Altstätten

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Altstätten
Country Switzerland Coat of Arms of Altstätten
Canton St. Gallen
District Rheintal
47°23′N 9°33′E / 47.383°N 9.55°E / 47.383; 9.55Coordinates: 47°23′N 9°33′E / 47.383°N 9.55°E / 47.383; 9.55
Population 10,515 (January 2004)
  - Density 269 /km2 (696 /sq mi)
Area 39.11 km2 (15.10 sq mi)
Elevation 410 m (1,345 ft)
Postal code 9450
SFOS number 3251
Surrounded by Eichberg, Feldkirch (AT-8), Gais (AR), Marbach, Oberegg (AI), Oberriet, Ruggell (LI), Rüte (AI), Rüthi, Sennwald, Trogen (AR)
Website www.altstaetten.ch
SFSO statistics
Altstätten is located in Switzerland
Altstätten

Altstätten is a town in the district Rhine Valley, in the canton of St. Gall in Switzerland.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Näff house and Altstätten church
Altstätten in December 2008

The town consists of the following tracts: Alter Zoll, Altstätten, Bächis, Baumert, Bieser, Büeberg, Bühl, Bühl (Gätziberg), Bühl bei Hinterforst, Burgfeld, Bürglen, Burst, Domishäuser, Fidern, Gätziberg, Gfell, Hoher Kasten, Hub, Kornberg, Krans, Kreuzstrasse, Lithen, Lienz (exclave), Lüchingen, Mariahilf (monastery), Oberbüchel, Plona, Riet, Rosenhaus, Ruppen, Strick, Unterlitten, Warmesberg, Weidest und Ziel.

Altstätten is situated between the town of St. Margrethen and the town of Buchs/SG, near to the border of Austria, at the foot of the Alpstein-Mountains. In Altstätten starts the rack-and-pinion railway line of the Appenzeller Trams to Gais.

After the disestablishment of the Rhine Valley tramway, Altstätten operates a well-embellished bus transport network (RTB).

Supra-regional popularity got Altstätten by its long and upscale Shrove-Tuesday tradition (carnival). Each January and February performances are hold by the Röllelibutzen-club, founded in 1919, as well as the many of the town's and region's Youth Music Societies. A highlight is the international parade, which attracts over 30'000 spectators from whole Switzerland.

In the 1970s, Altstätten's football club, founded in 1945, was at national league B level, and played in the premiership. Today the FC plays 2nd league, inter-regionally.

[edit] Historic personalities

  • Wilhelm Matthias Naeff (* February 19, 1802; † January 21, 1881), Swiss politician (FPD) (liberal democrats/radicals), one of the seven drafters of the national constitution after the Napoleonic occupation era (the constitution of 1848, which still is the current constitution), Vice-President in 1852, Federal president in 1853, 1848-1852: postal-and construction minister, 1853: interior minister, 1854: Tariff- and Trade minister, 1855-1859: postal- and construction minister, 1860-1866: postal services minister, 1867-1872: Finance- and tariff minister, 1873: Finance- and tariff department, 1873: railway and trade minister, 1874-1875: Finance- and tariff minister
  • Jakob Laurenz Custer (* March 16, 1755; † January 24, 1828), St. Gallian city council, alderman from 1803 to 1817, short-term finance minister of the Helvetic Republic, while the Napoleonic occupation era
  • Johann Ludwig Ambühl (1750–1800), educationalist and knight of the pen; Promoter and patron of Ulrich Bräker (famous deserter); write of the drama Der Schweizerbund ("The Swiss Confederation"), which Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller used for his "Tell"-saga, which became THE Swiss national legend; Vice-Proconsul of the Rhine valley while Napoleonic occupation; home-tutor of Jakob Laurenz Custer
  • Johann Jakob Haltiner (* 1728; † 1800), church architect

[edit] Sons and daughters of the town

[edit] External links