Geographical position
53 degrees 8 minutes north
8 degrees 13 minutes east

Total area
102,974,808 in m²

Population
total 31 December 2010: 158,233
total 31 December 2011: 158,401
total 31 December 2012: 159,329

Percentage of non-German nationals
10,028 persons = 6,3 %

Economy
commercial enterprises: 15,152
companies of the processing industry with a workforce of 20 and more on 31 December 2012: 55 (with 4,299 employees), turnover EUR 947,123,000

Education
winter semester 2012/2013 approx. 14,000 students

Tourism
total visitors: 131,197
of these non-German nationals: 11,423

The coat of arms of the residence city of Oldenburg features a castle with three towers. A legend is told about the origins of the yellow shield with the two blood-red bars in the archway.

Young Count Friedrich, whose father ruled the Ammerland and Rüstringen, fought a lion to defend his father's honour. Count Friedrich killed the lion by a combination of guile and courage. The overseer of the fight, Emperor Henry IV, then dipped his hand into the blood of the lion and wiped it across the golden shield of the victorious Friedrich. This is how the yellow and red coat of arms of the Oldenburg nobility came into being, and it was used later on the shields of many princes of the Oldenburg line on their shields, including the kings of Denmark and the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein and Oldenburg.

Here you can listen to the theme (mid, 2,2 KB) ». To listen to the file, click either directly on the blue icon with the ear or on the file name behind it.