Sondershausen is a town in

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and lar ...

, central Germany, capital of the Kyffhäuserkreis district, situated about 50 km north of

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits ...

. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Schernberg was incorporated by Sondershausen. Until 1918 it was part of the principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Schloss Sondershausen

Geography

Sondershausen is situated in North Thuringia and lies in 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. Around the town there are mixed forests (especially with beech trees).

Subdivisions

The city districts are:

Culture and main sights

Museums

In the Sondershausen Palace there is a large museum with three different exhibit areas. Special exhibits are the Golden Coach, the only of its kind in Germany, and the legendary Püstrich. There are possible special guided tours of demonstrationdepot, cellar, tower and park of the castle, too. Under the city there is a mine to visit. To visit is a Jewish bath from the 14th Century since 1999 under the gallery on the Schlossberg.

Buildings

* Sondershausen Palace, with natural history and antiquarian collections. Adapted as Palace in Renaissance times, it was later expanded in Baroque forms (1764–1771). Especially noteworthy are the "Blue Hall" and the gardens. * The Old 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" * "Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium Sondershausen" building I. (a grammar school) * mikveh * theatre "Haus der Kunst" (translated: "house of art") * Rathaus (city hall) * Gottschalcksches Haus (House of Gottschalck)

Churches

* The Baroque ''Trinitatiskirche'', a Lutheran church, with the mausoleum (1892) of the reigning princes. * Crucis Church, the oldest building of Sondershausen. * St. Matthias Church, the historicist construction is 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

* Rudolf Arzinger (1922–1970), public international law * Felix Becker (1864–1928), art historian * Regina Miriam Bloch (1888–1938), writer and poet * Johann Günther Friedrich Cannabich (1777–1859), geographer * Edmund Döring (1860–1938), Heimatforscher * Ernst Christoph Dressler (1734–1779), composer, operatic tenor, violinist and music theorist * Ernst Ludwig Gerber (1746–1819), composer, music writer, musician * Jörg Hoffmann (born 1963), Rennrodler, Olympiasieger von 1988 in Calgary * Thilo Irmisch (1816–1878), botanist * Günther Jahn (born 1933), Painter *

Michael Kohl Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

(1929–1981), Jurist, stellv. Außenminister der DDR * Olaf Koch (born 1932), Rector of the High School for Music in Berlin *

Karl Krieghoff Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austrian ...

(1905–1984), local poet * Vera Lengsfeld (born 1952), politician * Georg Lewin (1820–1896),

Dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A List of dermatologists, dermatologist ...

, Faculty (university) * Georg Richard Lewin *

Kurt Lindner Kurt is a male given name of Germanic or Turkish origin. ''Kurt'' or ''Curt'' originated as short forms of the Germanic Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including counselor or advisor. In Turkish, Kurt means "Wolf" and is ...

(1906–1987), Science of Hunting *

Valentin Ernst Löscher Valentin Ernst Löscher (born at Sondershausen 29 December 1673; died at Dresden 12 December 1749) was a German orthodox Lutheran theologian. At the University of Wittenberg, where his father was professor of theology, he gave his attention mainl ...

(1674–1749), theologian, writer * Günther Lutze (1840–1930), botanist, Heimatforscher, chronicler * Joachim Manard (Manhard, Manardt) (1564–1637), chronicler of the town * Ludwig Günther Martini (1647–1719), jurist * Curt Mücke (1885–1940), Painter * Carl Moeller (1867–1920), pastor and Heimatforscher * Hermann Müller (1891–1984), Heimatforscher * Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann (born 1966), Speed skating * Ronald Paris (1933–2021), Painter * Werner Schubert (1921–1991), Painter * Heinz Scharr (born 1924),

Visual arts The visual arts are Art#Forms, genres, media, and styles, art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as ...

* Ferdinand Schlufter (1871–1948), Major * Volker Strübing (born 1971), book author, cabaret artist and songwriter * Johann Friedrich Suckow (1769–1842), musician *

Johann Karl Wezel Johann Karl Wezel (October 31, 1747, in Sondershausen, Germany – January 28, 1819, in Sondershausen), also Johann Carl Wezel, was a German poet, novelist, and philosopher of the Enlightenment. Life Born the son of domestic servants, Wezel ...

(1747–1819), poet

Sister cities

Sondershausen is twinned with three cities: *

Rolla, Missouri Rolla () is a city in, and the county seat of, Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population in the 2020 United States Census was 19,943. Rolla is located approximately midway between St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The Roll ...

, United States *

Pecquencourt Pecquencourt () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Geography Climate Pecquencourt has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Pecquencourt is . The average annual rainfall ...

, France * Kazlų Rūda, Lithuania

References

External links

* {{Authority control Kyffhäuserkreis Schwarzburg-Sondershausen