Online-Card - Osterburg

Osterburg – a city with the charm of the Altmark
Osterburg, located on the river Biese, is a small town with 7419 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.
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 „Kreisheimatmuseum“  (county’s homeland museum) invites you to stay for a visit.

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
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. You can discover the nature and stay fit on the “Trimm-dich und Naturlehrpfad” in the outskirts settlement.
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.