 1576. By 1600 the so-called Citizens'
Watch had been set up. Around 1615 the expansion of the fortress began.
In 1681, the Danish King Christian V, who had inherited the county of
Oldenburg-Delmenhorst from his father, had stone barracks built on the
Waffenplatz as soldiers' quarters, which were used as the first
municipal hospital about a hundred years later. In the so-called Danish
period, Oldenburg was a Danish royal fortress from 1700 to 1765.
After being elevated to the Duchy of Oldenburg, the city became a ducal
garrison. In 1775 the Ducal Infantry Corps was set up. In 1808/09 this
unit was incorporated into the so-called Confederation of the Rhine
contingent. Until 1919, the military center of the city was always the
castle guard, which was responsible for guarding the castle as the seat
of government. It was also the seat of the garrison command.
In 1813, Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig issued an order to set up a
Ducal Oldenburg infantry regiment. In 1831, contingents from Bremen,
Hamburg and Lübeck were combined to form the Oldenburg-Hanseatic
Brigade.
In the North German Confederation, the unit was
incorporated into the Prussian army in 1867 as the Oldenburg Infantry
Regiment No. 91.
In 1849 a cavalry regiment was set up, which was
stationed in Ostenburg from 1859 and was part of the Prussian army from
1867 as the Oldenburg Dragoon Regiment No. 19.
After 1919 the Oldenburg garrison was greatly reduced. The
91st Regiment was succeeded by the 110th Infantry Regiment, which was
converted into the 16th Infantry Regiment (Reichswehr) in 1921.
After 1935, the Oldenburg garrison was massively expanded.
At the beginning of May 1945, Oldenburg was taken by Canadian
units of the 4th Canadian Armored Division. The Canadian occupying
forces were replaced by British units in 1946/1947. These were replaced
by the Danish military in the late 1940s. In 1954 the British withdrew.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, Oldenburg was the second largest
garrison town in the Federal Republic after Koblenz. It was the location
of various army and air force associations and units. In the 1970s, the
Bundeswehr employed 10,000 soldiers and civil servants in Oldenburg.
In 1990, the year of German reunification, 4,555
soldiers and 1,600 civilian employees were employed by the Bundeswehr in
the city of Oldenburg. In a study published jointly by the Universities
of Oldenburg and Göttingen, it was predicted in 1995 that the German
Armed Forces would lose two thirds of their soldiers and half of their
civilian employees at the Oldenburg site. In fact, since 2006, 1,100
members of the Bundeswehr have been employed in Oldenburg. Since the
suspension of compulsory military service in Germany on July 1, 2011, no
more conscripts have been stationed in Oldenburg.
Due to army
structural reforms, only the Henning-von-Tresckow barracks in
Bümmerstede are still a troop base today. After the reunification of
Germany, this initially housed the staff of the 31st Airborne Brigade,
two companies of the 272nd Airborne Support Battalion, a medical
squadron and the driver training center.
The airborne brigade was
reorganized into a paratrooper regiment at the Seedorf location in 2014.
From 2015, the headquarters of the 1st Panzer Division was relocated to
the Hennig-von-Tresckow barracks. After the parachutists left in March
2015, the advance command of the 1st Panzer Division moved into the
Henning-von-Tresckow barracks. Since December 14, 2015, the headquarters
and the headquarters/signal company of the 1st Panzer Division have been
stationed in Oldenburg. The driver training center remained at the
Bümmerstede site.
The Bundeswehr catering office, the Bundeswehr
service center and the Oldenburg support center for civilian vocational
training and further education (ZAW support center Oldenburg) are
located on the site of the former dragoon barracks in Ostenburg.
The air base on Alexanderstraße and the barracks in Ohmstede,
Donnerschwee and Kreyenbrück are no longer used for Bundeswehr purposes.
The abandoned Bundeswehr locations in Oldenburg could be used for new
purposes from 1993.
Population pyramid for Oldenburg (data
source: census 2011)
In 1898 Oldenburg had 25,000 inhabitants, by
1925 this number had doubled to 50,000. In 1946, the city's population
quickly exceeded the 100,000 mark due to the influx of refugees. In
2015, according to the City of Oldenburg residents' register, 25,672
minors and 139,424 adults lived here, a total of 165,096 people.
Oldenburg is one of the still growing cities in the Federal Republic.
Since 2011, Oldenburg has been the third largest city in Lower Saxony,
ahead of Osnabrück (census and update). On December 31, 2021, Oldenburg
had 170,389 inhabitants.
In a population projection by the Lower
Saxony State Office for Statistics, around 171,000 inhabitants are
forecast for Oldenburg in 2021.
The overview of the number of
inhabitants according to the respective territorial status is mostly an
estimate up to 1833, after that it is a matter of census results (¹) or
official updates of the respective statistical offices or the city
administration. From 1843, the information refers to the "local
population", from 1925 to the resident population and since 1987 to the
"population at the main residence".
