Oldenburg

Oldenburg was the residence of the counts whose family gave its name to a dynasty reaching far beyond the Weser lowlands. The town grew around a moated castle and served as the political centre of the county. Under Count Anton Günther, who came to power in 1603, the residence enjoyed renewed prosperity; from 1607 he replaced the old castle with a Renaissance palace.

Through diplomacy Anton Günther kept his lands largely clear of the fighting of the Thirty Years' War. His death without a legitimate heir in 1667 brought Oldenburg under Danish rule. Plague in 1667–1668 and a destructive fire in 1676 added to the town's difficulties, and the former residence declined under Danish governors. In 1773 an exchange of territories brought Oldenburg and Delmenhorst to the younger Gottorp line, represented by the prince-bishop of Lübeck.