Sondershausen
# Sondershausen

Sondershausen is a town in Thuringia, central Germany, capital of the Kyffhäuserkreis district, situated about 50 km north of Erfurt. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Schernberg was incorporated by Sondershausen.

Until 1918 it was part of the principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

## Geography

Sondershausen is situated in North Thuringia and lies in low mountain range between Hainleite (in the north) and Windleite (in the south). The highest mountain is the Frauenberg to the west of the town. A little river called Wipper flows through Sondershausen. Around the town there are mixed forests (especially with beech trees).

### Subdivisions

The city districts are:

| City centre Borntal Hasenholz Östertal | Bebra Berka Großfurra Jecha Jechaburg Stockhausen | Großberndten Himmelsberg Hohenebra Immenrode Kleinberndten Schernberg Straußberg Thalebra |
| - | - | - |

## Culture and main sights

### Museums

In the Sondershausen Palace there is a large museum with three different exhibit areas. Special exhibits are the Golden Coach, the only of its kind in Germany, and the legendary Püstrich. There are possible special guided tours of demonstrationdepot, cellar, tower and park of the castle, too.

Under the city there is a mine to visit.

To visit is a Jewish bath from the 14th Century since 1999 under the gallery on the Schlossberg.

### Buildings

* Sondershausen Palace, with natural history and antiquarian collections. Adapted as Palace in Renaissance times, it was later expanded in Baroque forms (1764–1771). Especially noteworthy are the "Blue Hall" and the gardens.
* The Old Princes' Palace (1721–1725), a residence of the princes from 1835 to 1851. It currently houses the district administration office of the Kyffhäuserkreis.
* The Octagonal House
* "Alte Wache"
* "Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium Sondershausen" building I. (a grammar school)
* mikveh
* theatre "Haus der Kunst" (translated: "house of art")
* Rathaus (city hall)
* Gottschalcksches Haus (House of Gottschalck)

**Churches**

* The Baroque Trinitatiskirche, a Lutheran church, with the mausoleum (1892) of the reigning princes.
* Crucis Church, the oldest building of Sondershausen.
* St. Matthias Church, the historicist construction is considered one of the most beautiful churches in the region
* St. Petri Church in Jechaburg
* St. Georg Church in Bebra
* St. Viti Church in Berka
* St. Bonifatius Church in Großfurra
* St. Johannis Church in Oberspier
* Church of Großberndten
* Church St. Mauritii in Himmelsberg
* Church Gloria Deo in Hohenebra
* Church of Immenrode
* Church St. Johannes in Kleinberndten
* St. Crucis Church in Schernberg
* Church of Thalebra
* St. Elisabeth Church (catholic)

## Notable people

* Rudolf Arzinger (1922–1970), public international law
* Felix Becker (1864–1928), art historian
* Regina Miriam Bloch (1888–1938), writer and poet
* Johann Günther Friedrich Cannabich (1777–1859), geographer
* Edmund Döring (1860–1938), Heimatforscher
* Ernst Christoph Dressler (1734–1779), composer, operatic tenor, violinist and music theorist
* Ernst Ludwig Gerber (1746–1819), composer, music writer, musician
* Jörg Hoffmann (born 1963), Rennrodler, Olympiasieger von 1988 in Calgary
* Thilo Irmisch (1816–1878), botanist
* Günther Jahn (born 1933), Painter
* Michael Kohl (1929–1981), Jurist, stellv. Außenminister der DDR
* Olaf Koch (born 1932), Rector of the High School for Music in Berlin
* Karl Krieghoff (1905–1984), local poet
* Vera Lengsfeld (born 1952), politician
* Georg Lewin (1820–1896), Dermatology, Faculty (university)
* Georg Richard Lewin
* Kurt Lindner (1906–1987), Science of Hunting
* Valentin Ernst Löscher (1674–1749), theologian, writer
* Günther Lutze (1840–1930), botanist, Heimatforscher, chronicler
* Joachim Manard (Manhard, Manardt) (1564–1637), chronicler of the town
* Ludwig Günther Martini (1647–1719), jurist
* Curt Mücke (1885–1940), Painter
* Carl Moeller (1867–1920), pastor and Heimatforscher
* Hermann Müller (1891–1984), Heimatforscher
* Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann (born 1966), Speed skating
* Ronald Paris (1933–2021), Painter
* Werner Schubert (1921–1991), Painter
* Heinz Scharr (born 1924), Visual arts
* Ferdinand Schlufter (1871–1948), Major
* Volker Strübing (born 1971), book author, cabaret artist and songwriter
* Johann Friedrich Suckow (1769–1842), musician
* Johann Karl Wezel (1747–1819), poet

## Sister cities

Sondershausen is twinned with three cities:

* Rolla, Missouri, United States
* Pecquencourt, France
* Kazlų Rūda, Lithuania
