Wolfratshausen is a town of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, located in Bavaria, Germany. The town had a population of 17,048 as of 31 December 2002.
History
The first mention of "Wolveradeshusun" appears in documents from the year 1003. About 100 years later, Otto II, the Graf of Deißen-Andechs, built a castle on a hill overlooking the valley. The castle was destroyed on 7 April 1734 when lightning struck the tower storing black powder. Stones from the ruins were transported to Munich where they were used to build the Residenz.
From 1280 the town was designated a market town. In the 15th century, people were using the Loisach and Isar rivers for water transport, especially logging. Even today, you can ride a raft from Wolfratshausen into Munich.
In modern times, Wolfratshausen was formerly the seat of the district government, but this moved to Bad Tölz in 1972.
Geography
Wolfratshausen sits at the confluence of the Isar and Loisach rivers, at 47°55′N 11°25′E / 47.917°N 11.417°E. A canal joins the two rivers to facilitate barge traffic to the upper Loisach. The town covers 9.13 square kilometres and is 577 meters above sea level.