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OSNABRUCK

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 353 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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OSNABRUCK , a See also:

town and episcopal see of See also:Germany, in the Prussian See also:province of See also:Hanover, situated on the See also:Hase, 7o m. W. of the See also:city of Hanover, 31 M. by See also:rail N.E. of See also:Munster, and at the junction of the lines See also:Hamburg-See also:Cologne Wand See also:Berlin-See also:Amsterdam. Pop. (1905) 59,580. The older streets contain many interesting examples of See also:Gothic and See also:Renaissance domestic See also:architecture, while the substantial houses of the See also:modern quarters testify to the See also:present prosperity of the town. The old fortifications have been converted into promenades. The See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:cathedral, with its three towers, is a spacious See also:building of the 13th See also:century, partly in the Romanesque and partly in the Transitional See also:style; but it is inferior in architectural See also:interest to the Marienkirche, a See also:fine Gothic structure of the 14th and 15th centuries. The town See also:hall, a 15th-century Gothic building, contains portraits of some of the plenipotentiaries engaged in concluding the See also:peace of See also:Westphalia, the negotiations for which were partly carried on here from 1644 to 1648. Other important buildings are the museum, erected in 1888–1889 and containing scientific and See also:historical collections; the episcopal See also:palace and the See also:law courts. The lunatic See also:asylum on the Gertrudenberg occupies the site of an See also:ancient nunnery. The town has an equestrian statue of the See also:emperor See also:William I., a statue of Justus See also:Moser (1720–1794) and a memorial of the See also:war of 187o–1871. See also:Linen was formerly the See also:staple product, but it no longer retains that position.

The manufactures include machinery, See also:

paper, chemicals, See also:tobacco and cigars, pianos and See also:beer. Other See also:industries are See also:spinning and See also:weaving. The town has large See also:iron and See also:steel See also:works and there are See also:coal mines in the neighbourhood. A brisk See also:trade is carried on in See also:grain and See also:wood, textiles, iron goods and Westphalian hams, while important See also:cattle and See also:horse fairs are held here. Osnabruck is an ancient See also:place and in 888 received the right to establish a See also:mint, a See also:market and a See also:toll-See also:house. Surrounded with walls towards the See also:close of the xlth century, it maintained an See also:independent attitude towards its nominal ruler, the See also:bishop, and joined the Hanseatic See also:League, reaching the height of its prosperity in the 15th century. The decay inaugurated by the dissension, of the See also:Reformation was accelerated by the ravages of the See also:Thirty Years' War, but a new See also:period of prosperity began about the See also:middle of the 18th century. The bishopric of Osnabruck was founded by See also:Charlemagne about 800, after he had subdued the See also:Saxons. It embraced the See also:district between the See also:Ems and the Hunte, and was included in the archbishopric of Cologne. By the peace of Westphalia it was decreed that it should be held by a Roman Catholic and a See also:Protestant bishop alternately, and this See also:state of affairs lasted until the secularization of the see in 1803. In 1815 the bishopric was given to Hanover. The last bishop was See also:Frederick, See also:duke of See also:York, a son of the See also:English See also:king See also:George III.

Since 1857 Osnabruck has been the seat of a Roman Catholic bishop. See Friederici and Stieve, Geschichte der Stadt Osnabruck (Osnabruck, 1816-1826); Wurm, Osnabruck, See also:

seine Geschichte, seine Bauund Kunstdenkmaler (Osnabruck, 1906) ; and Hoff See also:meyer, Geschichte der Stadt and See also:des Regierungsbezirks Osnabruck (Osnabruck, 1904). See also the Osnabrilcker Geschichtsquellen (Osnabruck, 1891 fol.); the Osnabriicker Urhundenbuch, edited by F. See also:Philippi and M. See also:Bar (Osnabruck, 1892-1902); and the publications of the Verein See also:fur Geschichte and Landeskunde von Osnabruck (Osnabruck, 1882 fol.). For the See also:history of the bishopric see J. C. Moller, Geschichte der Weihbischofe von Osnabruck (See also:Lingen, 1887) ; and C. Stiive, Geschichte des Hochstifts Osnabruck (See also:Jena, 1872-1882).

End of Article: OSNABRUCK

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