- Sonthofen
Infobox German Location
Wappen = Wappen Sonthofen.jpg
lat_deg = 47 |lat_min = 31
lon_deg = 10 |lon_min = 17
Bundesland = Bayern
Regierungsbezirk = Schwaben
Landkreis = Oberallgäu
Höhe = 750-1100
Fläche = 20.982
Einwohner = 450
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 87527
Vorwahl = 08321
Kfz = OA
Gemeindeschlüssel = 09 7 80 139
Bürgermeister = Hubert Buhl
Partei =
Website = [http://www.sonthofen.de www.sonthofen.de]Sonthofen is the most southerly town of
Germany , located in theOberallgäu region of theBavarian Alps . NeighbouringOberstdorf , is situated 14 km farther south but is not classified as a town. Sonthofen is located at coord|47|31|0|N|10|16|60|E|. In2005 , Sonthofen was awarded "Alpenstadt des Jahres" (Alpine city of the year).In
World War II Sonthofen was bombed twice becauseAdolf 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 and from 1946 to 1948 it was home to theUnited States Constabulary school. Nowadays it is used by the German "Bundeswehr " for the "Bundeswehr's" Military Police "(Feldjäger )" and Staff Service School. The German Army's NBC Defence School ("ABC-Abwehr- und Selbstschutzschule") is also located in another barracks in Sonthofen.Sonthofen was given town rights on
18 August 1963 .Sonthofen has 21,303 inhabitants (as of31 March ,2004 ).It is widely known for itsmilk andcheese products and as a tourist destination.Famous people
*
Michael Buthe - artist
*Michael Endres - pianist
*Hardy Krüger - actor, spent his childhood in Sonthofen
*W. G. Sebald - writer, lived in Sonthofen from 1948 to 1963 [http://www.oberstdorf-online.info/personen/sebald/index.htm]External links
* [http://www.sonthofen.de/ Sonthofen.de - official Sonthofen website, partly English]
* [http://www.postgeschichte-sonthofen.de/ - history of Sonthofen post with many historic images]
* [http://www.villedesalpes.org/datenbank/alpenstadt.asp?n_LanguageID=1 - alpine city of the year]
* [http://www.artingrid.de - Sonthofen based artist Ingrid Kamerbeek, founder of worldwide Webism Art Movement]
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