Oberallgäu is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 256. It is located in southwestern Bavaria, comprising the city of Kempten and the districts of Lindau and Oberallgäu.
Oberallgäu was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2021, it has been represented by Mechthilde Wittmann of the Christian Social Union (CSU).
Geography Oberallgäu is located in southwestern Bavaria. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the independent city of Kempten and the districts of Lindau and Oberallgäu.
History Oberallgäu was created in 1949, then known as Kempten. It acquired its current name in the 1976 election. In the 1949 election, it was Bavaria constituency 46 in the numbering system. In the 1953 through 1961 elections, it was number 241. In the 1965 through 1972 elections, it was number 243. In the 1976 through 1998 elections, it was number 242. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 257. Since the 2009 election, it has been number 256.
Originally, the constituency comprised the independent cities of Kempten and Lindau and the districts of Landkreis Kempten, Landkreis Lindau, and Sonthofen. In the 1965 through 1972 elections, it also contained the district of Füssen. It acquired its current borders in the 1976 election.
Election Name Borders 1949 Kempten Kempten city Lindau city Landkreis Kempten district Landkreis Lindau district Sonthofen district 1953 241 1957 1961 1965 243 Kempten city Lindau city Landkreis Kempten district Landkreis Lindau district Sonthofen district Füssen district 1969 1972 1976 242 Oberallgäu Kempten city Lindau district Oberallgäu district 1980 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 257 2005 2009 256 2013 2017 2021 2025
Members Like most constituencies in rural Bavaria, it is an CSU safe seat, the party holding the seat continuously since its creation. It was first represented by Karl von Spreti from 1949 to 1957, followed by from 1957 to 1969 and from 1969 to 1972. Ignaz Kiechle was representative from 1972 to 1994. Gerd Müller was elected in 1994 and served until 2021. He was succeeded by Mechthilde Wittmann in 2021, who was re-elected in 2025.
Election Member Party % 1949 Karl von Spreti CSU 43.5 1953 61.7 1957 CSU 64.3 1961 56.1 1965 59.1 1969 CSU 58.2 1972 Ignaz Kiechle CSU 58.6 1976 62.5 1980 60.9 1983 65.4 1987 62.9 1990 58.1 1994 Gerd Müller CSU 57.7 1998 56.4 2002 64.8 2005 61.5 2009 53.0 2013 60.7 2017 50.4 2021 Mechthilde Wittmann CSU 29.7 2025 36.8
Election results 2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
References