Schwandorf

For the district, see Schwandorf (district).
Schwandorf
Town
Aerial view
Aerial view
Coat of arms of Schwandorf
Coat of arms
Location of Schwandorf within Schwandorf district
AltendorfBodenwöhrBruck in der OberpfalzBurglengenfeldDieterskirchenFensterbachGleiritschGuteneckMaxhütte-HaidhofNabburgNeukirchen-BalbiniNeunburg vorm WaldNiedermurachNittenauOberviechtachPfreimdSchmidgadenSchönseeSchwandorfSchwarzachSchwarzenfeldSchwarzhofenStadlernSteinberg am SeeStullnTeublitzTeunzThansteinTrausnitzWackersdorfWeidingWernberg-KöblitzWinklarnWolferloheAmberg-SulzbachRegensburg (district)Neumarkt (district)Cham (district)Czech RepublicNeustadt an der Waldnaab (district)
Schwandorf is located in Germany
Schwandorf
Schwandorf
Schwandorf is located in Bavaria
Schwandorf
Schwandorf
Coordinates: 49°19′42″N 12°6′36″E / 49.32833°N 12.11000°E / 49.32833; 12.11000
CountryGermany
StateBavaria
Admin. regionOberpfalz
DistrictSchwandorf
Government
 • Lord mayor (2020–26) Andreas Feller[1] (CSU)
Area
 • Total
123.76 km2 (47.78 sq mi)
Elevation
366 m (1,201 ft)
Population
 (2023-12-31)[2]
 • Total
30,239
 • Density240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
92421
Dialling codes0 94 31
Vehicle registrationSAD
Websitewww.schwandorf.de

Schwandorf is a town on the river Naab in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany, which is the seat of the Schwandorf district. Schwandorf is a Family-friendly community.

Schwandorf is a Landkreis (district) in Upper Palatinate in the eastern part of Bavaria, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the east clockwise) Cham, Regensburg, Neumarkt, Amberg-Sulzbach, Neustadt an der Waldnaab, and the Czech Plzeň Region.

Schwandorf Naab

Geography

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Geographical location

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Schwandorf is located at the intersection of four depressions in the Schwandorf Bay in the southern Upper Palatinate Forest. The Upper Palatinate Lake District borders the city area. The Naab River runs through the city area from north to south. Nature has created a broad plain in the Naab Valley, the edges of which are formed by iron sandstone hills. The Kreuzberg rises from the plain like a green island. This was once far outside the city gates, but today it is surrounded by the settlement.

The main rivers of the district are the Naab and the Regen

Climate

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The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb". (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).

History

[edit]

Overview of history

Schwandorf was first mentioned in writing in 1006 AD in a document from the monastery of Saint Emmeram as Suainicondorf on the river Naba ( Naab ) in the area of the diocese of Regensburg . Prehistoric finds, for example a fishing hook from the Bronze Age or urn graves from the Urnfield period (1200 to 800 BC) in the city area, as well as research into the origin of the city's name, make it certain that the town was settled very early on. In 1234 AD, Schwandorf in the Upper Palatinate was the seat of a Wittelbach office, in 1286 it was the seat of a dean and, from an ecclesiastical point of view, one of the centers of the diocese of Regensburg in the Nordgau. On 5 January 1299, the market town received a municipal constitution, and from 1446 onwards it was granted full city rights.

During the Landshut War of Succession, Schwandorf was almost completely destroyed in 1504. From 1555 to 1617, Schwandorf was Evangelical Lutheran for three generations as a result of the Peace of Augsburg, which Ottheinrich von Wittelsbach, Count Palatine of Palatinate-Neuburg, had signed up to, and belonged to the Principality of Palatinate-Neuburg until Bavarian unification in 1777. Despite its political peripheral location (border town), Schwandorf remained an economic hub due to its location on an old trade and military route to Bohemia. Most of the town's buildings that are still standing today were built in the 16th century. The town's economic power increased after the Nuremberg–Schwandorf–Regensburg railway line was opened on December 12, 1859. Since 1863, with the opening of the railway line to Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Schwandorf became an important railway junction.

In 1907, 6,985 citizens lived in Schwandorf. Of these, 6,618 were Catholic, 333 Protestant, 19 Israelite, 1 Mennonite and 14 of unknown faith.

In 1933, 29 people of Jewish origin lived in Schwandorf. Louis Waldmann committed suicide in the Charlottenhof district in 1939, and nine other Schwandorf residents were deported and murdered. There are 17 stumbling blocks for them in Schwandorf.

