Editing Osnabrück (district) (section)

== History ==
The district in its present form was established on July 1, 1972 by merging the former districts of [[Melle, Germany|Melle]], [[Bersenbrück (Samtgemeinde)|Bersenbrück]] and [[Wittlage]], and most of the old district of Osnabrück. Eight municipalities (Atter, Pye, Hellern, Nahne, Voxtrup, Darum, Gretesch and Lüstringen) were merged with the city of Osnabrück in the same year. The former district of Osnabrück had already been enlarged with the district of [[Bad Iburg|Iburg]] in 1932. The 1972 local government reform also led to a considerable decrease of the number of municipalities.

The present combined territory of the district and the city of Osnabrück is almost identical to the [[Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück]] which existed until 1802, when it was [[German Mediatisation|mediatised]] and assigned to the [[Electorate of Hanover]]. It was occupied by [[France]] between 1807 and 1813, after which it was returned to the [[Kingdom of Hanover]]. After the 1866 [[Austro-Prussian War]], the Kingdom of Hanover (including the former bishopric of Osnabrück) was annexed by [[Prussia]]. Since 1 November 1946, the area is part of [[Lower Saxony]].