| Landstuhl, Germany | |
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Landstuhl, Germany
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Location of the town of Landstuhl, Germany within Kaiserslautern district
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| Coordinates | |
| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| District | Kaiserslautern |
| Municipal assoc. | Landstuhl |
| Mayor | Klaus Grumer |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 15.34 km2 (5.92 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 248 m (814 ft) |
| Population | 8,573 (31 December 2010)[1] |
| - Density | 559 /km2 (1,447 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | KL |
| Postal code | 66849 |
| Area code | 06371 |
| Website | www.landstuhl.de |
Landstuhl (German pronunciation: [ˈlantʃtuːl]), literally translating as "country-throne", is a municipality of over 9,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is part of the district of Kaiserslautern, in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and is home to the Sickinger Schloss, a small castle. It is situated on the north-western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 10 km west of Kaiserslautern.
The earliest traces of human settlement in Landstuhl are from 500 B.C. From the Celtic period is the “Heidenfels” (i.e. heathen rock), which was a holy site even into Roman times. From the Roman period is a settlement from the 1st Century A.D.
In the 15th Century, the von Sickingen noble family assumed responsibility for Landstuhl and the surrounding area. The most famous member of this family was Franz von Sickingen. Franz von Sickingen built his castle in Landstuhl – Burg Nanstein (the most visible landmark in Landstuhl and the surrounding area) - into a dominating fortress. From this base he moved to expand his domains by conquering other parts of southwestern Germany.
After several defeats, von Sickingen withdrew to his castle and was besieged by Richard Greiffenklau, Archbishop of Trier, and the Counts of the Rhine and Hesse. During the bombardment of Nanstein, Franz von Sickingen was killed. The castle was later expanded by von Sickingen’s descendants, but it was heavily damaged by the French in 1689.
Landstuhl is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") Landstuhl.
Landstuhl is also known for being the birthplace of Rob Thomas, the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, Reggie Williams, former Wide Receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, German basketball player Shawn Bradley and LeVar Burton, an actor best known as Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Young Kunta Kinte/Toby in Roots, and the host of the PBS series Reading Rainbow.
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