At the end of the Second World War, on April 5, 1945, the train station was attacked for the second time by low-flying aircraft. On April 10, 1945, at 1:45 p.m., eight US low-flying planes fired on a train in Schwandorf. On April 17, 1945, between 3:52 a.m. and 4:07 a.m., Canadian and British Royal Air Force bombers with 167 Lancasters and eight Mosquitos bombed the train station in Schwandorf. The bombardment with 633.3 tons of bombs also devastated the city center as far as the Kreuzberg district. A total of 1,250 people, including refugees and displaced persons and 495 Schwandorf residents, died in this air raid. A total of 514 houses were damaged and 674 completely destroyed. Before the attack, Schwandorf had 1,361 buildings. The station district was particularly hard hit; countless passengers died on the trains that were hit. Because the railway line was largely destroyed, a train transport with around 1,000 prisoners from the Flossenbürg concentration camp stopped near Schwandorf on April 19. When an airplane appeared, panic ensued and some prisoners tried to escape. A total of 41 prisoners were killed, 111 managed to escape. Two groups of 417 and 389 prisoners had to march on south.  A few days later, on April 23, 1945, the first US units reached the town of Schwandorf. The town was then occupied by American troops of the 3rd Army as they advanced to a demarcation line in western and southern Bohemia agreed upon in the Potsdam Agreement. It came under the control of the American military government and reconstruction began. The reconstruction of Schwandorf continued for many years after this air raid.

The town of Schwandorf was a district-free town from 1920 to 1972. In the course of an administrative reform, it was incorporated into the newly founded large district on July 1, 1972, became the seat of the district administration and was given the designation of large district town .

On December 28, 1972, the name of the town of Schwandorf in Bavaria was officially changed to Schwandorf .

Founding

[edit]
Schwandorf Naab

The Naab was probably the reason for the founding of the town. Here in the shallow Schwandorf Bay, the river divides into three branches and is so shallow that it is easy to ford through the water. Even in Roman times, the Naab was an important trade route from south to north. The intersection of the road and the river was ideal for a settlement. A landing stage was documented as early as 1158. Salt and iron were among the most important trade goods. With the help of salt, the fish of the Naab became a commodity. Numerous natural and artificial ponds were also managed. The abundance of fish and its management led to the introduction of a fish master's office in the Nordgau, the first evidence of which dates back to the 13th century.

Carp, bream, tench, zander, eels, catfish, barbel, nase, perch and pike can still be caught today. Crayfish were once so numerous that they could be caught by hand and taken to market in wheelbarrows.

Schwandorf Marketplace

Mills powered by the water power of the Naab were another source of livelihood.

Today, hydropower is only used to generate electricity in the city. Freight shipping has also long since stopped. Canoes and kayaks have taken their place. Pond farming is still an economic factor, while river fishing is carried out by sports and fishing clubs.

In the urban area, the following streams feed the Naab: Fensterbach, Els, Rotha, Haselbach with Irlbach, Göggelbach, Blauer Entengraben and Martelgraben.

Monumental Attractions

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  • Catholic parish church of St. Jakob
Kreuzberg-Schwandor

Sights and attractions

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  • Erlebnisbad: Schwandorf adventure pool & Water theme park with lot of fun on a total of 42,000 m2
  • Hallenbad: Indoor swimming pool
  • Upper Palatinate Lake District (Oberpfälzer Seenland) : The term "Upper Palatinate Lake District" refers to a unique landscape that offers the perfect conditions for all kinds of water sports. Whether swimming, boating, sailing, diving, surfing or water skiing - East Bavaria's largest lakes, countless ponds and rivers invite you to plunge into the wet fun! In addition to the wide range of water sports, guests can also expect hiking and cycling trails, idyllic places for fishing, horse riding opportunities.
    Steinberger See
  • Steinberger See: The Steinberger See is and, with an area of 1.84 km2, is the largest lake in the Upper Palatinate Lake District. It has many and with attraction points at this lake.
  • Murner See: CampingPark Murner See, means lots of water fun as well as fantastic views and sunsets and with many attraction points at this lake.
  • Klausensee: A Natural Bathing Lake with a large lawn for sunbathing, shady trees and a wide sandy beach with plenty of space for building sandcastles
  • Erlebnisholzkugel (inMotion- Park & Adventure wooden ball) : world's largest wooden adventure ball, which is around 40 metres high. Official Website.
  • Prokart Raceland GmbH & Co. KG: State-of-the-art indoor & outdoor karting circuits for private & corporate use, plus restaurant.
  • Kanufahren auf der Naab (Canoeing on the River "Naab"): The Naab - a good 100 km long - flows from the north through the districts of Neustadt ad Waldnaab, Schwandorf and Regensburg before flowing into the Danube west of Regensburg. The river is leisurely, has a gentle current and is not particularly difficult, making it ideal for leisurely boat trips or day trips - especially for beginners and families.
  • Wild Wake Park: The WildWakePark at Steinberger See offers swakeboarding, water skiing, stand-up paddling or a round of water adventure.
  • Steinberger Yacht-Club:
Schwandorf, Erlöserkirche
  • Boat rental at Steinberger See: Offers to rent your own Rowboat or Pedal boat to make a relaxing pedal boat ride to take a trip across the lake or as Bathing fun in the middle of the lake. Or to rent a sailboat and Glide sportily over the lake as a leisure activity.
  • Movin'G'Round Adventure Park  : The MovinGround family and leisure park with its attached restaurant and campsite is located directly on Lake Steinberger and offers fun and games for the whole family. With giant water slides, an eight-way trampoline system, bouncy castles, a water catapult, pedal boats, SUP boards and its own sandy beach, the holiday feeling is guaranteed.
  • Charlottenhofer Weihergebiet The Charlottenhofer Weiher area, with an area of around 830 hectares, is one of the largest nature reserves in the Upper Palatinate. It is the remainder of an old pond area, a large part of which was lost due to brown coal mining.

