Ostallgäu 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 257. It is located in southwestern Bavaria, comprising the city of Kaufbeuren, the Ostallgäu district, and southern parts of the Landkreis Augsburg district.
Ostallgäu was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2009, it has been represented by Stephan Stracke of the Christian Social Union (CSU).
Geography Ostallgäu is located in southwestern Bavaria. As of the 2025 federal election, it comprises the independent city of Kaufbeuren, the Ostallgäu district, and the municipality of Graben and Verwaltungsgemeinschaften of Großaitingen, Langerringen, and Lechfeld from the Landkreis Augsburg district.
History Ostallgäu was created in 1949, then known as Kaufbeuren. It acquired its current name in the 1976 election. In the 1949 election, it was Bavaria constituency 45 in the numbering system. In the 1953 through 1961 elections, it was number 240. In the 1965 through 1972 elections, it was number 242. In the 1976 through 1998 elections, it was number 243. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 258. Since the 2009 election, it has been number 257.
Originally, the constituency comprised the independent city of Kaufbeuren and the districts of Landkreis Kaufbeuren, Füssen, Marktoberdorf, and Schwabmünchen. In the 1965 through 1972 elections, it comprised the independent cities of Kaufbeuren and Memmingen and the districts of Landkreis Kaufbeuren, Landkreis Memmingen, Mindelheim, and Marktoberdorf. In the 1976 through 1990 elections, it comprised the cities of Kaufbeuren and Memmingen and the districts of Ostallgäu and Unterallgäu. In 1994, several municipalities of Untergallgäu were transferred out of the constituency. It was reconfigured to its current borders ahead of the 2025 election.
Election Name Borders 1949 Kaufbeuren Kaufbeuren city Landkreis Kaufbeuren district Füssen district Marktoberdorf district Schwabmünchen district 1953 240 1957 1961 1965 242 Kaufbeuren city Memmingen city Landkreis Kaufbeuren district Landkreis Memmingen district Mindelheim district Marktoberdorf district 1969 1972 1976 243 Ostallgäu Kaufbeuren city Memmingen city Ostallgäu district Unterallgäu district 1980 1983 1987 1990 1994 Kaufbeuren city Memmingen city Ostallgäu district Unterallgäu district (excluding Babenhausen, Boos, Erkheim, and Pfaffenhausen Verwaltungsgemeinschaften) 1998 2002 258 2005 2009 257 2013 2017 2021 2025 Kaufbeuren city Ostallgäu district Landkreis Augsburg district (only Graben municipality and Großaitingen, Langerringen, and Lechfeld Verwaltungsgemeinschaften)
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 from 1949 to 1965, followed by from 1965 to 1980. was representative from 1980 to 2009, a total of eight consecutive terms. Stephan Stracke was elected in 2009, and re-elected in 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025.
Election Member Party % 1949 CSU 31.3 1953 57.7 1957 62.6 1961 60.5 1965 CSU 64.0 1969 64.0 1972 65.7 1976 69.9 1980 CSU 68.6 1983 71.5 1987 66.8 1990 60.8 1994 60.2 1998 56.9 2002 64.9 2005 60.9 2009 Stephan Stracke CSU 51.1 2013 59.8 2017 49.2 2021 38.8 2025 45.5
Election results 2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
References