Altdorf () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the district of Esslingen in

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

in southern

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It is away from the town of Nürtingen.

Geography

Altdorf lies two kilometres south of the river

Neckar The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar ...

in the foothills of the

Swabian Jura The Swabian Jura ( , more rarely ), sometimes also named Swabian Alps in English, is a mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending from southwest to northeast and in width. It is named after the region of Swabia. It is part of th ...

Neighbouring communities

Adjacent communities are Neckartailfingen to the north, Nürtingen to the Northeast, Großbettlingen to the east, Bempflingen to the south and Neckartenzlingen in the West. All located in the district of Esslingen.

History

Altdorf was first mentioned in 1291. The name Altdorf probably derives from the Alemannic ''Allachdorf'', what a settlement was then called. From various findings it can be concluded that people have resided in Altdorf for four thousand years.

Population statistics

The population figures are census results (¹) or official extensions of the State Statistical Office of Baden-Württemberg, only including

Hauptwohnsitz In German-speaking countries, Hauptwohnsitz () denotes the Primary residence, primary place of residence. In Germany and Austria, the concept of Hauptwohnsitz has special legal ramifications, primarily involving tax. In Austria the Hauptwohnsitz

e (main domicile). With around 1,500 inhabitants, Altdorf is the smallest Gemeinde (municipality) in the District of Esslingen.

Politics

Altdorf belongs to the Gemeindeverwaltungsverband Neckartenzlingen.

Council

The council has 10 members in Altdorf. The local elections on 25 May 2014 gave the following distribution of seats: The council consists of the elected honorary councilors and the mayor as chairman. The mayor is entitled to vote in the council.

Mayor

The independent Joachim Kälberer is mayor of Altdorf. He was elected for his first term of office with 90.3% of the vote in the 2004 mayoral election, which gained a 54.6% voter turnout. The first term ended in 2012, though on 29 January 2012 Joachim Kälberer was confirmed for a further eight years in office, following a 97.6% approval rate with a voter turnout of 49.9%.

Crest

Blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

: A black Hirschstange (literally 'deer post', and known as the symbol of

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...

) on a golden chief, below which is a silver ploughshare on blue.

Economy and facilities

Public Institutions

In 2008 the Altdorf

built a Kneipp therapy pool.

Education

Altdorf has its own

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

and a

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

. Two kinds of secondary school, a

Realschule Real school (, ) is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), F ...

and a Gymnasium, are located in the neighbouring town Neckartenzlingen .

Hauptschule A ''Hauptschule'' (, "general school") is a secondary school in Germany, starting after four years of elementary schooling (''Grundschule''), which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification ...

secondary school pupils attend the school in the community Neckartailfingen .

Notable people

* Heinrich Vollmer (1885–1961), one of Europe's most famous weapon designers, who developed the German submachine guns of the Second World War, MP38/ MP40.

References

Esslingen (district) {{Esslingen-geo-stub