Osterholz-Scharmbeck (pronunciation^ⓘ; Northern Low Saxon: Oosterholt-Scharmbeek) is a town and the capital of the district of Osterholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Osterholz-Scharmbeck is situated between the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven.

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Osterholz-Scharmbeck
Town
Town hall
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Osterholz-Scharmbeck within Osterholz district
Osterholz-Scharmbeck Show map of Germany Osterholz-Scharmbeck Show map of Lower Saxony
Coordinates: 53°13′N 8°48′E
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Osterholz
Subdivisions	10 districts
Government
• Mayor (2021–26)	Torsten Rohde[1] (Ind.)
Area
• Total	147 km2 (57 sq mi)
Elevation	11 m (36 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	30,659
• Density	210/km2 (540/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	27711
Dialling codes	04791
Vehicle registration	OHZ
Website	www.osterholz-scharmbeck.de

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The town was first mentioned in 1043 as Scirnbeci. From 1180, the Scharmbeck belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. The monastery in Osterholz was founded in 1182 and persisted until 1650, when Lower Saxony became mostly Protestant. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish and from 1715 on by the Hanoverian Crown. In 1823 the Duchy was abolished and its territory became part of the Stade Region in the Kingdom of Hanover.

In 1927, the two communities of Osterholz and Scharmbeck were merged under the name of Osterholz-Scharmbeck and in 1929 town privileges were granted.

Between 1978 and 1992, 4,200 soldiers of the U.S. Army's 2nd Armored Division (Forward) were stationed, and another 4,000 family members resided in Osterholz-Scharmbeck.

The mayor is Torsten Rohde (independent). He was elected in May 2014 with 59.02 % of the votes.^[4] The predecessor was Martin Wagener (SPD).

• Roland Baar (born 1965), rowing sportsman
• Eduard Neumann (1903–1985), professor and rector of the Free University of Berlin
• Bodo Ramelow (born 1956), politician (The Left), Minister President of Thuringia since 2014
• Jimmy Fallon's paternal grandmother, Luise Schalla came from here

• Friedrich Kühlken: Zwischen Niederweser und Niederelbe – Eine Heimatkunde des Landes Bremen und des Niedersächsischen Regierungsbezirks Stade. Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1950.
• Reelf Menckhoff: Chronik von Osterholz-Scharmbeck – Band 1: Von den Anfängen bis 1929. Stadt Osterholz-Scharmbeck 2004.
• Jürgen Meyer-Korte, Rolf Metzing: Osterholz-Scharmbeck: Picture and Development of a City. Saade, Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1979.
• Johann Segelken: Osterholz-Scharmbecker Heimatbuch. Saade, Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1987, ISBN 3-922642-18-7.
• Ernstheinrich Meyer-Stiens: Heimliche Hauptstraße, die Bahnhofstraße in Osterholz-Scharmbeck 1865 – 1929 – 1945 – 1999. Menschen, Ereignisse und Innenansichten einer norddeutschen Kleinstadt. Saade, Osterholz-Scharmbeck 2000, ISBN 3-922642-40-3.