Olsberg, Germany
Olsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
It is situated on the river Ruhr, approx. 15 km east of Meschede. It is bordered by Arnsberg Forest Nature Park, on the northern fringe of the Rothaargebirge. The town's setting is dominated by heavily wooded ridges and valleys formed by the Ruhr and three of its tributaries.A notable feature situated within the town's limits are the Bruchhauser Steine, four large porphyry rocks located on a mountain near the village of Bruchhausen.
The Langenberg, the highest mountain of north-west Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia, is located on the eastern town border, the peak being just inside the town's limits.
Neighbouring towns and municipalities
Clockwise from the north, Olsberg is bordered by:Division of the town
The town of Olsberg comprises twelve villages. The town's core consists of Olsberg itself and Bigge, which have physically merged since the 1950s.- Antfeld
- Assinghausen
- Bigge
- Olsberg
- Bruchhausen
- Brunskappel
- Elleringhausen
- Elpe/Heinrichsdorf
- Gevelinghausen
- Helmeringhausen
- Wiemeringhausen
- Wulmeringhausen
History
The town was formed on January 1, 1975 in the course of the municipal reorganization of North Rhine-Westphalia. Before that date all villages have been independent municipalities.On 23 June 2014,a Learjet 35 and a Eurofighter Typhoon collided over the city.Both people onboard the Learjet died,while the pilot on the Typhoon survived.
Politics
The town council is currently headed by mayor Wolfgang Fischer, re-elected in 2020. The composition of the town council is, since 2020:| Party | Seats |
| CDU | 16 |
| SPD | 9 |
| Green | 4 |
| FDP | 2 |
| Left | 1 |
Economy
Traditionally dominated by agriculture and small scale wood and metal craft, the town's economical base today relies on the tertiary sector, especially tourism. Industry consists primarily of metallurgy and sawmills.Transport
Rail
The town has two train stations.- Olsberg railway station is situated on the railway line between Hagen and Kassel and receives a generally hourly service in both direction.
- Bigge railway station is on the line between Dortmund and Winterberg and has a one train in each direction every two hours.
