Coat of arms of Braunschweig, Germany

Braunschweig (German: [ˈbʁaʊnʃvaɪk] ) or Brunswick (English: /ˈbrʌnzwɪk/ BRUN-zwik; from Low German Brunswiek, local dialect: Bronswiek [ˈbrɔˑnsviːk]) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser. In 2024, it had a population of 272,417. The urban agglomeration of Braunschweig had an estimated population of 551,000 during the year 2024. Braunschweig is considered a regiopolis and is one of the largest ones in Northern Germany and the largest regiopolis in Lower Saxony. The city is seen as a major hub within the region due to it having multiple characteristics of a metropolitan city in a smaller scale or in a comparative amount to other metropolitan cities in Germany. The urban agglomeration of Braunschweig is the most diverse in Lower Saxony and one of the most in Germany, with almost 45% of its residents having a migration background. The city consists of 37.5% immigrants (approximately 102,000) with a high amount of migrants coming from other European countries, Asia and Africa. 73% of the Germans residing in Braunschweig come from different parts of the country, particularly North Rhine Westphalia, Hessen and the East German States. 56.4% or 102.1 square kilometres of the city's area is made up of green spaces such as parks and forests. Braunschweig has a population density of 3,026 per square kilometre excluding the green areas because only about 90 square kilometres of the total area is properly urban, making it quite a dense city. Many districts of the city have a density over 3,300 people per square kilometre such as Weststadt, Innenstadt, Westliches Ringgebiet, Nordstadt, or Östliches Ringgebiet. Due to the city's limited urban core and efforts in preserving green spaces, 81% of the residential buildings are multi-storey apartments limiting 74% of the flats with a space below 100 square metres. The city is constructing more residential areas within city limits so that by 2030 the population increases over 22,000. A powerful and influential centre of commerce in mediaeval Germany, Brunswick was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th until the 17th century. It was the capital city of three successive states: the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1269–1432, 1754–1807, and 1813–1814), the Duchy of Brunswick (1814–1918), and the Free State of Brunswick (1918–1946). Today, Brunswick is the second-largest city in Lower Saxony and a major centre of scientific research and development.