Bad Iburg

Bad Iburg is a spa town in the district of Osnabrück in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is found in the beautiful Teutoburg Forest, about 16 kilometers south of the city of Osnabrück. A popular long-distance hiking trail called the Hermannsweg goes right through Bad Iburg, making it a great spot for nature walks.

The town of Bad Iburg is also the name of a larger municipality. Besides the main town, it includes four smaller areas called Glane, Ostenfelde, Sentrup, and Visbeck.

The most important building in Bad Iburg is Schloss Iburg, which sits high above the town. This big complex has a history going back six hundred years. It was once a castle where the bishops of Osnabrück lived, and it also used to be a monastery for the Order of Saint Benedict.

History

Bad Iburg was first written about in 753 in an old document from the Frankish people. In 772, a famous king named Charlemagne took over a castle called “Royal castle Iburg” from a leader named Widukind. The castle changed hands many times before the Franks finally took it back in 783.

Later, in the 11th century, a bishop named Benno I built a new castle there. His successor, Bishop Benno II of Osnabrück, built another castle and started a monastery. The church had a special window that let people who were very sick watch services from outside. In about 1100, the castle became where the bishops of Osnabrück lived until a new castle was built in Osnabrück in 1673.

In 1910, an airship called the LZ7 Deutschland crashed near Bad Iburg but no one was hurt. A monument was built to remember this event.

Mayors

The current mayor is Daniel Große-Albers (independent), who was elected in 2021. He took over from Annette Niermann (Alliance 90/The Greens), who was elected mayor in 2014. She followed Drago Jurak as mayor.

Museums

Bad Iburg has three interesting museums. The Schlossmuseum mit Münzkabinett is a castle museum that also has a special area for coins. There is also a Uhrenmuseum, which is a museum all about clocks. Lastly, there is Averbecks Speicher, a museum showing the history of the local area, located in an old farm’s storehouse in Glane.

Churches

Bad Iburg has some very old and interesting churches. The Fleckenskirche St. Nikolaus dates back to the 1300s and is the oldest hall church in the Osnabrück district.

Another church, St. Jakobus der Ältere in Glane, was built in 1904-1905 and has special old artwork inside. There is also a church called St. Clemens near a castle, and a special window called a hagioscope was found there. The Evangelische Schlosskirche is the only Lutheran church in Bad Iburg and is also located near the castle.

Buildings

The Jagdschlösschen, also called Altes Forsthaus Freudenthal, was built in 1595 by a prince bishop. The Schlossmühle, a mill for a castle, was also built by him. The Gografenhof, a classic building, has been used as the town hall since 1967. A spa facility called the kurhaus opened in 1967 but was torn down in 2010 and replaced with a grassy field for community events.

Burg Scheventorf is an old water castle from the 14th century, built in 1552. It lies south of the town center. Nearby Schleppenburg was another water castle that was destroyed.

Sculptures

Bad Iburg has many interesting sculptures made by an artist named Hans Gerd Ruwe from Osnabrück. You can see a sculpture of Bishop Benno II, who helped start a monastery, near the town hall. In Große Straße, there is a fountain called the Handwerkerbrunnen, which celebrates skilled workers. In the area called Glane, there is another fountain named Trommlerbrunnen, remembering when Bad Iburg became a market town in 1764.

Personality

Bad Iburg has been home to many notable people throughout history.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Sophia Charlotte of Hanover (1668–1705), first queen of Prussia
• William Westmeyer (1829–1880), composer and pianist

Personalities associated with the city

• Bishop Benno II (around 1020–1088) founded the Benedictine monastery. He was buried in the Catholic castle church in 1088
• Eitel Frederick von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1582–1625), Bishop of Osnabrück, died in 1625 in Schloss Iburg