Altstätten

Altstätten
Altstätten
Country Switzerland 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[update])
- 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 a town in the district Rhine Valley, in the canton of St. Gall in Switzerland.

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.

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

Sons and daughters of the town

• Paul Baumgartner, Swiss Pianist
• Myriam Casanova, Swiss tennis player, world rank 45 at best times, won price money of USD 462'551
• Josef Ebnöther, painter
• Jakob Feurer, founder of the Swiss Construction Order
• Jakob Freund, central president of association for Swiss folk-music, 1995–2003 member of the national council
• Ferdinand Gehr, painter
• Joseph(us) Hasler, Roman Catholic bishop in the diocese of St. Gall
• Ivo Heuberger, Swiss tennis player, world rank 102 at best times, won price money of USD 914'488
• Gardi Hutter, actress and authoress
• Carl Eugen Keel, expressionistic painter
• Stefan Frei, goalkeeper for Toronto FC

External links

• Official website (German)
• Altstätten in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Altstätten

v • d • e Municipalities in the constituency (Wahlkreis) of Rheintal, Switzerland Altstätten | Au | Balgach | Berneck | Diepoldsau | Eichberg | Marbach | Oberriet | Rebstein | Rheineck | Rüthi | St. Margrethen | Widnau St. Gallen | Districts of Canton St. Gallen | Municipalities of the canton of St. Gallen