Sigmaringen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sigmaringen


Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Administrative region	Tübingen
District	Sigmaringen
Population	16,658 (2005)
Area	92.85 km²
Elevation	578-794 m
Coordinates	48°5′ N 9°13′ E
Postal code	72481-72488
Area code	07571
Licence plate code	SIG
Mayor	Daniel Rapp
Website	sigmaringen.de

Sigmaringen Castle, circa 1900

Sigmaringen is a city in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg on the upper Danube, formerly Hohenzollern, capital of the Sigmaringen district.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Culture
4 Notable residents
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Sigmaringen lies in the Danube valley, surrounded by wooded hills.

The surrounding towns are on the north, Winterlingen (in the district of Zollernalb) and Veringenstadt, on the east, Bingen, Sigmaringendorf, and Scheer, on the south, Mengen, Krauchenwies, Inzigkofen, and Meßkirch, and on the west, Leibertingen, Beuron, and Stetten am kalten Markt.

[edit] History

Sigmaringen was first documented in 1077.

On September 7, 1944, following the Allied invasion of France, Henri Philippe Pétain and members of the Vichy government cabinet fled to Germany and established a government in exile at Sigmaringen. Pétain returned to France in April 1945. French writers Céline and Lucien Rebatet, fearing for their lives because of their political and anti-Semitic writings, fled along with the Vichy government to Sigmaringen. Céline's novel D'un château l'autre (English: Castle to Castle) describes the fall of Sigmaringen.

[edit] Culture

Sigmaringen is renowned for its wonderfully preserved castle.

The Castle of Sigmaringen - Photograph: Roland Nonnenmacher, D-72516 Scheer

[edit] Notable residents

Sigmaringen was the birthplace of Ferdinand of Romania (1865-1927), King of Romania (1914-1927).

It is presently one of the residences of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, the present representative of the house, who will be the Pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of Romania after the death of Michael of Romania, the current Pretender.