Garmisch-Partenkirchen

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Garmisch-Partenkirchen


Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Administrative region	Upper Bavaria
District	Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Population	26,249 (30/06/2005)
Area	205.66 km²
Population density	145 /km²
Elevation	708 m
Coordinates	47°30′ N 11°5′ E
Postal code	82467
Area code	08821
Licence plate code	GAP
Mayor	Thomas Schmid
Website	www.garmisch-partenkirchen.de

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a market town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, not far from the border with Austria. The 1100-year-old towns themselves (Partenkirchen's roots go back to Roman times) were separate communities until the mayors of Garmisch and Partenkirchen were forced by Adolf Hitler to combine the two in 1935 in anticipation of the 1936 Winter Olympic games. The towns remain united and are casually known as "Garmisch" much to the dismay of the residents of Partenkirchen. Most visitors will notice the slightly more progressive feel of Garmisch while the fresco-filled, cobblestoned streets of Partenkirchen offer a glimpse into times past. Early mornings and late afternoons in pleasant weather often find local traffic stopped while the dairy cows are herded to and from the nearby mountain meadows.

Ansicht von Garmisch, by Anton Doll.

The town is served by the A95 Autobahn (motorway), and has railway connections to Munich, Innsbruck, Reutte and to the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany, which is nearby and 2,962 m high. The views of the majestic peak from the town are especially spectacular and several accessible hiking trails cover both the lower and higher elevations.

In 1936 it was the site of the Winter Olympic Games. Traditionally, a ski jumping contest is held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on New Year's Day, as a part of the Four Hills Tournament (Vierschanzen-Tournee). A variety of Ski World Cup Races are also held here, usually on the Kandahar Track outside town. The 1978 Alpine World Skiing Championships were organized in Garmisch and the Alpine World Ski Championships 2011 is to be held there as well.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is also a favored holiday spot for skiing, snowboarding, and hiking, having some of the best skiing areas in Germany.

The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies^[1] is also located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Marshall Center is an internationally funded and mostly U.S.-staffed learning and conference center for governments from around the world, but primarily from the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. It was established in June 1993, replacing the U.S. Army Russian Institute. There is also a civilian run American Armed Forces Recreation Center (Edelweiss Lodge and Resort) in Garmisch that serves U.S. and Nato military and their families. A number of U.S. troops are still stationed in the town to provide logistic support to the Marshall Center and Edelweiss Recreation Center.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen was the birthplace of Michael Ende, the author of The Neverending Story and was also home to Richard Strauss, the composer.