Altstätten

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Altstätten
Canton	St. Gallen
District	Rheintal
Coordinates	47°23′N, 9°33′E
Population	10,515 (January 2004)
Area	39.11 km²
Elevation	410 m
Postal code	9450
SFOS number	3251
Website	www.altstaetten.ch
Altstätten

Altstätten is a town in the district Rhine Valley, in the canton of St. Gall in Switzerland.

The town consists of the following tracts:

Alter Zoll, Altstätten, Bächis, Baumert, Bieser, Büeberg, Bühl, Bühl (Gätziberg), Bühl bei Hinterforst, Burgfeld, Bürglen, Burst, Domishäuser, Fidern, Gätziberg, Gfell, Hoher Kasten, Hub, Kornberg, Krans, Kreuzstrasse, Lithen, Lienz (exclave), Lüchingen, Mariahilf (monastery), Oberbüchel, Plona, Riet, Rosenhaus, Ruppen, Strick, Unterlitten, Warmesberg, Weidest und Ziel.

Altstätten is situated between the town of St. Margrethen and the town of Buchs/SG, near to the border of Austria, at the foot of the Alpstein-Mountains. In Altstätten starts the rack-and-pinion railway line of the Appenzeller Trams to Gais.

After the disestablishment of the Rhine Valley tramway, Altstätten operates a well-embellished bus transport network (RTB).

Supra-regional popularity got Altstätten by its long and upscale Shrove-Tuesday tradition (carnival). Each January and February performances are hold by the Röllelibutzen-club, founded in 1919, as well as the many of the town's and region's Youth Music Societies. A highlight is the international parade, which attracts over 30'000 spectators from whole Switzerland.

In the 1970's, Altstätten's football club, founded in 1945, was at national league B level, and played in the premiership. Today the FC plays 2nd league, interregionally.

[edit] Historic personalities

Wilhelm Matthias Naeff (* February 19th, 1802; † January 21st, 1881) , Swiss policitian (FPD) (liberal democrats/radicals), one of the seven drafters of the national constitution after the Napoleonic occupation era (the constitution of 1848, which still is the current constitution), Vice-President in 1852, Federal president in 1853, 1848-1852: postal-and construction minister, 1853: interior minister, 1854: Tariff- and Trade minister, 1855-1859: postal- and construction minister, 1860-1866: postal services minister, 1867-1872: Finance- and tariff minister, 1873: Finance- and tariff department, 1873: railway and trade minister, 1874-1875: Finance- and tariff minister
Jakob Laurenz Custer (* March 16th, 1755; † January 24th, 1828), St. Gallian city council, alderman from 1803 to 1817, short-term finance minister of the Helvetic Repulic, while the Napoleonic occupation era
Johann Ludwig Ambühl (1750–1800), educationalist and knight of the pen; Promotor and patron of Ulrich Bräker (famous deserter); write of the drama Der Schweizerbund ("The Swiss Confederation"), which Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller used for his "Tell"-saga, which became THE swiss national legend; Vice-Proconsul of the Rhine valley while Napoleonic occupation ; home-tutor of Jakob Laurenz Custer
Johann Jakob Haltiner (* 1728; † 1800), church architect

[edit] Sons and daughter of the town

Paul Baumgartner, Swiss Pianist
Myriam Casanova, Swiss tennis player, world rank 45 at best times, won price money of USD 462'551
Josef Ebnöther, painter
Jakob Feurer, founder of the Swiss Construction Order
Jakob Freund , central president of association for Swiss folk-music , 1995–2003 member of the national council
Ferdinand Gehr, painter
Joseph(us) Hasler, roman-catholic bishop in the diocese of St. Gall
Ivo Heuberger, Swiss tennis player, world rank 102 at best times, won price money of USD 914'488
Gardi Hutter, actress and authoress
Jasmin Hutter, member of the national council
Carl Eugen Keel, expressionistic painter