Schwanewede is a municipality in the district of Osterholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 14 km west of Osterholz-Scharmbeck, and 22 km northwest of Bremen.

It belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish and from 1715 on by the Hanoverian Crown. In 1823 the Duchy was abolished and its territory became part of the Stade Region.