| Sigmaringen | |
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| Coat of arms | Location |
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| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Admin. region | Tübingen |
| District | Sigmaringen |
| Town subdivisions | 6 |
| Mayor | Daniel Rapp (CDU) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 92.85 km² (35.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 578-794 m |
| Population | 16,582 (31/12/2006) |
| - Density | 179 /km² (463 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | SIG |
| Postal codes | 72481–72488 |
| Area code | 07571 |
| Website | www.sigmaringen.de |
| Location of the town of Sigmaringen within Sigmaringen district | |
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Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district.
Sigmaringen is renowned for its castle, Schloss Sigmaringen, which was the seat of the Vichy government-in-exile during the closing months of the Second World War.
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Sigmaringen lies in the Danube valley, surrounded by wooded hills.
The surrounding towns are on the north, Winterlingen (in the district of Zollernalb) and Veringenstadt, on the east, Bingen, Sigmaringendorf, and Scheer, on the south, Mengen, Krauchenwies, Inzigkofen, and Meßkirch, and on the west, Leibertingen, Beuron, and Stetten am kalten Markt. The city is made up from the following districts: Sigmaringen (inner-city), Gutenstein, Jungnau, Laiz, Oberschmeien and Unterschmeien.
Sigmaringen was first documented in 1077 and was in the principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen until 1850, after which it became a province of Prussia's Province of Hohenzollern.
On September 7, 1944, following the Allied invasion of France, Henri Philippe Pétain and members of the Vichy government cabinet fled to Germany and established a government in exile at Sigmaringen. Pétain returned to France in April 1945. French writers Céline, Lucien Rebatet and Roland Gaucher, fearing for their lives because of their political and anti-Semitic writings, fled along with the Vichy government to Sigmaringen. Céline's novel D'un château l'autre (English: Castle to Castle) describes the fall of Sigmaringen. The city was taken by the French army in April 1945.
The following religions are present in Sigmaringen:
Roman Catholic Church
Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg
Evangelische Militärkirchengemeinde
Freie Christengemeinde
Jehovah's Witnesses
New Apostolic Church
Traffic and public transportation
Three railroads currently meet in Sigmaringen, the Donautalbahn (danube valley railroad) leading from Donaueschingen to Ulm, the Zollernalbbahn from Tübingen to Aulendorf and the railroad of the Hohenzollerische Landesbahn from Sigmaringen to Hechingen.
Public transport is organized by Verkehrsverbund Neckar-Alb-Donau (NALDO).
Sigmaringen was the birthplace of Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577 – 1622), a Roman Catholic martyr of the Counter-Reformation in Switzerland; Ferdinand of Romania (1865-1927), King of Romania (1914-1927).
Frederick Miller (1824-1888), was living in Sigmaringen during the start of his brewing career, he was the founder of the Miller Brewing Company.
It is one of the residences of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, the present representative of the house, who will follow the current Pretender, Michael of Romania to the throne of the Kingdom of Romania, after his demise.
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