Oberstdorf (

Low Alemannic Low Alemannic German () is a branch of Alemannic German, which is part of Upper German. Its varieties are only partly intelligible to non-Alemannic speakers. Subdivisions *Lake Constance Alemannic ( de) **Northern Vorarlberg ( de) **Allgäu dia ...

: ''Oberschdorf'') 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' ...

and skiing and hiking town in

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 ...

, located in the

Allgäu The Allgäu (Standard ) is a region in Swabia in southern Germany. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia, southeastern Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the Alps. The main rivers flo ...

region of the

Bavarian Alps The Bavarian Alps (, ) is a collective name for several mountain ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps within the German state of Bavaria. Geography The term in its wider sense refers to that part of the Eastern Alps that lies on Bavarian state ...

. It is the southernmost settlement in Germany and one of its highest towns. At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the

Nebelhorn The Nebelhorn is a mountain in the Allgäu Alps The Allgäu Alps () are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located on the Austria–Germany border, which covers parts of the Germany, German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemb ...

and

Fellhorn The Fellhorn () is a mountain in the "Allgäu Alps" near Oberstdorf, Germany, on the border with Austria. It is known for its fields of alpenroses (Rhododendron ferrugineum). According to Austrian sources the mountain is . Access In 1972, a gon ...

provide dramatic panoramic views of the alps. The Nebelhorn can be reached with a big cable car. Visitors can ride a unique diagonal elevator to the top of the

Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze (''Heini Klopfer Ski Flying Hill'') is a ski flying hill in Oberstdorf, Germany. It was opened in 1950, and was later renamed after its architect, Heini Klopfer. A total of 21 world records have been set on the hill ...

Geography

Administrative divisions

Oberstdorf consists of the village of Oberstdorf (813 metres above sea level, survey point by the Roman Catholic church) and five other villages: * ''Kornau'', 915 m. In the vicinity is the Söllereckbahn and the Chapel of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian which is rich in art treasures. * In ''Reichenbach'' (population: 226) is the 450-year-old Chapel of St. James and the Moorwasser swimming pool. * The little hamlet of ''Rubi'' has 175 inhabitants. * Typical of ''Schöllang'' are the farm houses around the Baroque

onion tower An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles an onion. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the tholobate (drum) upon which they sit, and their height usually exceeds their width. They taper smoothly upwards to a point. It is a typical ...

of the parish church. In the vicinity is the 1531

castle church All Saints' Church, commonly referred to as ''Schlosskirche'' (Castle Church) to distinguish it from the '' Stadtkirche'' (Town Church) of St. Mary's, sometimes known as the Reformation Memorial Church, is a Lutheran church in Wittenberg, Saxony-An ...

. * The village of Tiefenbach takes its name from trees called ''Bergkiefer''. The village lies on a terrace above the Breitach stream. Tiefenbach has a centuries-old spa tradition thanks to its sulphur spring. As early as the late 15th century counts and other high-ranking people convalesced here to cure their illnesses.

Valleys

There are a large number of valleys in the area around Oberstdorf, many of which are not only scenic, but are often starting points for walks in the mountains. The following list shows the main valleys together with their side valleys: *

Breitach The Breitach is a mountain river, the southwestern (left) source of the Iller in the Allgäu Alps, in the states of Vorarlberg (Austria) and Bavaria (Germany). Detail The river originates in , a part of Mittelberg, in the Kleinwalsertal as the ...

** Starzlach *

Stillach Stillach is a river of Bavaria, Germany. At its confluence with the Breitach and the Trettach in Oberstdorf, the Iller is formed. See also *List of rivers of Bavaria A list of rivers of Bavaria, Germany: A * Aalbach * Abens * Ach * Afferba ...

(''Stillachtal'' or ''Birgsautal'') ** Rappenalpbach (''Rappenalptal'') ** Warmatsgundbach (''Warmatsgundtal'') *

Iller The Iller (; ancient name Ilargus) is a river of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube, long. It is formed at the confluence of the rivers Breitach, Stillach and Trettach near Oberstdorf in the Al ...

Oybach The Oybach is a river of Bavaria, Germany. It flows into the Trettach south of Oberstdorf. See also *List of rivers of Bavaria A list of rivers of Bavaria, Germany: A * Aalbach * Abens * Ach * Afferbach * Affinger Bach * Ailsbach * Aisch * A ...

(''Oytal'') *

Trettach Trettach is a river of Bavaria, Germany. At its confluence with the Breitach and the Stillach in Oberstdorf, the Iller is formed. See also *List of rivers of Bavaria A list of rivers of Bavaria, Germany: A * Aalbach * Abens * Ach * Afferbach ...

