Soltau
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| Soltau | |
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  Soltau
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| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Lower Saxony |
| District | Soltau-Fallingbostel |
| Mayor | Wilhelm Ruhkopf (SPD) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 203.24 km2 (78.47 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 57 m (187 ft) |
| Population | 22,044 (30 June 2005) |
| - Density | 108 /km2 (281 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | SFA |
| Postal code | 29614 |
| Area code | 05191 |
| Website | www.soltau.de |
Soltau (German pronunciation: [ˈzɔltaʊ]) is a town in the Lüneburg Heath in district of Soltau-Fallingbostel, in Lower Saxony, Germany.
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[edit] History
The first written document mentioning Soltau dates from the year 937. In the year 1388 Soltau received city rights.
Until 1977 Soltau was the capital of the district Soltau, which was then merged with the district Fallingbostel to form the new district Soltau-Fallingbostel.
[edit] Coat of arms
The coat of arms of the city Soltau shows the lion of the Welfen dynasty behind a red city gate. The lion was present already in the oldest city seal from around the year 1400 as the city belonged to the Dukes of Lüneburg, of the Welfen dynasty. Later the lion was depicted lying on the city gate, since the 19th century it is depicted behind the gate.
[edit] Military Connections
Up until 1992 Soltau was the headquarters of the 7th Armoured Brigade. They were based at the former SS Riding School on the outskirts of town (Reitschule). This is now a business center, used for doctors' practices and social institutions. The erstwhile riding school also contains the "Alte Reithalle" (old indoor riding hall), which has been developing to the most significant indoor event location after its finished restoration in 2003. The base was the home for 207 Signal Squadron and 11 Ordnance company. It was the most northerly posting for any British serviceman in BAOR (British Army On the Rhine) in what was formerly known as West Germany. Armoured vehicles were regularly seen on the streets on their way to the military training area at Lüneburg. The squadron had three troops, two of which were armoured, using variants of the FV432 for telecommunication purposes. The soldiers were given the freedom of the town after returning from the first Gulf War in 1991. They marched through the town to mark the occasion.
[edit] Twin towns
- Coldwater, Michigan, USA (since 1971)
- Laon, France (since 1972)
- Myślibórz, Poland (since 1997)
[edit] External links
- Official homepage (German)
- Norddeutsches Spielzeugmuseum, Soltau (German)
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