Denomination statistics
According to the 2011 census, in 2011
45.9% of the residents were Protestant, 14.3% Roman Catholic and 39.8%
were non-denominational, belonged to another religious community or made
no statement. The number of Catholics and especially that of Protestants
has fallen since then. At the end of 2021, 34.7% of the residents of
Oldenburg were Evangelical Lutheran Christians, 12.6% Catholics and 0.8%
Evangelical Reformed Christians. The rest, i.e. non-denominational and
different faiths, are only shown together, the proportion was 52.0%. The
development of religious affiliations in Oldenburg follows the trend in
most of the large cities in Germany that were previously inhabited
predominantly by Protestant church members. At the beginning of the 20th
century it was still the absolutely dominant and therefore dominant
church, currently a minority. In 2022 there were around 2,400 more
church leavers (= more than 1% of the residents of the city of
Oldenburg).
Christians
From 2008 to 2017, the Evangelical
Lutheran Church lost 6,353 members and the Catholic Church gained 55
members.
Oldenburg initially belonged to the area of the
Archdiocese of Bremen, or to its archdeaconate of St. Willehadi, the St.
John's Chapel belonged to the diocese of Osnabrück. The Reformation
prevailed from 1526, and the city had been permanently reformed since
1529, but converted to Lutheranism in 1573 (introduction of a Lutheran
church order). After that, Oldenburg was predominantly Protestant for
many centuries. As the capital of the Duchy or Grand Duchy of Oldenburg,
the city was also the administrative seat of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Oldenburg. The consistory or the upper church council of this
state church is still located here today. Oldenburg also became the seat
of the church district of Oldenburg-Stadt very early on, to which all
parishes in the city today belong, provided they are not free churches.
At the latest since the end of the 18th century there have been
Catholics in Oldenburg again. These were cared for by a chaplain since
1785. In 1807, after the incorporation of large parts of the lower
monastery of Münster into the duchy, the Duke of Oldenburg had the first
Catholic church built at his own expense. church was replaced. Other
Catholic churches were built later. In 1831, Oldenburg became part of
the Oldenburg diocese of Münster after the formation of a separate
Catholic diocese for the state of Oldenburg failed. However, the seat of
the official office was the city of Vechta. A dean's office was set up
in Oldenburg, which at the time was responsible for the entire northern
part of the state of Oldenburg. Later, the deanery of Oldenburg was
changed in its layout, but today all parishes of the city of Oldenburg
(Oldb) belong to this deanery within the diocese of Münster.
The
oldest free church is the Evangelical Free Church (Baptists), which
today has its community center on Eichenstraße. It was founded in 1837.
The congregational pastors of the founding phase were August Friedrich
Wilhelm Haese and Johann Ludwig Hinrichs. In the early days, the
congregation suffered from persecution by state and church authorities:
the children of the congregation were forcibly baptized, meetings were
dissolved by the police, and holding church services was punishable by
heavy fines and imprisonment.
In addition to the Baptists, there
are other free churches in Oldenburg: the United Methodist Church, the
Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK), the Seventh-day
Adventist Church (STA), the Free Evangelical Church (FeG), the Free
Christian Church and other free Christian communities.
Other
religious communities committed to Christianity in Oldenburg are the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, the
New Apostolic Church, Christian Science (the Christian Science
Association) and the Christian Community.
Jews
There has also
been a Jewish community (JGO) in Oldenburg since 1992. To this end, on
March 5, 1995, the city of Oldenburg handed over a cultural center with
a synagogue to the Jewish community. It is the former Baptist chapel at
Wilhelmstraße 17, which was converted for the use of the Jewish
community and is very close to the synagogue that was destroyed during
the November pogroms of 1938. On June 25, 1995, the congregation was
able to open its new synagogue. From August 1, 1995 to April 30, 2004,
the Swiss Bea Wyler served as the first female rabbi in Germany after
the Holocaust in Oldenburg (temporarily also in Braunschweig and
Delmenhorst). From September 2006 to 2008, Daniel Alter was one of the
first three rabbis ordained in Germany after 1945 in Oldenburg. He is a
graduate of the Potsdam Abraham Geiger College, as is Alina Treiger, who
has been in charge of the JGO and the Jewish community in Delmenhorst
since 2010.
Muslims
Three mosques belonging to different
Muslim communities are registered in Oldenburg, namely the DITIB's Hacı
Bayram Mosque on Emsstraße (prayer language is Turkish), the IGMG's
Hamidiye Mosque on Breslauer Straße and the Maryam Mosque of the Islamic
Cultural Association, an association without Umbrella organization in
Alexanderstraße (prayer languages Arabic and German).
Other
religious communities
Among the residents of Oldenburg there are also
Baha'i and one of the largest Yazidi communities in Germany.
