Sonthofen

[[Image:Son28.1.jpg|thumb|''Sonthofen'']] '''Sonthofen''' is the most southerly town of [[Germany]], located in the [[Oberallgäu]] region of the [[Bavarian Alps]]. Neighbouring [[Oberstdorf]] is situated 14 km farther south but is not classified as a town. Sonthofen is located at {{Coord|47|30|57|N|10|16|52|E |region:DE-BY_type:city(450)}}. In 2005, Sonthofen was awarded "Alpenstadt des Jahres" (Alpine city of the year). In [[World War II]] Sonthofen was bombed twice because [[Adolf Hitler]] had built the ''[[Ordensburg Sonthofen]]'' where young boys were trained for service in Nazi Party organizations. The "''Ordensburg''" was not destroyed in the war and from 1946 to 1948 it was home to the [[United States Constabulary]] school and from 1956-2009 the German ''[[Bundeswehr]]'' located its Military Police ''([[Feldjäger]])'' and Staff Service School there. The [[German Army|German Army's]] NBC Defence School (''ABC-Abwehr- und Selbstschutzschule'') is located in another barracks in Sonthofen. Sonthofen was given town rights on 18 August 1963. Sonthofen has 20,990 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2008). It is widely known for its [[milk]] and [[cheese]] products and as a tourist destination. ==Famous people== *[[Michael Buthe]] - artist *[[Philip Bester]] - Canadian tennis player, was born in Sonthofen *[[Michael Endres]] - pianist *[[Hardy Krüger]] - actor, spent his childhood in Sonthofen *[[Robert Schraudolph]] - artist *[[W. G. Sebald]] - writer, lived in Sonthofen from 1948 to 1963 [http://www.oberstdorf-online.info/personen/sebald/index.htm] ==External links== *[http://www.sonthofen.de/ Sonthofen.de - official Sonthofen website, partly English] *[http://www.postgeschichte-sonthofen.de/ - history of Sonthofen post with many historic images] *[http://www.villedesalpes.org/datenbank/alpenstadt.asp?n_LanguageID=1 - alpine city of the year] *[http://www.artingrid.de - Sonthofen based artist Ingrid Kamerbeek, founder of worldwide Webism Art Movement] {{Cities and towns in Oberallgäu (district)}}