Schaffhausen

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Coordinates: 47°42′N, 8°38′E

Schaffhausen
Country Switzerland Canton Schaffhausen District n.a. 47°42′N, 8°38′E
Population	33,527  (March 2005)
- Density	1,082 /km² (2,801 /sq.mi.)
Area	31.00 km² (12 sq mi)
Elevation	403 m (1,322 ft)
Postal code	8200
SFOS number	2939
Mayor (list)	Marcel Wenger (as of 2008) FDP/PRD
Surrounded by (view map)	Beringen, Büsingen am Hochrhein (DE-BW), Büttenhardt, Dörflingen, Feuerthalen (ZH), Flurlingen (ZH), Hemmental, Merishausen, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Stetten, Thayngen
Twin towns	Sindelfingen (Germany), Singen am Hohentwiel (Germany), Dobric (Bulgaria)
Website	www.stadt-schaffhausen.ch
Schaffhausen [zoom]

Reichsstadt Schaffhausen Imperial City of Schaffhausen Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire ← 1218 – 1330 1415 – 1501 → Capital Schaffhausen Government Republic Historical era Middle Ages  - Gained Reichsfreiheit 1218  - Pledged to Habsburgs 1330  - Bought independence 1415  - Associate member of     Swiss Confederacy   1454  - Joined Switzerland 1501  - Independence recognised 1648

Schaffhausen (German: Schaffhausen (help·info)) is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 33,527 as of March 31, 2005.

Views of old town, Schaffhausen

The old portion of the city has many fine Renaissance era buildings decorated with exterior frescos and sculpture, as well as the impressive old canton fortress, the Munot. A train runs out of town to the nearby Rhine Falls in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Europe's largest waterfall, a tourist attraction.

[edit] History

Schaffhausen was a city state in the Middle Ages, documented to have struck its own coins starting in 1045. For a time it was under Habsburg domination, but regained its independence in 1415. It allied itself with Zurich in 1457, and became a full member of the Swiss Confederation in 1501. The first railroad came to Schaffhausen in 1857.

Schaffhausen is located in a finger of Swiss territory surrounded on three sides by Germany. On April 1, 1944, Schaffhausen suffered a bombing raid by United States Army Air Forces aircraft which strayed from German airspace into neutral Switzerland. While the United States immediately offered a million dollars in reparations, the raid occurred only a month after the Swiss Air Force had shot down an American bomber.

[edit] Industry

Schaffhausen hosts some well-known industrial companies (Georg Fischer) in piping systems, machine tools and automotives, one internationally-reputed watches manufacturer (IWC), and pharmaceutical industry (Cilag, founded by Bernhard Joos).

[edit] See also

• Cholfirst Radio Tower
• List of mayors of Schaffhausen
• Bombing of Schaffhausen in World War II

[edit] External links

• City of Schaffhausen (German)
• Schaffhausen Tourism
• City archives (German)
• The Wikimedia Commons has media related to Schaffhausen.
• U.S. Bombings of Switzerland during World War II

v • d • e Municipalities in the Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland Altdorf | Bargen | Beggingen | Beringen | Bibern | Buch | Buchberg | Büttenhardt | Dörflingen | Gächlingen | Guntmadingen | Hallau | Hemishofen | Hemmental | Hofen | Lohn | Löhningen | Merishausen | Neuhausen am Rheinfall | Neunkirch | Oberhallau | Opfertshofen | Ramsen | Rüdlingen | Schaffhausen | Schleitheim | Siblingen | Stein am Rhein | Stetten | Thayngen | Trasadingen | Wilchingen Canton of Schaffhausen | Municipalities of the canton of Schaffhausen

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