Jungholz: The Austrian Town That Voted 100% to Become Germany (And Was Rejected)
There is a town in Austria you cannot drive to without leaving Austria.
No, that's not a riddle. That's Jungholz.
Home to just 300 people, this tiny Tyrolean village is one of the strangest border anomalies on Earth. It has only one road in — and that road is German. It once had two zip codes and two phone area codes at the same time. And a century ago, its entire population voted unanimously to quit Austria and join Germany.
The world told them no.
If you love geographic oddities like Point Roberts, Washington or Baarle-Nassau, Jungholz is the ultimate example — a pene-enclave, or functional enclave, that shouldn't exist but does.
What Exactly Is Jungholz?
Jungholz isn't a true enclave. It's a pene-enclave.
A true enclave is completely surrounded by another country. Jungholz is connected to the rest of Austria by a single point — the summit of the 1,636-meter Sorgschrofen mountain. Because that connection is uninhabitable and has no road, you are forced to cross into Germany to get to the rest of Austria. Functionally, it's an island.
The 1342 Mistake That Doomed a Village for 700 Years
The story starts in 1342. A local farmer named Hermann Häsel sold his mountain pasture to a wealthy merchant from nearby Kempten, which is now in Germany.
The land changed hands, but politically it remained tied to Tyrol (Austria). For centuries that didn't matter. Then modern borders, customs offices, and nation-states were invented, and that medieval land sale became a modern-day logistical nightmare.
You Must Enter Germany to Stay in Austria
Jungholz is about 7 square kilometers. There is exactly one road leading in and out: it starts in Germany, runs through German territory, and ends in Jungholz.
There is no direct Austrian road. To drive from Jungholz to the next Austrian town, you must cross the border into Germany, drive through Germany, and then re-enter Austria.
Before the Schengen Agreement, this meant constant passport checks just to go to school or buy groceries.
1924: The Vote Where 100% of People Tried to Rage Quit Their Country
After World War I, Austria was broke, starving, and isolated. Hyperinflation wiped out savings. Jungholz was cut off from any Austrian aid because all supplies had to come through Germany.
On the other side, the German side, the economy was more stable and the town already used German currency, German post, and German infrastructure.
So in 1924, the village held a referendum: Should Jungholz leave Austria and join Germany?
The result was unanimous: 100% voted to join Germany.
It was a logical cry for help. Austria was taxing them but couldn't provide roads, schools, or food.
The twist? Germany said no.
Accepting Jungholz would have meant renegotiating the entire post-WWI Treaty of Saint-Germain and the border treaties with Austria. For 300 farmers and a few cows, Germany decided free land in the Alps wasn't worth an international crisis. Austria, for its part, also refused to let them go.
The vote was declared invalid, and Jungholz remained Austrian against its will.
The Ultimate Life Hack: How to Have Two Zip Codes
Because of its impossible location, Jungholz got a special deal that lasted for 70 years.
From 1928 to 1998, it was legally part of BOTH the German and Austrian customs and postal systems.
It had two zip codes:
• D-87491 Jungholz (German) • A-6691 Jungholz (Austrian)
It had two dialing codes:
You could call someone in Jungholz using either a German or Austrian area code.
Residents could choose whether to pay German or Austrian postage rates. Children could attend school in either country. It was the only place where you could be technically in Austria but live a completely German daily life.
Even after Austria joined the EU and Schengen abolished customs checks in 1997, the legacy remains. Today, the buses that serve Jungholz are German, most workers commute to Germany, and the economy is tied to the German Allgäu region.
The Bizarre Police Treaty That Still Exists
This is where it gets truly weird.
Under a 1968 police and customs treaty, German police are allowed to enter Jungholz to assist, but they cannot make formal arrests under German law because they are on Austrian soil. Austrian police, on the other hand, have the right to pursue suspects into Jungholz, but to get there they must drive through Germany — and they are not allowed to stop or make arrests while in transit through German territory.
In practice, both forces cooperate seamlessly, but legally it's a jurisdictional puzzle that lawyers still study.
What It's Like to Visit Jungholz Today
Visiting is surreal. You drive out of Germany, see a sign that says "Bundesrepublik Deutschland Ende," and a few meters later you see "Republik Österreich." No border guards. Just cows, Alpine chalets, and an Austrian flag that feels out of place.
Don't expect a bustling city. Expect ski lifts, hiking trails to the Sorgschrofen summit where you can stand in Austria and Germany at the same time, and the quietest identity crisis in Europe.
Jungholz is proof that borders are not always logical lines drawn on a map. Sometimes they are 700-year-old mistakes that people just learned to live with.
So, what do you think?
If your country gave you no roads, no schools, but still taxed you, would you stay loyal? Or would you vote to join the neighbor who actually helps?
Would you be Team Austria or Team Germany? Let me know in the comments.