10. Jh
Founding of first settlement in Osterode in the area around the Jacobi-church.

1136
Osterode's first recoding in a document by emperor Lothar the III.

1152
The " villa opulentissma" (affluent settlement), Osterode is being destroyed during the run of a feud between Heinrich the Lion and the Askanier Albrecht the Bear.

1218-1223
First mention of the nunnery St. Jacobi that is being run by Cistercian rules. The town wall is first mentioned in the same year. The town wall ring is being expanded until 1330 to encompass the new town district.

1233
The Osteroder new town is being build according to plan and populated with settlers from the surrounding villages.

1263
The Osteroder coinage facility is being first mentioned.
Around 1470 Tile Riemenschneider, the father of the picture carver Tilman Riemenschneider, is the coin master of Osterode.

1420
the Osteroder Latin school, which has emerged from the convent school is being taken over by council sponsorship.

1510
The murder of Freienhagen's mayor is the apix of the century long feud between the different groups inside the parliament. Because of that the sovereign duke Philipp I of Braunschweig-Grubenhagen, restricts municipal freedom.

um 1535
Osterode becomes protestant. The Jacobi convent and the just newly founded Barefoot convent are being dissolved.

1545
A massive town fire destroys the medieval Osterode. Only 40 buildings survived.

1596
the last duke of Grubenhagen dies childless. Within the Welfen house an inheritance war broke out, which only ended in 1617 with the delivery of the principality.

1618-1648
Contributions during the Thirty-Year-War lead to the impoverishment of the citizens. Atrocities and plagues decimated the population quite heftily.

17. Jh
Second half - last blossoming of mining in the Osterode area.

1665
The principality Grubenhagen with Osterode falls to the in Hannover residing line of the Welfen house. The Hanover state is being levied in 1692 to an electorate.

1718-1722
the Harz grain magazine is being build. It is used to supply grain to the Oberharz.

1756-1763
Osterode is being occupied by French troops during the Seven-Year-War.

Ende 18. Jh - Anfang 19. Jh
During the industrialisation of the Hanover state Osterode takes a precursor role. Several textile factories and a big white lead factory developed.

1807-1813
Osterode is part of the Westphalia kingdom. After the Napoleon domination over Germany ended, the Hanover state is being established as a kingdom.

1831
During the so-called Osteroder unrests, citizens demanded democratic and liberal reforms. The unrest is being oppressed by the military.

1852
Reforms lead to separation of administration and jurisprudence. With that the since medieval times existing municipal cognisance ended.

1866
Osterode becomes also Prussian with annexation of the Hanover kingdom. The over 600-year Welfen governance has ended.

1870
Osterode is being connected to the railway net.

1855
Osterode becomes seat of the newly created district administration.

Ende 19. Jh
The electricity and gas supply is being installed. The district railway Osterode - Kreiensen started.

1918
Democratisation also on communal basis. The citizens representation is now being appointed by free, equal and secret election. Women receive the right to vote.

1929
The world economic crisis pressed many Osteroder businesses into bankruptcy; mass-unemployment and social destitution follow.

1931
After several years building time the Söse dam is completed. It is the first big Harzer drinking water dam.

1933
The National-socialists take over and destroy the town's democratic organisations. Arrests, angst and terror marks this time.

1945
Osterode becomes the centre for the armament industry, which engaged several foreign workers, forced labour and KZ-prisoner. After the Allied occupation the democratic structure is being slowly rebuild. Several fugitive and displaced persons are being integrated.

ab 1960
The traditional textile industry falls victim to competition pressure. New branches settle in the city. The town stays centre of the industrial production. Neue Branchen siedeln sich in der Stadt an.

ab 1970
Several surrounding villages are being incorporated into the town of Osterode with the administration and area reform. The population figure grows to 29.000.

1989
The break down of the communist regime and the opening of the border frees Osterode from its outskirts positions.


visit also the local museum in the Ritterhaus



Inform yourself about the old town Osterode in a walkabout