Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; ) is an

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

ski town in

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, 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 the

seat of government The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority". In most countries, the nation's Capital city, capital is also seat of its governmen ...

of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the

Oberbayern Upper Bavaria (, ; ) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany. Geography Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered on the city of Munich, both state capital and seat of the district gove ...

region, which borders

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. Nearby is Germany's highest mountain,

Zugspitze The Zugspitze ( , ; ), at above Normalhöhennull, sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains and the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, and the Austria–Germany border ...

, at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. The town is known as the site of the

1936 Winter Olympic Games The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936, were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 February 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. ...

, the first to include

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...

, and hosts a variety of winter sports competitions.

History

Garmisch (in the west) and Partenkirchen (in the east) were separate towns for many centuries, and still maintain quite separate identities. Partenkirchen originated as the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

town of ''Partanum'' on the trade route from

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

and is first mentioned in the year A.D. 15. Its main street, Ludwigsstrasse, follows the original Roman road. Garmisch was first mentioned some 800 years later as ''Germaneskau'' ("German District"), suggesting that at some point a Teutonic tribe took up settlement in the western end of the valley. During the late 13th century, the valley, as part of the

County of Werdenfels The County of Werdenfels (German: ''Grafschaft Werdenfels'') in the present-day Werdenfelser Land in South Germany was a county that enjoyed imperial immediacy that belonged to the Bishopric of Freising from the late 13th century until the seculari ...

, came under the rule of the prince-bishops of Freising and was to remain so until the

mediatization Mediatization or mediatisation may refer to: * German mediatisation German mediatisation (; ) was the major redistribution and reshaping of territorial holdings that took place between 1802 and 1814 in Germany by means of the subsumption and S ...

of 1803. The area was governed by a prince-bishop's representative known as a ''Pfleger'' (caretaker or warden) from

Werdenfels Castle The ruins of Werdenfels Castle () stand about 80 metres above the Loisach valley between Garmisch and Farchant in the county of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Upper Bavaria. The spur castle was used until 1632 as the administrative centre of the Coun ...

situated on a crag north of Garmisch. The Europeans' arrival to America at the turn of the 16th century led to a boom in shipping and a sharp decline in overland trade, which plunged the region into a centuries-long economic depression. The valley floor was swampy and difficult to farm. Bears, wolves and lynxes were a constant threat to livestock. The population suffered from periodic epidemics, including several serious outbreaks of

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...

. Adverse fortunes from disease and crop failure occasionally led to a

witch hunt A witch hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. Practicing evil spells or Incantation, incantations was proscribed and punishable in early human civilizations in the ...

. Most notable of these were the trials and executions of 1589–1596, in which 63 people — more than 10 per cent of the population at the time — were burned at the stake or garroted.

, where the accused were held, tried and executed, became an object of superstitious terror and was abandoned in the 17th century. It was largely torn down in the 1750s and its stones were used to build the baroque ''Neue Kirche'' (New Church) on Marienplatz, which was completed in 1752. It replaced the nearby Gothic ''Alte Kirche'' (Old Church), parts of which predated Christianity and might have originally been a pagan temple. Used as a storehouse, armory and haybarn for many years, it has since been re-consecrated. Some of its medieval frescoes are still visible. Garmisch and Partenkirchen remained separate until their respective mayors were forced by

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

to combine the two market towns on 1 January 1935 in anticipation of the

. Today, the united town is casually (but incorrectly) referred to as Garmisch, much to the dismay of Partenkirchen's residents. Most visitors will notice the slightly more modern feel of Garmisch while the fresco-filled,

cobblestone Cobblestone is a natural building material based on Cobble (geology), cobble-sized stones, and is used for Road surface, pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Sett (paving), Setts, also called ''Belgian blocks'', are often referred to as " ...

d streets of Partenkirchen have a generally more historic appearance. Early mornings and late afternoons in pleasant weather often find local traffic stopped while the dairy cows are herded to and from the nearby mountain meadows. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was a major hospital centre for the German military. On April 29, 1945, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which had remained undestroyed, was handed over to the US Army without a fight.

Climate

Garmisch-Partenkirchen leans towards an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

, and its winters are colder than the rest of Bavaria. Due to its higher

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

, it is very close to the winters associated with

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...

climates; it has a relatively wet and snowy climate, with high precipitation year-round. As of 2013 the regions in the west and east of the town were cited as having highest numbers of thunderstorm days in Europe.

