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