Lower Saxony under Construction

Oldenburg (German pronunciation: [ˈɔldn̩bʊʁk] ; Northern Low Saxon: Ollnborg) is an independent city in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. The city is officially named Oldenburg (Oldb) (Oldenburg in Oldenburg) to distinguish it from Oldenburg in Holstein. During the French annexation (1811–1813) in the wake of the Napoleonic war against Britain, it was also known as Le Vieux-Bourg in French. The city is on the rivers Hunte and Haaren, in the northwestern region between the cities of Bremen in the east and Groningen (Netherlands) in the west. According to Germany's 2022 census, the city's population is 176.068 in 2024. Oldenburg is part of the Northwest Metropolitan Region, which is home to approximately 2.8 million people. The city is the place of origin of the House of Oldenburg. Before the end of the German Empire (1918), it was the administrative centre and residence of the monarchs of Oldenburg.