** Dietersbach ** Traufbach Oytal and Dietersbachtal are separated by the

Höfats The Höfats is a 2,259 m high mountain in the Allgäu Alps. Located near Oberstdorf, it separates the Oy and the Dietersbach valleys, along with the Rauheck and other lower summits. With its very steep faces it is the most striking of the ...

and

Rauheck Rauheck is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany. Climbing routes Four paths lead to the summit: *via the Oytal (Bavaria), Oytal over the Älplesattel, *via the Dietersbachtal, also over the Älplesattel, *via the Eissee above the Käseralp and *via ...

. Gerstruben, Germany's highest village, lies at the entrance to the Dietersbachtal. The Rappenalptal is the longest and runs from Germany's southernmost village, Einödsbach, past the Haldenwanger Eck, Germany's southernmost point. At the end of the valley the Schrofen Pass leads to

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 ...

Mountains

The Allgäu Alps in the area around Oberstdorf attain heights of over 2,600 metres and belong to the

Northern Limestone Alps The Northern Limestone Alps (), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the ...

. The best known summits in Oberstdorf are: Kompass walking, cycling and ski touring map: Sheet 03 ''Oberstdorf, Kleinwalsertal'' (1:25,000). (as at: 2009). *

2,038 m (Blumenberg of the Allgäu) *

Himmelschrofen Himmelschrofen is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany. Mountains of Bavaria Mountains of the Alps {{Bavaria-geo-stub ...

1,791 m *

2,259 m (the most prominent Allgäu "

grass mountain A grass mountain () in topography is a mountain covered with low vegetation, typically in the Alps and often steep-sided. The nature of such cover, which often grows particularly well on sedimentary rock, will reflect local conditions. Distrib ...

") * Kratzer 2,427 m *

Großer Krottenkopf The Großer Krottenkopf is the highest mountain in the Allgäu Alps of Austria. It is Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen Austria: Austrian Map online (Austrian 1:50,000 map series)''. and is part of a side branch of the Hornbach chain, wh ...

2,656 m (highest mountain of the Allgäu Alps) *

Mädelegabel The Mädelegabel is a 2,645 metre high mountain, made of main dolomite, in the Allgäu Alps near Oberstdorf. It is one of the best-known and most-climbed high peaks in the German Alps, Within the Allgäu Alps it is the fourth-highest summit, ...

2,645 m (lies on the Heilbronn Way) *

2,224 m (with cable car) * Rubihorn 1,957 m (local mountain) * Schattenberg 1,845 m (by the eponymous ski jump) * Schneck 2,268 m (unique shape) *

Trettachspitze The Trettachspitze is a mountain in the Allgäu Alps in Germany. Due to its striking appearance (a very steep, narrow horn of rock when seen from the west and east) it is one of the best-known mountains in the Allgäu Alps. Location and area T ...

2,595 m *

Hoher Ifen The Hoher Ifen (also Hochifen) is a 2,230 metre (according to German survey: 2,229 m) high mountain in the Allgäu Alps, west of the Kleinwalsertal valley. In winter it forms the backdrop for a small ski area. It lies on the border betw ...

2,230 m

Lakes

There are numerous lakes at various heights around Oberstdorf: * Christlessee, drinking water quality, in the

valley * Engeratsgundsee, east of the Großer Daumen * Freibergsee, bathing lake in the

valley * Unterer and Oberer Gaisalpsee * Guggersee by the Krumbach Ridgeway * Hermannskarsee between the

and the Marchspitze * ''Koblatsee'' in the Nebelhorn area * ''Laufbichelsee'' also on the Koblat of the

* Moorweiher on the Krappberg * Rappensee at 2,047 m * Schlappoldsee by the middle station of the Fellhornbahn * Seealpsee above the Oytal

Climate

Main sights

* St. Anna-Kapelle, a chapel in Rohrmoos * 17th and 18th century farmhouses *

Breitachklamm The Breitachklamm is a gorge created by the river Breitach in the Allgäu region in Southern Germany. It is located at the exit of the Kleinwalsertal near Tiefenbach (Oberstdorf), Tiefenbach, a city district of Oberstdorf. It is one of the deep ...

near Tiefenbach, a gorge created by the river

, the third largest ski flying hill in the world *

Schattenbergschanze ORLEN Arena Oberstdorf (from 2017 to 2023 ''Audi Arena Oberstdorf'', from 2004 to 2017 ''Erdinger Arena'', until 2004 ''Skisprungstadion am Schattenberg'') is a complex of five ski jumping hills, located in the German town of Oberstdorf, Bavaria, ...

, a ski jumping hill (the opening 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 ...

