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Schaffhausen

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Coordinates: 47°42′N 8°38′E

Schaffhausen
Image:Wappen Schaffhausen.png
Canton Schaffhausen
District n.a.
Coordinates  47°42′N 8°38′E
Population 33527   (March 2005)
Area 31.00 km²
Elevation 403 m
Postal code 8200

<tr><td>SFOS number</td><td>2939</td></tr><tr><td>Mayor</td><td>Marcel Wenger (FDP)</td></tr><tr><td>Website</td><td>www.stadt-schaffhausen.ch</td></tr><tr><td>Twin towns</td><td>Sindelfingen and Singen am Hohentwiel (Germany), Dobric (Bulgaria)</td></tr>

Schaffhausen (German: Schaffhausen , French: Schaffhouse, Italian: Sciaffusa) 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.

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. Schaffhausen is the capital of the Swiss Canton of Schaffhausen.

Contents

[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 had shot down an American bomber. There were frequent 'accidents' as the war came to a climax, both by bombing raids on towns in northern Switzerland and Allied planes shot down by the Swiss Air Force.

[edit] Industry

Schaffhausen harbours well known industrial companies (Georg Fischer) in micro-mechanics, one internationally reputed watches manufacturer (IWC), and pharmaceutical industry (Cilag, founded by Bernhard Joos).

[edit] Main sights

[edit] External links


als:Schaffhausen

ca:Schaffhausen de:Schaffhausen es:Schaffhausen eo:Ŝafhaŭzo fr:Schaffhouse (ville) it:Sciaffusa nl:Schaffhausen (stad) ja:シャフハウゼン no:Schaffhausen pl:Szafuza (miasto) pt:Sciaffusa ro:Schaffhausen sv:Schaffhausen vo:Schaffhausen

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