Sonthofen
| Sonthofen | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Sonthofen | ||
| ||
  Sonthofen | ||
Location of Sonthofen within Oberallgäu district  | ||
| Coordinates: 47°30′57″N 10°16′52″E / 47.51583°N 10.28111°ECoordinates: 47°30′57″N 10°16′52″E / 47.51583°N 10.28111°E | ||
| Country | Germany | |
| State | Bavaria | |
| Admin. region | Schwaben | |
| District | Oberallgäu | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Hubert Buhl | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 20.982 km2 (8.101 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 750-1,100 m (−2,860 ft) | |
| Population (2015-12-31)[1] | ||
| • Total | 21,300 | |
| • Density | 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Postal codes | 87527 | |
| Dialling codes | 08321 | |
| Vehicle registration | OA | |
| Website | www.sonthofen.de | |
Sonthofen is the most southerly town of Germany, located in the Oberallgäu region of the Bavarian Alps. Neighbouring Oberstdorf is situated 14 km farther south but is not classified as a town. Sonthofen is located at 47°30′57″N 10°16′52″E / 47.51583°N 10.28111°E. In 2005, Sonthofen was awarded "Alpenstadt des Jahres" (Alpine city of the year).
In World War II Sonthofen was bombed twice because Adolf Hitler had built the Ordensburg Sonthofen where young boys were trained for service in Nazi Party organizations. The "Ordensburg" was not destroyed in the war. From 1946 to 1948 it was home to the United States Constabulary school, from May 1951 through February 1952, was used by the United States Air Force in Europe as a basic training center,[2] and from 1956-2009 the German Bundeswehr located its Military Police (Feldjäger) and Staff Service School there. The German Army's NBC Defence School (ABC-Abwehr- und Selbstschutzschule) is located in another barracks in Sonthofen.
Sonthofen was given town rights on 18 August 1963. Sonthofen has 20,990 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2008). It is widely known for its milk and cheese products and as a tourist destination.
Famous people
- Eugen Albrecht - (1872-1908), pathologist
- Michael Buthe - artist
- Philip Bester - Canadian tennis player, born in Sonthofen
- Michael Endres - pianist
- Josef Enzensberger - (1914-1975), Luftwaffe Fighter Ace 1939-1945, born in Sonthofen
- Herbert Knaup - actor, born in Sonthofen
- Hardy Krüger - actor, spent his childhood in Sonthofen
- Robert Schraudolph - artist
- Sercan Sevinc - researcher, grew up in Sonthofen
- Winfried G. Sebald - writer, lived in Sonthofen from 1948 to 1963 [3]
Awards and Associations
- Together with other Alpine towns Sonthofen engages in the Alpine Town of the Year Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention to achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc.Sonthofen was awarded Alpine Town of the Year 2005.
References
- ↑ "Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes". Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung (in German). June 2016.
- ↑ Ralph A. Lurvey (MSGT, USAF (Ret)), "Air Force Basic Training in Europe 1951-1953", March 2013.
- ↑ Rößle, Alex. "Der Schriftsteller Winfried G. Sebald". Oberstdorfs Online-Führer (in German). Retrieved 2013-08-28.
External links
Media related to Sonthofen at Wikimedia Commons
Sonthofen travel guide from Wikivoyage- Sonthofen.de Official Sonthofen website, partly English
- Postal History of Sonthofen
- Histoy of Sonthofen, in German
- Alpine city of the year, Sonthofen, 2005
