The year 1998 was extraordinary and rich in highlights. Particularly memorable was October 25, when a red carpet connected the city hall and St. Mary's Church. On the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia, 20 European monarchs and state presidents came to Osnabrück and Münster. All heads of state from the areas where the 30-year war took place were invited.

Four kings, five queens, two princes and eight presidents were guests. This made it the "largest protocol event in the Federal Republic" to date. The photographers' lenses were mainly focused on Queen Silvia of Sweden, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, and King Juan Carlos of Spain, who arrived late for the reception. For five hours, the world watched Osnabrück, after which the guests continued their journey to Münster by bus.

The jubilee year actually began at the end of 1997: Queen Silvia of Sweden opened the exhibition "Christina, Queen of Sweden" in the Museum of Cultural History on November 23, 1997.

In July, the Dalai Lama signed the city's Golden Book. He opened the "Conference for Peace and Human Rights".

In 1998, another opening took place on July 16: Since that year, the Felix Nussbaum House has preserved the memory of the painter from Osnabrück who was murdered in Ausschwitz. At the same time, the house designed by Daniel Libeskind provided space for the large Council of Europe exhibition on the Peace of Westphalia.

On June 22, Erich-Maria-Remarque, the world-famous author from Osnabrück ("Nothing New in the West") would have celebrated his 100th birthday. The Remarque Center, Remarque Archive and Remarque Society organized a series of high-profile events together with the city.