Place · city

Idar-Oberstein

Idar-Oberstein is a town on the Nahe in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, formed in 1933 by joining the towns of Idar and Oberstein. Since the Middle Ages it has been a centre of agate cutting, first using local stones and from the 19th century gemstones imported from Brazil and elsewhere, and it remains known for gem cutting and jewellery. It belonged to the Oldenburg Principality of Birkenfeld from 1817 to 1937.

Idar-Oberstein
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Mentioned in 1 state history

Principality of Birkenfeld

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Idar-Oberstein. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/idar-oberstein
MLA
“Idar-Oberstein.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/idar-oberstein. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Idar-Oberstein.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/idar-oberstein.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Idar-Oberstein’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/idar-oberstein (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