Ostallgäu Explained

Ostallgäu
State:Bavaria
Image Coa:Wappen Landkreis Ostallgaeu.svg
Capital:Marktoberdorf
Regierungsbezirk:Swabia
Area:1395
Kreisschlüssel:09777
District Admin:Maria Rita Zinnecker
Admin Party:CSU
Carsign:OAL

Ostallgäu is a Landkreis (district) in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Oberallgäu, Unterallgäu, Augsburg, Landsberg, Weilheim-Schongau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and by the Austrian state of Tyrol. The town of Kaufbeuren is enclosed by but does not belong to the district.

History

Before 1803 the region was split into several tiny states, most of them clerical states. When these states were dissolved in 1803, the Ostallgäu region became part of Bavaria. The kings of Bavaria soon developed a special relationship with the region and built their famous castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein there.

The district was established in 1972 by merging the former districts of Kaufbeuren, Marktoberdorf and Füssen.

Geography

"Ostallgäu" literally means "Eastern Allgäu". The term Allgäu is applied to the part of the Alps located in Swabia and their northern foothills.

The district extends from the crest of the Alps to hilly countryside in the north. It is located on either side of the Wertach, an affluent of the Lech. In the south there is a great number of alpine lakes, the largest of them being the Forggensee (16km2).

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays:

Towns and municipalities

align=left width=33%Townsalign=left width=33%Municipalities
  1. Buchloe
  2. Füssen
  3. Marktoberdorf
  1. Aitrang
  2. Baisweil
  3. Bidingen
  4. Biessenhofen
  5. Eggenthal
  6. Eisenberg
  7. Friesenried
  8. Germaringen
  9. Görisried
  10. Günzach
  11. Halblech
  12. Hopferau
  13. Irsee
  14. Jengen
  15. Kaltental
  16. Kraftisried
  17. Lamerdingen
  18. Lechbruck
  19. Lengenwang
  20. Mauerstetten
  21. Nesselwang
  1. Obergünzburg
  2. Oberostendorf
  3. Osterzell
  4. Pforzen
  5. Pfronten
  6. Rettenbach am Auerberg
  7. Rieden
  8. Rieden am Forggensee
  9. Ronsberg
  10. Roßhaupten
  11. Rückholz
  12. Ruderatshofen
  13. Schwangau
  14. Seeg
  15. Stötten
  16. Stöttwang
  17. Unterthingau
  18. Untrasried
  19. Waal
  20. Wald
  21. Westendorf

External links