Solnhofen | |
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 View on Solnhofen | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Solnhofen within Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district  | |
 Location of Solnhofen | |
  Solnhofen  Solnhofen | |
| Coordinates:48°53′N11°0′E / 48.883°N 11.000°E /48.883; 11.000 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Bavaria |
| Admin. region | Mittelfranken |
| District | Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen |
| Subdivisions | 3 Gemeindeteile |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–26) | Tobias Eberle[1] (SPD) |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.50 km2 (5.21 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 410 m (1,350 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 1,741 |
| • Density | 129.0/km2 (334.0/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 91807 |
| Dialling codes | 09145 |
| Vehicle registration | WUG |
| Website | www.solnhofen.de |
Solnhofen is amunicipality in the district ofWeißenburg-Gunzenhausen in the region ofMiddle Franconia in theLand ofBavaria inGermany. It is in theAltmühl valley.
The local area is famous ingeology andpalaeontology forSolnhofen limestone. This is a very fine-grainedlimestone from theJurassic periodLagerstätte that preserves detailed fossil specimens.Alois Senefelder used specially prepared blocks of the fine Solnhofen limestone for the process oflithography which he invented in 1798. The quarrying of thislithographic limestone subsequently yielded spectacular finds, includingArchaeopteryx, commemorated in the bird's full nameArchaeopteryx lithographica. All 14 known specimens have come from the Solnhofen area.
Solnhofen is located on theAltmühl inBavaria. It contains two districts: Hochholz and Eßlingen. It is adjacent to the municipalitiesPappenheim,Langenaltheim, andMörnsheim.
Solnhofen was known as "Husen" in the eighth century. In 750/51Saint Solus created a church there. His grave church (Sola-Basilika) was later built on the site.[3] In honor of him Husen was renamed "Solnhofen". In 1420 Solnhofen was burnt down during theBavarian War. It also suffered through theThirty Years' War. From 1649 to the 18th century there was a glass industry in Solnhofen. In 1785 the St Veit church was erected partly on the ruins of the old grave church. In 1870 the train station was opened. From 1903 to 1905 the Catholic St Sola church was built. In 1970 theBürgermeister-Müller-Museum was opened.
The Sola Basilica dating from theCarolingian period is one of the finest architectural monuments in Germany. It is the grave church ofSaint Solus. Close to it is the St Veit church that was built in 1785.
As well as celebrating its role as the "hometown" ofArchaeopteryx, Solnhofen also commemorates the work ofAlois Senefelder with a statue of the inventor byHippolyte Maindron [fr]
TheBürgermeister Müller Museum in Solnhofen displays the history of lithography, the story of the limestone quarries, and the spectacular fossil finds from the area, including the most recently discoveredArchaeopteryx specimen.
The Catholic St Sola church, built in early Gothic style of Jurassic limestones, was opened in 1905.
Towns and municipalities inWeißenburg-Gunzenhausen | ||
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