Parks

[edit]
Schwandorf, Brücke am Stadtpark,

Castles

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Fronberg Schwandorf Schloss
  • Schloss Fronberg
Schloß Guteneck
  • Schloß Guteneck
  • Schloss Pirkensee
  • Burgruine Kallmünz
  • Schloss Schönberg
  • Schloß Fischbach
  • Schloss Hirschling
  • Neues Schloss, Neunburg vorm Wald
  • Schloß Neusath

Education

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Elementary Schools (Grundschulen):

Elementary and Middle Schools (Grund- und Mittelschule)

Middle Schools (Mittelschule)

High Schools (Realschulen):

Higher Secondary Schools (Gymnasien Schule):

Technical Higher Secondary Schools (Fachoberschule / Berufsoberschule):

Other schools : (Weitere Schulen)

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Universities / colleges: (Hochschule)

[edit]
Reference:List of universities in Germany

Library and other infrastructures

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Institutions & administration offices

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Schwandorf has these associations and significant institutions, offices

Rathaus Schwandorf
  • Finanzamt Schwandorf
  • Gesundheitsamt Schwandorf
  • KFZ-Zulassungstelle Schwandorf
  • Agentur für Arbeit Schwandorf
  • Amt für Ernährung Landwirtschaft u Forsten Schwandorf
  • Staatlich anerkannte Beratungsstelle für Schwangerschaftsfragen
  • Familienkasse Schwandorf
  • Jugendamt Schwandorf
  • Veterinäramt Schwandorf
  • Bauhof

Economy and industries

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Schwandorf is the most important retail centre in the district of the same name.

There are several multinational corporations located in Schwandorf, such as BMW, Horsch, Krones AG and Gerresheimer

Schwandorf Oberpfalz

At the district level, the district of Schwandorf in Upper Palatinate is the undisputed number 1 in terms of tax revenue. Its income is even comparable to that of the districts around Munich. There are 130 large industrial companies and 15,000 jobs. Schwandorf's largest employer is currently meiller direct GmbH. Benteler is also a major employer in the district. In the Wackersdorf Innovation Park, BMW AG, nine manufacturing suppliers and three service companies now make up the circle of partners at the Wackersdorf Innovation Park with around 2,700 employees. There is also a branch of Läpple AG with around 800 employees.

Meillerghp was Schwandorf's largest employer with around 1,200 employees. The former subsidiary of the Austrian Post was one of the largest direct marketing companies in Europe. Following the sale in 2015 to the Paragon Group, based in Dublin, Ireland, the company has been trading under the new company name Paragon Customer Communications Schwandorf GmbH since May 1, 2018.

In the manufacturing sector, the processing industry is an important economic factor . The most important employers here are to be found in the printing industry and in automotive supplies. Nabaltec AG, a company in the chemical industry, has its headquarters in Schwandorf. Schwandorf is the headquarters of Schmack Biogas GmbH, which designs, builds and operates biogas plants . On July 14, 2008, the company put Europe's largest biogas plant into operation in Schwandorf.

Major list of Employers in Schwandorf District are:

Transportation

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Schwandorf with its railway station is the most important hub for regional trains operated by the Oberpfalzbahn of the Länderbahn in ( Marktredwitz via Weiden to Regensburg and eastwards to Furth and Lam).