Transport

The town is served by the B 2 as a continuation of the A 95 motorway, which ends at

Eschenlohe Eschenlohe is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, on the Loisach River. Transport The district has a railway station, , on the Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen railway The Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen r ...

16 km north of the town. Garmisch-Partenkirchen station is on the Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen line and the Mittenwald Railway (Garmisch–

Mittenwald Mittenwald () is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria. Geography Mittenwald is located approximately 16 kilometres to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is situated in the Valley of the river Isar, ...

–

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

). Regional services run every hour to

Munich Central Station Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

(''München Hauptbahnhof'') and Mittenwald and every two hours to Innsbruck Central Station (''Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof'') and

Reutte Reutte (; Swabian: ) is a town in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative center of the Reutte district (''Districts of Austria''). Reutte is located on the Lech, and has a population of 6,704 (as of 2018). Neighbouring municipal ...

. In addition there are special seasonal long-distance services, including

ICEs ICES (formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences) is an independent, non-profit corporation that applies the study of health informatics for health services research and population-wide health outcomes research in Ontario ...

, to

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

Dortmund Dortmund (; ; ) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the List of cities in Germany by population, ninth-largest city in Germany. With a population of 614,495 inhabitants, it is the largest city ...

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

and Innsbruck. It is the terminus of the

Außerfern Railway The Ausserfern Railway () is a cross-border railway line in the German state of Bavaria and the Austrian state of Tyrol (Bundesland), Tyrol. The single-tracked branch line starts from Kempten Central Station, Kempten in Germany, before crossing in ...

to Reutte in Tirol /

Kempten im Allgäu Kempten (; ) is the largest town of Allgäu, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. The population was about 68,000 in 2016. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later taken over by the Romans, who called the town ''Cambodunum''. K ...

and the

Bavarian Zugspitze Railway The Bavarian Zugspitze Railway () is one of four rack railways still working in Germany, along with the Wendelstein Railway, the Drachenfels Railway and the Stuttgart Rack Railway. The metre gauge line runs from Garmisch in the centre of Garmi ...

(with sections of

rack railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...

) to the

, the highest mountain in Germany. There are several accessible high and low-level hiking trails from the town that have especially good views.

Sports

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a favoured holiday spot for

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...

, and

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

, having some of the best skiing areas (

Garmisch Classic Garmisch Classic is an Alpine skiing, alpine ski area in the Bavarian Alps of southern Germany, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria. Its maximum elevation is above sea level at Osterfelderkopf, with a vertical drop of . Other peaks of ski ...

and

) in Germany. It was the site of the

1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936, were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 February 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Nazi Ger ...

, the first to feature

. It later replaced Sapporo, Japan as the host of the 1940 Winter Olympics, but were cancelled due to World War II. Including the two cancelled cities in 1940, it is the only host city chosen during the World Wars that did not host a subsequent Olympics. A variety of

Nordic Nordic most commonly refers to: * Nordic countries, the northern European countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and their North Atlantic territories * Scandinavia, a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern ...

and

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

World Cup ski races are held here, usually on the Kandahar Track outside town. Traditionally, a

ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...

contest is held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on

New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...

, as a part of the

Four Hills Tournament The Four Hills Tournament () or the German-Austrian Ski Jumping Week () is a ski jumping event composed of four World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1953. With few exceptions, it has consisted of the ski ju ...

(''Vierschanzen-Tournee''). The World Alpine Ski Championships were held in

Garmisch Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; ) is an Alpine ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the Oberbayern region, which borders Austria. Nearby is Ger ...

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

and

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

. Garmisch-Partenkirchen was a partner in the city of

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics but the IOC vote held on 6 July 2011 awarded the Games to

Pyeongchang Pyeongchang ( , ; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seo ...

. The Winter Olympics were last held in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

-speaking Alps in

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

in nearby Innsbruck, Austria. In team sports, the professional former 10-time German champion

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

team

SC Riessersee SC Riessersee is a professional ice hockey team based in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Oberbayern, Germany. They currently play in the Oberliga (ice hockey), Oberliga, the third level of ice hockey in Germany. Prior to the 2013–14 season, they played ...

play at the Garmisch Olympia Stadium. The local

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

team is 1.FC Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Event highlights

* January – New Year's Ski Jump ** 6 January – "Hornschlittenrennen" * January / February –

FIS Alpine Ski World Cup The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang (skiing), Serge Lang and the alpine ski team d ...

