Friesoythe

Friesoythe, ( or ; ; Saterland Frisian: Ait or Äit) is a town in the district of Cloppenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, on the river Soeste, northwest of Cloppenburg, and southwest of Oldenburg.

==History== In 1227, Count Otto von Tecklenburg made Oite Castle in Friesoythe, which had just been built, his residence. Farmers, merchants and craftsmen quickly settled near the castle. As early as the first half of the 13th century, Friesoythe had extensive trade relations, as evidenced by the coin find from Friesoythe, whose more than 300 silver coins from Cologne, Münster, Osnabrück and other cities were only in circulation until 1235. Today's city center was soon surrounded by a massive city wall and was long considered impregnable. 1308 Friesoythe was first mentioned as a town. Friesoythe is occasionally referred to as a "Hanseatic town" and is said to have enjoyed Hanseatic privileges. It is unclear whether Friesoythe actually belonged to the Hanseatic League. thumb|Friesoythe in 1906. Friesoythe shares a diverse culture in Lower Saxony history. Many cultural influences of German, Anglo-Saxon, Dutch, East Frisian, Danish and Swedish culture are noticeable in the town and citizens. The town has a large following of Roman Catholicism and small percentages of Calvinism and Lutheranism. It was part of the Duchy of Oldenburg and also under rule to the French Empire in the 18th century.