Public transportation

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Chwandorf Train-Bus station

Schwandorf belongs to the Regensburg Transport Association (RVV).

The Schwandorf city and the other cities in the Schwandorf district are well connected with the Schwandorf City Bus Network .

The adjacent district Regensburg is well connected with RVV line (Bus Line 41) and with frequent Rail connections (RVV line). Schwandorf is connected to Bus and Rail lines to Munich, Nuremberg, Passau, Weiden and Hof and Cham. The city lies also on two motorways, the A3 from Cologne and Frankfurt to Vienna, and the A93 from Holledau to Hof.

Road connectivity

[edit]
The Oberpfälzer Wald motorway junction (A 6/A 93) in the northern district of Schwandorf (2021)
  • Directly located on the A 93 as an important north–south connection between the Hochfranken A 72 motorway triangle and the Holledau A 9 triangle . Continuous traffic axis Berlin – Leipzig – Hof – Weiden – Regensburg – Munich (three junctions in the city area: Schwandorf-Nord (Fronberg, B 85 ), Schwandorf-Mitte (Wackersdorf, B 85 ) and Schwandorf-Süd (Klardorf)).
  • The distance to the A 6 in the direction of Amberg -Ost – Nuremberg – Heilbronn is twelve kilometers via the B 85, and to the A 6 in the direction of Kreuz Oberpfälzer Wald – Waidhaus – Pilsen – Prague it is 25 kilometers via the A 93 .
  • B 15 Hof to the Inn Valley: Between the Altenstadt an der Waldnaab and Regensburg-Nord junctions, the B 15 was replaced by the A 93.
  • B 85 (partially four-lane expansion) Bayreuth – Amberg – Schwandorf – Cham – Passau bypasses Schwandorf in the north.

Rail connectivity

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Schwandorf Bahnhof

The following routes converge at Schwandorf station :

  • In south–north direction: railway line Regensburg–Weiden, continuing to Marktredwitz and Hof .
  • In west–east direction: Nuremberg–Schwandorf railway line and Schwandorf–Cham–Furth im Wald railway line, continuing to Pilsen and Prague .
  • In a south-east direction: the direct rail connection Munich-Regensburg-Schwandorf-Prague.
  • In a west-south direction: the direct train connection Nuremberg-Amberg-Schwandorf-Regensburg (every two hours).
  • In Regensburg and Nuremberg there are connections to IC and ICE trains

Air traffic

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Schwandorf Airport has a 860 × 30 m grass runway.

The airfield is located six kilometers east of the historic center of Schwandorf and three kilometers north of Wackersdorf . It is owned by the town of Schwandorf and operated by the Schwandorf Aviation Club .

International Airports are located nearby in Munich, Nuremberg and Frankfurt.

Health

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Events

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Twice a year the Schwandorf Volksfest takes place. This is the city's Volksfest.

  • Epiphany Market, Sunday after 6 January (Market Square)
  • May Market, 1st Sunday in May, shops open on Sunday (Old Town)
  • Whitsun Festival (Krondorfer Anger)
  • Corpus Christi Market, Sunday after Corpus Christi (Market Square)
  • Music at market time, in summer every Saturday at 12.05 p.m. (St. Jakob Parish Church)
  • Jakobi Market, Sunday after 25 July, shops open on Sunday (Old Town)
  • Autumn market, last Sunday in October, Sunday shopping, so-called Coat Sunday (Old Town)
  • Winter magic in Advent (market square and city park)
  • Blowing the Christkindl, 24 December at 5 p.m. (Market Square)
  • Citizens' festival every two years in July (entire old town) - Volksfest.
  • Wendelinfest every two years in July (Wendelinplatz)

Sports

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The towns association football club, 1. FC Schwandorf, experienced its greatest success in the late 1950s and 1960 when it spent thirteen seasons in the third division Bayernliga.

Some of the clubs there are:

Media

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  • Radio Charivari, private radio station for the East Bavaria region. Frequencies for Schwandorf: 98.8 and 105.9 MHz.
  • Gong FM, private radio station for the Regensburg region. Frequency for Schwandorf: 97.3 MHz.
  • Local editorial office of Mittelbayerische Zeitung
  • Local editorial office of the weekly newspaper

Theatre and music

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The Schwandorf Marionette Theatre was founded in 1977. One of the rock cellars on Fronberger Straße is used as a venue for concerts and theater.

The town's musical life is mainly shaped by private initiatives. These include the Schwandorf Music School, the Schwandorf Music Association (founded in 1854) with its brass band, the Schwandorf VHS Youth Brass Band  and the Schwandorf Oratorio Choir (founded in 2000).