* February – Historic bob-race on the olympic track at Riessersee * 30.04. – "Georgimarkt" Partenkirchen * May–October – "Musik im Park" * June – Zugspitz Ultratrail

trail running Trail running is a type of running that takes place on outdoor trails, often in mountainous terrain, and often includes significant ascents and descents. It is similar to both mountain running, mountain and fell running (also known as hill r ...

around the Zugspitze. ** Richard-Strauss-Festival * July The first weekend– BMW Motorbike Days **15.07. - White night * July / August "Festwoche" Festival in Garmisch and Partenkirchen * August – "Alpentestival" * August/September – Straßen.Kunst.Festival (Streetart-Festival) * November– "Martinimarkt" Garmisch

Public institutions

The

George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies is a bi-national United States Department of Defense and Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany) security and defense studies institute. When the Marshall Center was founded in 1993, its ...

is also located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Marshall Center is an internationally funded and mostly

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

-staffed learning and conference centre for governments from around the world, but primarily from the former

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and

Eastern European Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountains, and ...

countries. It was established in June 1993, replacing the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

Russian Institute. Near the Marshall Center is the American Armed Forces Recreation Centers (

Edelweiss Lodge and Resort Edelweiss Lodge and Resort is a U.S. Department of Defense owned recreation hotel in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany operated by Armed Forces Recreation Centers. Located in the Bavarian Alps near the Austrian border, the facility opened in Septe ...

) in Garmisch that serves U.S. and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

military and their families. A number of U.S. troops and civilians are stationed in the town to provide logistical support to the Marshall Center and Edelweiss Recreation Center. The German Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology, the largest specialized centre for the treatment of children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases in Europe, has been active in Garmisch-Partenkirchen since 1952.

Twin towns – sister cities

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is twinned with: *

Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * ''Populus da ...

, United States *

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (; ; (no longer in use)), more commonly known simply as Chamonix (), is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department in the regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It was the site of the f ...

, France *

Lahti Lahti (; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Päijät-Häme. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Lahti is approximately , while the Lahti sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is the mo ...

, Finland

Notable people

Hermann Levi Hermann Levi (7 November 1839 – 13 May 1900) was a History of the Jews in Germany, German Jewish orchestral conductor. Levi was born in Giessen, Germany, the son of a rabbi. He was educated at Giessen and Mannheim, and came to Vinzenz Lach ...

(1839–1900), Jewish orchestral conductor *

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

(1864–1949), leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. *

Ludwig Thoma Ludwig Thoma (; 21 January 1867 in Oberammergau – 26 August 1921 in Tegernsee) was a German author, publisher and editor, who gained popularity through his partially exaggerated description of everyday Bavarian life. After graduation from t ...

(1867–1921), author, publisher and editor, who gained popularity through his partially exaggerated description of everyday Bavarian life *

Alfred Gerstenberg Alfred Gerstenberg (6 April 1893, in Grainau – 1 January 1959, in Bad Tölz) was a general of the Nazi German Luftwaffe (air force) in World War II, serving as commanding general of the Luftwaffe mission to Romania, and organizing a very effect ...

(1893–1959), Luftwaffe general * Sir

Karl Popper Sir Karl Raimund Popper (28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994) was an Austrian–British philosopher, academic and social commentator. One of the 20th century's most influential philosophers of science, Popper is known for his rejection of the ...

CH FBA FRS (1902–1994), Austrian-British philosopher and professor, regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of science of the 20th century *

Franz Klarwein Franz Klarwein (8 March 1914 – 16 December 1991) was a German operatic lyric tenor and later character tenor. He was a member of the Bavarian State Opera from 1942 to 1977 and also appeared at international opera houses and festivals, espe ...

(1914–1991), operatic tenor, husband of

Sári Barabás Sári Barabás (14 March 1914 – 16 April 2012) was a Hungarian operatic soprano, particularly associated with coloratura roles.Obituary : Sári Barábas. ''Opera'', September 2012, Vol 63 No.9, p1076. Biography Sári Barabás was born in Budap ...

* Christoph Hermann Probst (1918–1943), student of medicine and member of the

White Rose The White Rose (, ) was a Nonviolence, non-violent, intellectual German resistance to Nazism, resistance group in Nazi Germany which was led by five students and one professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, University of Munich ...