)

History

Findings show that the Oberstdorf area was already inhabited from the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

to the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

. When the Romans had abandoned the area east of the Upper Rhine and north of the Upper Rhine in the 3rd century, various Germanic groups migrated into the area, which were later called

Alemanni The Alemanni or Alamanni were a confederation of Germanic peoples, Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River during the first millennium. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Roman emperor Caracalla of 213 CE ...

. Oberstdorf was first mentioned in 1141. King

Maximilian Maximilian or Maximillian (Maximiliaan in Dutch and Maximilien in French) is a male name. The name "Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1 ...

, the later emperor, granted Oberstdorf in 1495 the right to hold a market and the High Court. In 1518 Count Hugo of Montfort built a spa in Tiefenbach at the sulphur spring, which is regarded as a precursor of today's spa facility. Oberstdorf’s experience in the

Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

is recounted in ''A Village in the Third Reich''. 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 ...

the mountains around the village were used to train mountain troops of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

. At the end of the war French and Moroccan troops were stationed there.

Religion

During the Reformation, the Anabaptist movement gained significant traction in Oberstdorf. However, followers faced intense persecution, and their property was confiscated. For centuries afterward, Protestants were not tolerated, leaving the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

as the sole religious institution in the town. Today, Oberstdorf belongs to Region IV (Kempten) and the Sonthofen deanery within the

Diocese of Augsburg Diocese of Augsburg () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich. History Early history The present city of Augsburg appears in Strabo as ''Damasia'', a stronghold of t ...

. It serves as the seat of a parish and hosts several branch churches and curacies. The Catholic parish of ''St. Johannes Baptist'' is among the largest in the Diocese of Augsburg by area. The first Protestant service for spa guests in Oberstdorf was held in 1873. In 1971, the Catholic parish established a permanent pastoral care service for visitors, though both Catholic and Protestant churches had previously provided seasonal guest ministry during peak periods. The foundation stone for the Evangelical Lutheran Christuskirche (Christ Church), designed by Berlin architect Ludwig von Tiedemann, was laid in 1905. Since 1942, Oberstdorf has been home to an independent parish of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, with some surrounding areas also affiliated with the congregation. The Christuskirche parish now encompasses the autonomous parish of

Fischen im Allgäu Fischen im Allgäu is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavaria in Germany. History During World War II, a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi ...

and the Kleinwalsertal vicariate, which includes the Kreuzkirche (Cross Church) in Hirschegg, covering a broad diaspora region. The Protestant congregation in Oberstdorf itself has 1,500 members with primary residency and 700 with secondary residency. A parish pastor and a guest chaplain collaborate ecumenically to organize mountain church services on nearby peaks during the hiking season. In addition to the Catholic and Protestant churches, Oberstdorf features a variety of other churches and chapels.

Sports

In December, before every New Year, Oberstdorf hosts the first part of the

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 ...

on the Schattenberg large hill. There is also a

ski flying Ski flying is a winter sport discipline derived from ski jumping, in which much greater distances can be achieved. It is a form of competitive individual sport, individual Nordic skiing where athletes descend at high speed along a specially de ...

hill,

, about seven kilometres to the south.

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

's '' Wide World of Sports'' famously featured the Oberstdorf ski flying hill when Vinko Bogataj fell during his jump in 1970, thus becoming known as " The Agony of Defeat". Oberstdorf hosted the

Nordic skiing Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Re ...

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

and

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

. The town has also hosted several stages of the

Tour de Ski The Tour de Ski (TdS) is a cross-country skiing event held annually since the 2006–07 season in Central Europe. The Tour de Ski is a Stage World Cup event in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup. Each Tour de Ski has consisted of six to nine stages ...

, a

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

stage event. Germany's modern

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...

center was built on the outside of the town. It has three covered rinks and some of them are accessible to the public, for recreational skating. It is a popular destination with European skaters for training camps. Oberstdorf hosts the annual

Nebelhorn Trophy The Nebelhorn Trophy is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the German Ice Skating Union () and held in Oberstdorf, Germany. The competition debuted in 1969 and is na ...

figure skating competition and has hosted the

German Figure Skating Championships The German Figure Skating Championships () are an annual figure skating competition organized by the German Ice Skating Union () to crown the national champions of Germany. The first official German championships were held in 1891 in Munich; ...

twelve times. It has also hosted the 1982, 2000, and 2007

World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The first World J ...