Commerce

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With a huge number of Grocery shops, Apparel outlets, Household items shops and a large Shopping mall area fulfils the daily needs of the residents of Schwandorf district.

Notable shopping Malls are: Globus & K+B expert Mall, Rewe Center, Müller Complex, OBI baumarkt, FREY Mode

International communities

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Schwandorf has a mixed and diverse population. Major migrated foreigners are from the countries Russia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Syria, Poland, Italy, Romania, India, China

Towns and municipalities

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Towns Markt Verwaltungsgemeinschaften Municipalities
  1. Burglengenfeld
  2. Maxhütte-Haidhof
  3. Nabburg¹
  4. Neunburg vorm Wald¹
  5. Nittenau
  6. Oberviechtach
  7. Pfreimd¹
  8. Schönsee¹
  9. Schwandorf
  10. Teublitz
  1. Bruck in der Oberpfalz
  2. Neukirchen-Balbini¹
  3. Schwarzenfeld¹
  4. Schwarzhofen¹
  5. Wernberg-Köblitz
  6. Winklarn¹
  1. Nabburg
  2. Neunburg vorm Wald
  3. Oberviechtach
  4. Pfreimd
  5. Schönsee
  6. Schwarzenfeld
  7. Wackersdorf
  1. Altendorf
  2. Bodenwöhr
  3. Dieterskirchen
  4. Fensterbach
  5. Gleiritsch
  6. Guteneck
  7. Niedermurach
  8. Schmidgaden
  9. Schwarzach bei Nabburg
  10. Stadlern
  11. Steinberg am See
  12. Stulln
  13. Teunz
  14. Thanstein
  15. Trausnitz
  16. Wackersdorf
  17. Weiding

Twin towns – sister cities

[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Schwandorf is twinned with:[3]

Schwandorf also has friendly relations with Karamürsel in Turkey.[3]

Politics

[edit]

Literature

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  • Martin Zeiller :  . In: Matthäus Merian (ed.):  (=   . Volume 4 ). 1st edition. Matthaeus Merian, Frankfurt am Main 1644, p. 100 ( full text [ Wikisource ]).
  • Bernhard M. Baron, The end of the war in 1945 in Schwandorf as reflected in literature, In: Oberpfälzer Heimat. Volume 66, 202', ISBN 978-3-947247-64-6, pp. 139–150.
  • Georg Klitta : The Finale of the Second World War in Schwandorf. 1970, DNB 577236644 .
  • Johann Georg Hubmann : Chronicle of the town of Schwandorf. In: Chronicle of the Upper Palatinate. Volume I, Publisher Fedor Pohl, Amberg, 1865
  • Joseph Pesserl: Chronicle and topography of Schwandorf. In: Proceedings of the Historical Association for Upper Palatinate and Regensburg. 1865. ( PDF on commons; reprint: 1989, ISBN 3-923006-78-0 ).
  • Alois Schmid : Schwandorf. The long road from village to town. Lecture given at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich on 22 July 2006 on the occasion of the town's 1000th anniversary.
  • Franz Sichler, Wolfsteiner (ed.): Famous Schwandorf Personalities, accompanying text to the exhibition in the anniversary year 2006.
  • Ludwig Weingärtner in collaboration with the city planning office: Schwandorf cultural guidance system. September 2006.
  • Alfred Wolfsteiner: Schwandorf in the bombing (with archive photos). Sutton Verlag, 2005, ISBN 3-89702-803-4 .
  • City of Schwandorf (ed.): Schwandorf in history and present. City chronicle in 2 volumes, Schwandorf 2001.
  • Alfred Wolfsteiner: Schwandorf 1000 years of history on the Naab. 2006, DNB 980609844 .
  • Schwandorf city directory. Edition 2007.
  • April 17, 1945 – Destruction of the town of Schwandorf. In: Günther Rambach: Swastika and St. Martin's Church – Fateful years in the Upper Palatinate 1933–1959. Ensdorf 2010, ISBN 978-3-00-031635-7 .
[edit]
  • Official website (German)
  • Schwandorf – pictures, sights, day trips

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Liste der ersten Bürgermeister/Oberbürgermeister in kreisangehörigen Gemeinden, Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik, 15 July 2021.
  2. ^ Genesis Online-Datenbank des Bayerischen Landesamtes für Statistik Tabelle 12411-003r Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes: Gemeinden, Stichtag (Einwohnerzahlen auf Grundlage des Zensus 2011).
  3. ^ a b "Städtepartnerschaften, -patenschaften und -freundschaften" (in German). Schwandorf. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
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