In the following years, the Lilienthal Observatory would become the best equipped observatory in the world. One of its technological advances was the "Riesenteleskop" (giant telescope), a telescope with a 50.8 cm (20 inch) aperture and an 8.25 m focal length. Due to the telescope, Lilienthal became well-known and was sought out in matters of astronomy by government and military officials. Schröter remained in contact with many of the important astronomers of the time. Together with Wilhelm Olbers and other scholars, he founded the "celestial police" in Lilienthal in 1800. The asteroid 3 Juno was discovered September 1, 1804 by K. Harding at the Observatory. After Schröter's death in 1816, the observatory fell into disrepair. In 1850 the remaining structure was destroyed. A large part of the observatory was sent to the University of Göttingen before the demolition. 19th century The Befreiungskrieg (a series of battles fought between 1813 and 1815 that ended the Napoleonic Wars) hit Lilienthal hard. After an incident during a retreat, French troops set the entire village on fire. Only the church, a few houses, and the observatory escaped the flames (but the observatory was looted and important records were destroyed). After the reconstruction, the then-municipality grew steadily. In 1939 there were 3,100 inhabitants, in 1974 12,500. After the incorporation of a neighbouring town in the same year, the population grew to 17,000. In 1823 Bremen-Verden was united in a real union with the Kingdom of Hanover and its territory became part of the Stade Region. In 1866, the kingdom of Hannover lost its independence. Lilienthal became Prussian, in 1885 the bailiwick of Lilienthal was dissolved and combined with that in Osterholz to form the new district of Osterholz. 20th and 21st century From 1900 to 1956, Lilienthal was connected to Bremen and to the moorland region north of the town by a narrow gauge railway. Nowadays, its alignment is used as a bikeway. Since 1 August 2014, public transport in Lilienthal has been upgraded by a line of Bremen Tramway, passing through its main street. Today, in Lilienthal there are 6 wind turbines, producing 6.013.246,00 kWh, annually. Schools Primary education: Falkenberg Primary School Frankenburg Primary School Schroeterschule Seebergen Primary School Trupermoor Primary School Worphausen Primary School Secondary education: All-Day Lilienthal Haupt- and Realschule Gymnasium Lilienthal Special education: Christoph-Tornée-School Localities Today, many former independent villages have been merged into Lilienthal. Some of them had been founded