Sonthofen
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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 . 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" 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 the United 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 of 31 March 2004). It is widely known for its milk and cheese products and as a tourist destination.
[edit] 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 [1]
[edit] External links
- Sonthofen.de - official Sonthofen website, partly English
- - history of Sonthofen post with many historic images
- - alpine city of the year
- - Sonthofen based artist Ingrid Kamerbeek, founder of worldwide Webism Art Movement
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