Jump to content

Sondershausen

Coordinates: 51°22′N 10°52′E / 51.367°N 10.867°E / 51.367; 10.867
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sondershausen
Coat of arms of Sondershausen
Location of Sondershausen within Kyffhäuserkreis district
ThuringiaAbtsbessingenAn der SchmückeAn der SchmückeArternBad FrankenhausenBellstedtBorxlebenClingenEbelebenEbelebenEtzlebenFreienbessingenGehofenGreußenGreußenHelbedündorfHolzsußraKalbsriethKyffhäuserlandMönchpfiffel-NikolausriethNiederbösaOberbösaOberheldrungenReinsdorfRockstedtRoßleben-WieheKyffhäuserlandKyffhäuserlandSondershausenKyffhäuserlandTopfstedtTrebraWasserthalebenWestgreußen
Sondershausen is located in Germany
Sondershausen
Sondershausen
Sondershausen is located in Thuringia
Sondershausen
Sondershausen
Coordinates: 51°22′N 10°52′E / 51.367°N 10.867°E / 51.367; 10.867
CountryGermany
StateThuringia
DistrictKyffhäuserkreis
Subdivisions12
Government
 • Mayor (2024–30) Steffen Grimm[1] (Ind.)
Area
 • Total114.36 km2 (44.15 sq mi)
Elevation
208 m (682 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total21,317
 • Density190/km2 (480/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
99701–99706
Dialling codes03632
Vehicle registrationKYF, ART, SDH
Websitewww.sondershausen.de

Sondershausen is a town in Thuringia, central Germany, capital of the Kyffhäuserkreis district, situated about 50 km (30 mi) north of Erfurt. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Schernberg was merged with Sondershausen.

Until 1918 it was part of the principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Sondershausen Palace
Marketplace with "Alte Wache" and castle
View over the marketplace
Look over the town, Stockhausen
Palace
St. Matthias Church in Stockhausen

Geography

[edit]

Sondershausen is situated in North Thuringia and lies in a low mountain range between Hainleite (in the north) and Windleite (in the south). The highest mountain is the Frauenberg to the west of the town. A little river called Wipper flows through Sondershausen. The town is surrounded by mixed forests, dominated by beech.

Subdivisions

[edit]

The city districts are:

  • City centre
  • Borntal
  • Hasenholz
  • Östertal
  • Großberndten
  • Himmelsberg
  • Hohenebra
  • Immenrode
  • Kleinberndten
  • Schernberg
  • Straußberg
  • Thalebra

Culture and main sights

[edit]

Museums

[edit]

Sondershausen Palace houses a large museum with three different exhibit areas. Special exhibits are the "Golden Coach" [de], the only one of its kind in Germany, and the legendary bronze figurine "Püstrich" [de]. There are special guided tours of the palace's storage depot, cellar, tower, and park.

Other places of interest include a former mine under the city, and a Jewish bath from the 14th century.

Buildings

[edit]
  • Sondershausen Palace, with natural history and antiquarian collections. Built as a palace during the Renaissance, expanding from an earlier fort, it was later expanded further in a Baroque style (1764–1771). Especially noteworthy are the "Blue Hall" and the gardens.
  • The previous Princes' Palace (1721–1725), a residence of the princes from 1835 to 1851. It currently houses the district administration office of the Kyffhäuserkreis.
  • The "Octagonal House"
  • "Alte Wache"
  • Main building of the "Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium Sondershausen" (a grammar school)
  • A mikveh
  • "Haus der Kunst" ("House of the Arts") theatre
  • Rathaus (city hall)
  • Gottschalcksches Haus (House of Gottschalck)

Churches

[edit]
  • The Baroque Trinitatiskirche, a Lutheran church with a mausoleum containing the graves of the last members of the princely family
  • Crucis Church, the oldest building in Sondershausen
  • St. Matthias Church, a historical structure considered one of the most beautiful churches in the region
  • St. Petri Church in Jechaburg
  • St. Georg Church in Bebra
  • St. Viti Church in Berka
  • St. Bonifatius Church in Großfurra
  • St. Johannis Church in Oberspier
  • Church of Großberndten
  • Church St. Mauritii in Himmelsberg
  • Church Gloria Deo in Hohenebra
  • Church of Immenrode
  • Church St. Johannes in Kleinberndten
  • St. Crucis Church in Schernberg
  • Church of Thalebra
  • St. Elisabeth Church (catholic)

Notable people

[edit]

Sister cities

[edit]

Sondershausen is twinned with three cities:[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Gewählte Bürgermeister - aktuelle Landesübersicht, Freistaat Thüringen. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden, erfüllenden Gemeinden und Verwaltungsgemeinschaften in Thüringen Gebietsstand: 31.12.2022" (in German). Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik. June 2023.
  3. ^ "Partnerstädte". Sondershausen. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
[edit]