Other worldviews
The Lower Saxony Humanistic Association, a community
of non-religious people with a worldview, maintains a humanistic center
in Oldenburg.
The Humanist Association (HV), an ideological
community that in principle also appeals to religious people in addition
to non-religious people, operates a social service and, with the 50
Miles Seamen's Club, a social facility for seafarers.
At the head of the city has been a council since the 14th century,
which from 1345 consisted of 18 members. Among them were three mayors.
However, only one mayor with five councilors ruled. The Council rotated
annually on January 6th. From 1676 the number of mayors was reduced to
two. From 1773 there was only one law-educated mayor at the head of the
council and the city. The town ordinance of 1833 introduced a town
manager as a senior official. He later received the title of mayor or
mayor.
During National Socialism, Oldenburg's mayor was appointed
by the NSDAP.
In 1946, the military government of the British
zone of occupation introduced a local constitution based on the British
model. After that there was a council elected by the people. He elected
the mayor from his midst as chairman and representative of the city, who
worked on an honorary basis. In addition, from 1946 there was a
full-time senior city manager, also elected by the council, as head of
the city administration. In 1996, the dual leadership in the city
administration in Oldenburg (Oldb) was given up. Since then there has
only been the full-time mayor. He is the head of the city administration
and representative of the city. Since then he has been directly elected
by the people. However, the council still has its own chairman, who is
elected from among the council's inaugural meeting after each municipal
election.
The Oldenburg members of the Lower Saxony state
parliament directly elected on January 20, 2013 are the SPD politicians
Ulf Prange (constituency 62 Oldenburg Central/South) and Jürgen Krogmann
(constituency 63 Oldenburg North/West). The Greens politician Susanne
Menge also entered the state parliament via her party's state list. On
September 22, 2013, the SPD politician Dennis Rohde was directly elected
to the German Bundestag as representative of constituency 28
(Oldenburg-Ammerland). The CDU politician Stephan Albani entered the
Bundestag via the state list of the Lower Saxony CDU.
The three largest groups of employees in Oldenburg in 2011 were
retail (7270 employees), health care (6829 employees) and public
administration, defense and social insurance (5348 employees despite the
drastic decline in the number of members of the Bundeswehr). The service
sector generated 87½ percent of the gross value added in the city of
Oldenburg in 2016. In Oldenburg, manufacturing companies have also
settled here, such as automotive suppliers, companies from the food
industry, photo processing and the printing trade. However, several
manufacturing companies with headquarters outside of Oldenburg have
given up their locations in Oldenburg in recent decades. This concerns
v. a. the Oldenburg operations of AEG, Gerresheimer Glas, Bavaria-St.
Pauli Brewery and Coca-Cola. EWE, one of the largest energy companies in
Germany, has its headquarters in Oldenburg.
Oldenburg is
considered the center of information technology. This area, like that of
renewable energies or the healthcare industry, is a focus of the work of
the city's economic development. Business founders can find the
technology and start-up center Oldenburg (TGO), which opened in 2003 and
expanded in 2010, on Marie-Curie-Straße in the immediate vicinity to the
university on around 10,000 square meters of office, laboratory and
workshop space.
Retail is very important in Oldenburg.
Approximately 1250 retail businesses prove the high supply function of
this city.
Around 800,000 t of goods were handled in the Port of
Oldenburg in 2021, 77,329 t of them in sea traffic. In 2020 it was still
1.06 million tons, of which 81,463 tons were in maritime transport; In
2019 it was a total of 1.11 million t. In 2014, 1.04 million t were
handled in domestic traffic (2013: 990,686 t, 2012: 1.027 million t). In
sea freight transport, 96,164 t were handled in the port of Oldenburg in
2014 (109,897 t in 2013). The main goods handled are animal feed, grain,
fertilizer and various building materials (stones, gravel, sand). In
2015, only 82,150 t were handled in sea freight traffic. In 2017, goods
handling in the port of Oldenburg was 968,878 t for inland shipping and
64,412 t for sea shipping. In March 2016, the Rhein-Umschlag company
gave up loading bulk goods at the old city harbor and relocated its
operations to the Osthafen. This measure paved the way for a redesign of
the south bank of the old town harbor below the confluence of the
coastal canal with the Hunte.
In 2016, Oldenburg generated a
gross domestic product of €7.239 billion, ranking 51st among German
cities by economic output. GDP per capita in the same year was €43,934
per capita (Lower Saxony: €34,812/ Germany €38,180). In 2017, around
114,700 people were employed in the city. The unemployment rate was 6.0%
in December 2018, slightly above the Lower Saxony average of 5.0%. At
the end of 2021, the city’s total debt was around EUR 1 billion (EUR
5,955/capita).
In the 2016 Atlas of the Future, the independent
city of Oldenburg was ranked 90th out of 402 districts, municipal
associations and urban districts in Germany, making it one of the places
with "future prospects".