Sandhausen () is a municipality in the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of Heidelberg. Geography Location Sandhausen belongs to the Rhein-Neckar Metropolitan region. It is known for its sand dune. History The first recorded mention of Sandhausen (or "Santhusen") was in . Sandhausen is named after the ice-age sand dunes that border the municipality. As early as Roman times, a settlement called "Lochheim" existed in the area. It was part of Bishopric of Speyer till 1262, when Otto von Bruchsal gave it to Ludwig II, Electoral Palatin. It was part of Oberamt Heidelberg in 1351. It was sacked by Baden and Württemberg troops at Mainz Diocesan Feud in 1462. It was again sacked by Spanish troops at Thirty Years' War in 1622 and by French troops at Nine Years' War in 1688. French ones remained in Sandhausen till 1697. After dying Bavarian branch of House of Wittelsbach with death of Maximilian III, Elector of Bavaria, Charles Theodore, County Palatine of Rhine inherited Bavaria in 1777 and territories of House of Wittelsbach were united under Palatinate branch of her. Thus, Sandhausen became part of Bavaria. It was occupied by French troops in 1795 and was awarded to Grand Duchy of Baden after German mediatization in 1803. Politics Municipal Council Mayor The mayor of Sandhausen is Hakan Günes (CDU). Previous mayors were as follows: 1954–1981: Walter Reinhard 1981–2005: Erich Bertsch 2005–2021: Georg Kletti (CDU) Sister cities Lège-Cap-Ferret, France, since 1980 Economy and infrastructure Economy In the past, hops were grown in Sandhausen. The tobacco industry, which thrived in Sandhausen in the past, is now restricted to the rural parish of Bruchhausen. Transportation Schools Sandhausen has the following schools: Theodor Heuss primary school Friedrich-Ebert-Hauptschule with Werkrealschule Friedrich-Ebert-Gymnasium Pestalozzi-Förderschule Music school ("Südliche Bergstraße") Sport The football club SV Sandhausen plays in the Hardtwaldstadion on the outskirts of the town. The club counts as the smallest professional football club in Germany playing the second division of the German league since the 2012–13 season. Notable people Markus Friedrich Wendelin (born 1584 in Sandhausen), theologian and educator References External links Rhein-Neckar-Kreis