Osterode (district)

Osterode
—  District  —
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
Capital	Osterode
Area
- Total	636 km2 (245.6 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
- Total	77,328
- Density	121.6/km2 (314.9/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration	OHA
Website	landkreis-osterode.de

Osterode (German pronunciation: [ɔstəˈʁoːdə]) is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the southwest and clockwise) the districts of Göttingen, Northeim and Goslar, and by the state of Thuringia (districts of Nordhausen and Eichsfeld).

History

This part of the Harz mountains was ruled by the Welfen dynasty from the 12th century on. Osterode was the centre of the Principality of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, one of many small states within Brunswick-Lüneburg. Later this principality became part of Hanover, which in turn fell to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866. In 1885 the Prussian administration established districts, among them Osterode.

Geography

More than two thirds of the district's area are occupied by the southwestern part of the Harz mountains, including the southern portion of the Harz National Park.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays two heraldic lions. The lion in the upper part is from the arms of Hanover, the lower lion represents the Welfen dynasty.

Towns and municipalities

Towns	Samtgemeinden
Bad Lauterberg Bad Sachsa Herzberg am Harz Osterode am Harz	1. Bad Grund (Harz) Bad Grund2 Badenhausen Eisdorf Gittelde Windhausen1 2. Hattorf am Harz Elbingerode Hattorf am Harz1 Hörden am Harz Wulften am Harz	3. Walkenried Walkenried1 Wieda Zorge
	1seat of the Samtgemeinde; 2town

See also

• Metropolitan region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg

References

1. ^ "Bevölkerungsfortschreibung" (in German). Landesbetrieb für Statistik und Kommunikationstechnologie Niedersachsen. 31 December 2009. http://www1.nls.niedersachsen.de/statistik/html/parametereingabe.asp?DT=K1000014&CM=Bev%F6lkerungsfortschreibung. 

External links

Media related to Landkreis Osterode am Harz at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (German)
• Local history

Coordinates: 51°40′N 10°20′E / 51.67°N 10.33°E / 51.67; 10.33