Ostrach

Ostrach
Coat of arms of Ostrach Coat of arms
Ostrach
Location of Ostrach within Sigmaringen district 250px
Coordinates:
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Tübingen
District	Sigmaringen
Government
• Mayor	Christoph Schulz
Area
• Total	108.93 km2 (42.06 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)
• Total	6,588
• Density	60/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	88354–88356
Dialling codes	07585
Vehicle registration	SIG
Website	www.ostrach.de

Ostrach is a municipality in the district of Sigmaringen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.

Geography

Ostrach lies between the Danube and Lake Constance, about halfway between Sigmaringen and Ravensburg. It lies on the brook of the same name, which passes through a narrow pass between the glacial moraines left by the Rhine Glacier at the end of the last Ice Age. The landscape is hilly and wooded. Abandoned quarries to the north and south of the village of Jettkofen have created small lakes.

History

The first mention of Ostrach occurs in 851. In the 13th century, the area passed gradually from the Holy Roman Empire into the hands of the monastery of Salem.

On March 21, 1799, the Austrian and French troops fought a battle at Ostrach. In 1803, in the German Mediatisation, Ostrach and Bachhaupten passed into the hands of the house of Thurn und Taxis, and in 1806 they were incorporated into the lands of the house of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

The railway line Altshausen-Ostrach-Pfullendorf opened in 1875. The last freight train passed through Ostrach on July 31, 2002.

On January 1, 1975, the surrounding villages of Burgweiler (with Dichtenhausen, Hahnennest, Ochsenbach, Waldbeuren, Ulzhausen, Egelreute), Einhart, Habsthal (with Bernweiler), Jettkofen, Kalkreute, Laubbach, Levertsweiler, Magenbuch (with Lausheim), Spöck, Tafertsweiler (with Bachhaupten, Eschendorf, and Gunzenhausen), Wangen, and Wirnsweiler were incorporated into Ostrach.