Kreis Oschersleben:

Stadt and surrounding Ämter

Oschersleben arose in the 10th century and had received city rights by the mid-13th century. Although the Bishop of Halberstadt initially acquired the area in the 11th century, Oschersleben, and its surrounding villages, underwent numerous ownership changes until the Bishop took final possession in 1545. The Bishop asserted full control over Amt Crottorf after 1512. Emmeringen remained in private hands and did not become a formal Amt until 1737 (hence the * after “Amt”).

 

At some point after Halberstadt’s 1701 absorption into the Kingdom of Prussia (I estimate 1775), the various Ämter were organized into Kreise. Stadt Oschersleben and the surrounding Ämter and Gerichte were assigned to Kreis Oschersleben. They were joined in approximately 1800 by Amt Schlanstedt—previously part of Kreis Halberstadt. That version of the Kreis remained intact until the end of the Holy Roman Empire, when the Oschersleben area was assigned to the Kingdom of Westphalia (a Napoleonic client state).

 

In 1816, beyond the scope of this project, Kreis Oschersleben was reestablished. The Stadt and all of the villages in these three Ämter were assigned to that Kreis until after World War II.