Osterburg, located on the river Biese, is a small town with about
11000 inhabitants in the Altmark, a region in the north of our
federal state Saxony – Anhalt.
Osterburg means “castle in the east” referring to its former role
as an old German border castle. The foundation of the city has
taken place between 1151 and 1170 and has been mentioned first in
the “Stendaler Markt- und Stadtgründungsprivileg” (market- and city
foundation privilege of Stendal). Already 1157 a count, Werner IV
of Osterburg, was mentioned. The oldest traditional city seal is
from 1344.
Online-Card - Osterburg
Osterburg – a city with the charm of the Altmark
Church St. Nicolai
The oldest buildings, which still standing in its full splendour
are the chapel of St. Martin of the 9th century (today’s cemetery
chapel) and the church of St. Nicolai erected in the 12th century.
The small marketplace in the historic city centre with its
beautiful half-timbered houses, the St. Nicolai church, the
lovingly “city- and county library”, the
Markgraf-Albrecht-Gymnasium (grammar school, formerly teacher’s
seminar) and the „Kreismuseum“ (county’s homeland museum)
invites you to stay for a visit.
Osterburg as a member of the Hanseatic League
The city, situated on a medieval route for commerce from Magdeburg
to the cities in the North- and Baltic Sea area, has developed
rapidly to an important trade place in former times.
1363 Osterburg had its rights and liberties confirmed by Emperor
Karl Karl IV. In addition Osterburg has participated in several
protection alliances of the Altmark cities.
In the surrounding area soil has been purchased.
While the next years the council of Osterburg has got the fishing
law and the city jurisdiction. There is a documentary evidence that
Osterburg has been a member of the Hanseatic League between 1436
and 1483 like Stendal, Salzwedel, Seehausen, Gardelegen, Werben and
Tagermünde. Before gaining the status of a member of the Hanseatic
League many economic activities had taken place which has speeded
up the city’s economic rise.
Even in the years after the decline of the Hanseatic League
Osterburg has enjoyed lots of privileges for instance duty-free
trade in the Mark Brandenburg and the right to impose own taxes.
Excursion advices
Castle of Krumke
Approximately 2 kilometres from Osterburg away is the Park of
Krumke, one of the most beautiful and impressive parks of the
Altmark. There you can find the oldest box tree hedge of Europe
with an age of over 400 years.
2002 the park has been incorporated in the project “Gartenträume”
(garden dreams) which will be the 3rd tourist pillar in Saxony –
Anhalt besides the “Blauen Band” (blue ribbon) and the “Straße der
Romanik” (street of Romanesque). The reconstruction of the park as
an English landscape garden with its rigid monument protection
requirements has nearly completed.
Amidst a protected river landscape the “Biesebad”, one of Europe’s
last river swimming pools, is located. Various leisure amenities,
camping opportunities and (moonshine) trips with a pedal boat make
the Biesebad to a relaxation place for the whole family.
Osterburg – city of sports
Osterburg and surrounding area invite for sports and relaxation,
such as hiking, biking, water sports and horse riding. Next to the
Park of Krumke a modern equestrian sports centre with a 2625qm
large hall and heat able stand seats has arisen in since 1995. The
“Reit-, Fahr-, und Tourismusverein Krumke e. V.“ offers equestrian
sports, vaulting and coach rides. Biking fans will be delighted
using the Altmark’s cycle path which goes directly through
Osterburg and invites for long biking tours.
The Landesportschule (federal state sports school), equipped with
modern sports facilities and a swimming pool, is famous even
outside the borders of the Altmark. They offer a diversified
program which contains training opportunities, sports and study
courses, workshops and holiday and wellness offers.
Osterburg – city of asparagus
Asparagus tradition in Osterburg
Since the foundation of the first asparagus highbred association by
August Huchel in 1929 asparagus is connected with Osterburg.
Numerous restaurants will delight the visitor’s senses with
culinary asparagus highlights and with specialities of the Altmark
also out of the annual asparagus festival and the asparagus week
within the Altmark farmer’s week. Since 1995 Osterburg crowns
yearly an asparagus queen.
Osterburg – For love of reading
Book lovers, authors and a culture-friendly administration have given Osterburg a respectful additional name: literature capital of the Altmark.
The public library
Osterburg has its own literature days. “You have to try the
impossible to achieve the possible”, Hermann Hesse wrote.
Osterburgs inhabitants with artistic sense took that literally when
the made their small town a Mecca for reading and writing people
for one week in 1999. Since then each year in autumn OLITA takes
place, the Osterburg literature days, a combination of readings,
concerts and writing workshops.
The organisation centre is the public library in a half-timbered
house at the Big Market protected as a historic monument. There the
visitor can feel each day how the heart beats for literature in
this town. The institution with plenty of timber, alcoves and
reading tables exudes warmness as if you just came home. Children
go on a journey of imagination in the reading ship, while their
parents delve among the shelves in a relaxed atmosphere, sit down
in the reading room or can surf the internet. The poet apartment in
the attic is the monthly meeting place of the Club of Altmark
Authors founded in 1987, a mainstay of the literature days. And
opposite to the library, in the Markgraf-Albrecht- Grammar School,
one tries to educate young literary talents in the writing circle
“pen foxes”.