(Weiße Rose) resistance group *

Michael Ende Michael Andreas Helmuth Ende (12 November 1929 – 28 August 1995) was a German writer of fantasy and children's fiction. He is known for his epic fantasy '' The Neverending Story'' (with its 1980s film adaptation and a 1995 animated television ...

(1929–1995), writer of fantasy and children's fiction, best known for

The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...

* Hank Smith (1934–2002), Canadian country music singer *

Wolfgang Seiler Wolfgang Seiler (born 22 January 1940 in Remscheid) is a German biogeochemist and climatologist. Seiler was Director of the Institute of Meteorology and Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and i ...

(born 1940), biogeochemist and climatologist; after he retired, he was environmental officer (voluntary) for the town *

Ulla Mitzdorf Ulla Mitzdorf (15 March 1944 – 19 July 2013) was a German scientist. She contributed to diverse areas including physics, chemistry, psychology, physiology, medicine and gender studies. Life and Scientific Work Mitzdorf gained her doctor ...

(1944–2013), scientist, substantially contributed to diverse areas including physics, chemistry, psychology, physiology, medicine and gender studies *

Robert Rosner Robert Rosner (born June 26, 1947) is an astrophysicist and founding director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, where he is the William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor in the departments of Astronomy and As ...

(born 1947), astrophysicist and founding director of the Energy Policy Institute at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

* Hans Peter Blochwitz (born 1949), lyric tenor, sings parts in Mozart operas *

Michaela Steiger Michaela Steiger (born 1964) is a German actress for theatre, film and television. Steiger was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and completed her acting training in New York with Susan Batson (Actors Studio) and Herbert Berghof. Her first permanen ...

(born 1964), actress for theatre, film, television * Marina Anna Eich (born 1976), film actress and producerIMDb Database
retrieved December 2017

Notable people in sports

* Thaddäus Robl (1877–1910), cyclist *

Hanns Kilian Hans Kilian (alternate listings: Hanns Kilian, Hans Killian, or Hanns Killian (2 May 1905 – 17 April 1981) was a German bobsledder who competed from the late 1920s to the late 1930s. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he won two bronze med ...

(1905–1981), bobsledder *

Matthias Wörndle Matthias Wörndle (7 December 1909 – 15 October 1942) was a German cross-country skier. Wörndle was born in Partenkirchen, where he was member of the ''Skiclub Partenkirchen'' (SCP) He was member of the Bronze teams at the first and second ...

(1909–1942), cross-country skier * Roman Wörndle (1913–1942), alpine skier *

Käthe Grasegger Käthe Grasegger, later Deuschl (19 June 1917 – 28 August 2001) was a German alpine skier who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly know ...

(1917–2001), alpine skier * Michael Pössinger (1919–2003), bobsledder *

Pepi Bader Josef "Pepi" Bader (29 May 1941 – 30 October 2021) was a West German bobsledder who competed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was born in Grainau. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won silver medals in the two-man event b ...

(born 1941), bobsledder *

Stefan Gaisreiter Stefan Gaisreiter (born 10 December 1947 in Murnau am Staffelsee) is a West German bobsledder who competed from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. He won a bronze medal in the four-man event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo. ...

(born 1947), bobsledder * Reinhard E. Ketterer (born 1948), figure skater *

Christian Neureuther Christian Neureuther (born 28 April 1949) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Germany. Racing career Born and raised in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Neureuther specialized in the slalom and won six World Cup races and attained tw ...

(born 1949), alpine ski racer *

Rosi Mittermaier Rosa Anna Katharina Mittermaier-Neureuther (; Mittermaier; 5 August 1950 – 4 January 2023) was a German alpine skier. She was the overall World Cup champion in 1976 and a double gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Mittermaier compet ...

(1950–2023), alpine ski racer, double Olympic gold medalist *

Hans-Joachim Stuck Hans-Joachim Stuck (; born 1 January 1951) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "Strietzel", Stuck won the World Sportscar Championship in 1985 and is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans ...

(born 1951), racing driver *

Armin Bittner Armin Bittner (born 28 November 1964) is a German former alpine skier. In the ''Alberto Tomba era'', Bittner was a difficult opponent for the Italian and beat him twice in slalom – in 1989 and 1990. Career He won a total of 7 Alpine Skiing W ...

