Weißenstadt () is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in the
district of Wunsiedel, in
Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, wh ...
,
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 ...
,
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 situated on the shore of the picturesque Weißenstadter See (Weissenstadt Lake), in the
Fichtel Mountains
The Fichtel Mountains (, ; ) is a mountain range in Germany and the Czech Republic. They extend from the valley of the Red Main River in northeastern Bavaria to the Karlovy Vary Region in western Czech Republic. The Fichtel Mountains contain an ...
, on the river
Ohře
The Ohře (), also known in English and German as Eger (), is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Bavarian district of Upper Franconia in Germany, and through the Karlovy Vary Region ...
, 11 km northwest of
Wunsiedel
(; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Franconian district of in northeast Bavaria, Germany. The town is the birthplace of poet Jean Paul. It also became known for its annual Festival and the Rudolf ...
. The town got its name "White City" from the landmark church, once white now weathered dark grey.
Geography
The town nestles in the valley of the
Ohře
The Ohře (), also known in English and German as Eger (), is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Bavarian district of Upper Franconia in Germany, and through the Karlovy Vary Region ...
between the mountains of
Waldstein and
Rudolfstein and the pass of
Höllpass on the plateau of the Fichtelgebirge.
Villages
The borough of Weißenstadt incorporates the town itself and a number of villages:
Personalities
Sons and daughters of the city
* Heinrich Schneider (1905-1985), writer
*
Peter Beauvais (1916–1986), actor and director
* Horst Hüttel (* 1968), ski jumping trainer
Personalities who have worked on the ground
* Erhard Ackermann (1813-1880), the founder of the industrial granite refinement in Germany
References
Wunsiedel (district)
{{Wunsiedeldistrict-geo-stub