// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Freilassing say to its neighbor? "Let's border on friendship

Freilassing
Freilassing
Town
	View of Freilassing
	Coat of arms
	Location of Freilassing within Berchtesgadener Land district
	Location of Freilassing
	Freilassing Freilassing
	Coordinates: 47°50′N 12°58′E / 47.833°N 12.967°E
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Admin. region	Oberbayern
District	Berchtesgadener Land
Government
• Mayor (2020–26)	Markus Hiebl
Area
• Total	14.81 km2 (5.72 sq mi)
Elevation	423 m (1,388 ft)
Population (2024-12-31)
• Total	17,619
• Density	1,190/km2 (3,081/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	83395
Dialling codes	08654
Vehicle registration	BGL
Website	www.freilassing.de

Freilassing (German pronunciation: [fʁaɪˈlasɪŋ] ^ⓘ), until 1923 Salzburghofen is a town of some 16,000 inhabitants in the southeastern corner of Bavaria, Germany. It belongs to the "Regierungsbezirk" Oberbayern and the "Landkreis" (County) of Berchtesgadener Land. Located very close to the German-Austrian border, Freilassing can be seen as the biggest satellite of Salzburg, the centre of which is eight kilometres (five miles) away, on the other side of the border.

History

As proved by excavations, the area was already settled in the Neolithic times. Celts and later Romans established permanent settlements. First mentioned in 885 in a Carolingian document, the peasant village named Salzburghofen was given to the archbishop of Salzburg by King Louis IV in 908. After the Napoleonic Wars in 1816, the border between Bavaria and Austria was drawn along the rivers Saalach and Salzach, and Salzburghofen became part of Bavaria. The railway line connecting Munich and Salzburg (and further on to Vienna) changed the appearance of the village significantly. First, the railway company paid good prices for the land of the farmers. Second, many jobs were created, more than 1,000 in the 1970s.

In 1923, the name of the village was changed to Freilassing. Since the railway was of strategic interest and was also used by top Nazis on their way to Berchtesgaden during the war, Freilassing became a target for the Allied forces. In addition, a depot of the Wehrmacht (the German army) was situated close to the station. On April 25, 1945, only a few days before the end of World War II, British and American bombers destroyed Freilassing almost completely.

Due to the expulsion of many Germans from the eastern territories, the population of Freilassing grew and reached 7,700 in 1952. Thus, Freilassing became "Stadt" (city) in 1954. Since then, the population has doubled.

Geography

Freilassing is located in the valley of the rivers Salzach and Saalach, which merge close to the northern part of the town. To the south and the east, the Alps rise to altitudes of more than 2,000 m. To the north and west, rolling hills dominate the landscape.

Economy

Cattle farming and timber industry were major economic branches before the railroad era. The railway has dominated the economy for a long time since the construction of the Munich–Salzburg line in 1860. Beginning in the mid-1970s, the DB (German railways) gradually centralised their organisation. Hence, the importance of the railway as an employer diminished. Several small and midsize companies, especially in mechanical engineering, provide jobs.