(born 1964), alpine skier *

Andrea Schöpp Andrea Schöpp (born 27 February 1965) is a German curler from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She lectures part-time in statistics at the University of Munich. Career Schöpp is a two-time World champion ( and ), seven-time European champion (, , , ...

(born 1965), curler *

Monika Wagner Monika Wagner (born 28 February 1965 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany) is a German curler. She currently plays third for Andrea Schöpp, who was born eight hours before her in the same hospital. Wagner has played with Schöpp for most ...

(born 1965), curler *

Martina Beck Martina "Molly" Beck (born Martina Glagow; 21 September 1979 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany) is a retired German biathlete. She now lives in Mittenwald in Bavaria. She was most successful in the 2002&ndas ...

(née Glagow) (born 1979), biathlete *

Maria Höfl-Riesch Maria Höfl-Riesch (; née Riesch, born 24 November 1984) is a German former alpine ski racer. She is a three-time Olympic champion, two-time World champion, an overall World Cup champion and five-time World junior champion. Höfl-Riesch mad ...

(born 1984), alpine skier *

Felix Neureuther Felix Neureuther (; born 26 March 1984) is a German retired FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, World Cup Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer and former FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2005, World champion. Early life Born in Munich-Pasing, Neureuther is ...

(born 1984), alpine skier *

Susanne Riesch Susanne Riesch (born 8 December 1987, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, West Germany) is a former alpine ski racer. She is the sister of Maria Höfl-Riesch, overall World Cup Champion for season 2010/2011. She is also the niece of Wolfgang Z ...

(born 1987), alpine skier *

Magdalena Neuner Magdalena "Lena" Holzer (, ; born 9 February 1987) is a retired Germans, German professional biathlon, biathlete. She is the Biathlon World Championships#Multiple medallist, most successful woman of all time at Biathlon World Championships and a ...

(born 1987), six-time

biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...

world champion, Olympic champion,

Biathlon World Cup The Biathlon World Cup is a top-level biathlon season-long competition series. It has been held since the winter seasons of 1977–78 for men and 1982–83 for women. The women's seasons until 1986–87 season were called the European Cup, alt ...

winner *

Miriam Gössner Miriam Neureuther ( Gössner; born 21 June 1990) is a former German biathlon, biathlete and cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skier. She has won an Olympic silver medal in cross-country skiing and two biathlon world championship titles ...

(born 1990), biathlete *

Laura Dahlmeier Laura Dahlmeier (; born 22 August 1993) is a retired German biathlete. Dahlmeier started in her first world cup races in the 2012/13 season. In 2014, she participated in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She won a record of five gold medals at the ...

(born 1993), biathlete, double Olympic gold medalist

Points of interest

South of Partenkirchen is the

Partnach Gorge The Partnach Gorge () is a deep gorge that has been incised by a mountain stream, the Partnach, in the Reintal valley near the south German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The gorge is long and, in places, over deep. It was designated a natur ...

, where the

Partnach The Partnach is an mountain river in Bavaria, Germany. It rises at a height of on the Zugspitze Massif. The Partnach is fed by meltwaters from the Schneeferner glacier some higher up. The glacier's meltwaters seep into the karsty bedrock and ...

river surges spectacularly through a narrow, gap between high limestone cliffs. The

(local name "Zugspitz") is south of Garmisch near the village of

Grainau Grainau (Southern Bavarian: ''Groana'') is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in southern Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the foot of the Zugspitze mountain, the tallest mountain in Germ ...

. The highest mountain in Germany, it actually straddles the border with

. Also overlooking Garmisch-Partenkirchen is Germany's fourth-highest mountain, the Leutasch Dreitorspitze ("Three-Gate Peak", a name derived from its

triple summit Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * I ...

). The

King's House on Schachen The King's House on Schachen () is a small villa (''Schlösschen'') at Schachen, Wetterstein Formation, about 10 km south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany, built by Ludwig II of Bavaria. The house was constructed between 1869 and 1872. ...

, a small castle built for

Ludwig II of Bavaria Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886), also called the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King (), was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke ...

, is also located in the mountains south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Its grounds contain the Alpengarten auf dem Schachen, an alpine

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

References

{{Authority control 1940 Winter Olympics 1935 establishments in Germany American diaspora in Europe Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district) Populated places established in 1935 Ski areas and resorts in Germany