. One of the two ISU adult figure skating competitions (for skaters aged 28 and older) is held in Oberstdorf each May. Mountain bikers start their Transalp tour in Oberstdorf on the Schrofen Pass to Riva del Garda.Transalp on the Heckmair Route
/ref>

Notable people

* Andreas Heckmair, who participated in the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger in 1938 lived in Oberstdorf until his death in 2005. *

Gertrud von Le Fort Baroness Gertrud von Le Fort (born Gertrud Auguste Lina Elsbeth Mathilde Petrea Freiin von Le Fort; 11 October 1876 – 1 November 1971) was a German writer. Life Le Fort was born in Minden, in the former Province of Westphalia, then the Kin ...

(1876–1971), author, lived in Oberstdorf from 1925 until her death *

Toni Steurer Anton "Toni" Steurer (born 1 December 1978) is a German extreme sports athlete and non-commissioned officer. Steurer was born in Oberstdorf. Having climbed the Eiger Nordwand at the age of seventeen, he is one of the youngest mountaineers to h ...

(born 1978), athlete * Chonrad Stoeckhlin (1549–1587), German herdsman who was accused and executed for witchcraft *

Friedrich-Jobst Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach __NOTOC__ Friedrich-Jobst Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach (16 April 1894 – 3 April 1989) was a German General der Gebirgstruppe in the German Army during World War II. He commanded the 8th Jäger Division, 16th Army, and L Army Corps. He wa ...

(1894–1989), German general * The 2010 German Vancouver Olympic Team Members Christina Geiger and

Gina Stechert Gina Stechert (born 20 November 1987 in Oberstdorf Oberstdorf (Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Oberschdorf'') is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality and skiing and hiking town in Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bava ...

(both Alpine Skiing),

David Speiser David Speiser (born 27 August 1980 in Oberstdorf) is a German snowboarder. He competed in the men's snowboard cross event at the 2006 Winter Olympics, placing 32nd, and the 2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as ...

(Snowboard Cross),

Johannes Rydzek Johannes Rydzek (; born 9 December 1991) is a German nordic combined skier. He became Olympic champion on the large hill in 2018 and won six World Champion titles at the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2015 and 2017. Career Rydzek has had a re ...

(Nordic Combined),

Nicole Fessel Nicole Fessel (born 19 May 1983) is a German former cross-country skier who competed between 2000 and 2018. Her best World Cup finish was second twice (team sprint: 2009, 4 × 5 km relay: March 2010). Fessel's best individual finish was sec ...

and

Katrin Zeller Katrin Zeller (born 1 March 1979 in Oberstdorf, Bavaria, West Germany) is a German cross-country skier who competed between 1997 and 2014. She won a silver medal in the 4 × 5 km relay at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Zell ...

(both Cross-Country Skiing),

Daniel Herberg Daniel Herberg (born 7 March 1974) is an internationally elite curler from Germany. Daniel Herberg was born in Oberstdorf, West Germany. He has been selected as the Alternate for Team Germany at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver Vanc ...

(Curling) and

Michael Neumayer Michael Neumayer (born 15 January 1979) is a German former ski jumper who competed from 2000 to 2015. He won a silver medal in the team normal hill at the 2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf and finished 32nd in the individual n ...

(Ski jumping) live in Oberstdorf *

Pavlo Skoropadskyi Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi (; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, who served as the Hetman of all Ukraine, hetman of the Ukrainian State throughout 1918 following a 1918 Ukrainian coup d'état, coup d'éta ...

(

Hetman ''Hetman'' is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders (comparable to a field marshal or imperial marshal in the Holy Roman Empire). First used by the Czechs in Bohemia in the 15th century, ...

of Ukraine) * Max Bolkart (1932–2025), ski jumper * Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel (born 1969), German politician (SPD) *

Karl Geiger Karl Geiger (born 11 February 1993) is a German Ski jumping, ski jumper who has competed at FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, World Cup level since 2012. He won gold medals in both the team and mixed team competitions at the FIS Nordic World Ski Champi ...

(born 1993), ski jumper *

Maximilian Günther Maximilian Günther (born 2 July 1997) is a Germans, German-Austria, Austrian racing driver currently competing under the German flag in Formula E for DS Penske. Günther has previously driven in Formula 2 with Arden International, BWT Arden and ...

(born 1997), racing driver *

Aljona Savchenko Aljona Savchenko (, ''Olena Valentynivna Savchenko''; German Romanization: ''Aljona Sawtschenko'', sometimes ''Aliona Savchenko''; born 19 January 1984) is a retired Ukrainian-born German pair skater. One of the most decorated pair skaters, she ...

(born 1984), Ukrainian-born German pair skater, living in Oberstdorf

Sister cities

Megève Megève (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France with a population of more than 3,000 residents. The town is well known as a ski resort near Mont Blanc in the French Alps. Co ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Ski areas and resorts in Germany Oberallgäu