Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hannover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehengebirge and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. As of June 30, 2006, its population was 163,357, making it the third-largest city in Lower Saxony. Osnabrück developed as a marketplace next to the bishop''s see founded by Charlemagne, king of the Franks, 780. Some time before 803, the city became seat of the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück. Although the precise date is uncertain, Osnabrück is likely the oldest bishopric in Lower Saxony.