Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and lar ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. It is located in the region of

Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper ...

and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).

" target="_blank" class="mw-redirect" title="City of Meiningen, citizen service">City of Meiningen, citizen service
Jahresrückblick 2021 (year review), PDF (4,4 MB). Meiningen is the capital and the largest town of the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district. From 1680 to 1920, Meiningen was the capital of the Duchy (and briefly of the Free State) of Saxe-Meiningen. Meiningen is considered the cultural, judicial and financial centre of southern Thuringia and thus hosts the state theatre, justice center, state archives, bank buildings and many museums. It is economically reliant on mechanical engineering,

high-tech High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...

industry and tourism. The dialect and language of the inhabitants is East Franconian.

History

Through the Middle Ages

Meiningen originated during the formation of the

Frankish Empire Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...

in the 6th or 7th century, which established trade routes, river crossings and boundary markers. An intersection of two trade routes and a ford was located at the present-day southern end of the old town near the Werra river. Meiningen-1676

Meiningen was first mentioned in 982Travel Guide Beadeker, german, 2009. (extract certificate: "…in villis Meininga in Meiningermarca…"). The village was first a crown land in the Duchy of Franconia and later a possession of the king. Around the year 1000, construction of the ''Stadtkirche'' (town church) began. It was several times expanded and rebuilt over the centuries. German Emperor Henry II donated Meiningen in 1008 to the Roman Catholic

Diocese of Würzburg In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, and for 534 years it remained part of Würzburg. To protect their property, the Bishops of Würzburg built a moated castle (today ''Schloss Elisabethenburg'' palace) in the 11th century. In 1153, the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

raged in Meiningen, which was also granted judicial rights (the first town-charter type of rights) that year by the rulers. In 1222, Würzburg and the

House of Henneberg The House of Henneberg was a medieval German comital family (''Grafen'') which from the 11th century onwards held large territories in the Duchy of Franconia. Their county was raised to a princely county (''Gefürstete Grafschaft'') in 1310. Up ...

fought for possession of Meiningen, while the town suffered extensive damage. Meiningen was first mentioned in 1230 as a ''Stadt'' (town) and was granted wide-ranging autonomy in 1344. During this time the citizens built a powerful fortification with a double wall and three moats. From 1239 to 1242 the Friars Minor of the

Franciscan Order The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

built a monastery between the castle and the Lower Gate. In 1380, a fire destroyed around a quarter of the town, including the archives of the town council. The town joined together with ten other towns of the Bishopric of Würzburg and participated in 1396-1399 in the "Franconian town war" against the diocese. Würzburg troops besieged Meiningen, until it capitulated in 1399. In an uprising on 10 August 1432, the citizens destroyed the castle (''Würzburger Burg'' or ''Burg Meiningen''). In the years 1443-1455, the town church was enlarged in the

Gothic style Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

Early modern period

Meiningen had about 2,000 inhabitants in 1450. At the end of the 15th century two devastating fires destroyed almost the whole town. 26 people were killed. The town church was spared from the fire. Bishop Lorenz von Bibra built a new castle from 1509 to 1511. In the town textiles, metal working and trade became more important. In 1542, Meiningen came to the Henneberg family in exchange for the administrative district (''

Amt Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...

'') of Mainberg from the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Conrad von Bibra. In 1583, with the extinction of the Henneberg family, the town went to the Wettin family. The Wettin family established its seat of transitional government for the County of Henneberg in Meiningen until 1660. The town experienced a great economic boom driven by the

fustian Fustian is a variety of heavy cloth woven from cotton, chiefly prepared for menswear. It is also used figuratively to refer to pompous, inflated or pretentious writing or speech, from at least the time of Shakespeare. This literary use is b ...

- and

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

weaving, dyeing and fabric trades, which lasted until the beginning of the 17th century, resulting in faster population increase to about 5,000. For example, in 1614 234 master craftsmen produced 37,312 pieces of cloth that were traded throughout Europe. This period was ended abruptly by the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...

in 1634, when

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

n troops plundered the town. In 1641, Swedish troops besieged the town. Meiningen lost thousands of inhabitants to death or expulsion.

Residence of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen

Between 1680 and 1918, Meiningen was the capital of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. In 1682-92, the ducal palace ''Schloss Elisabethenburg'' was built and by 1690 the Court Orchestra had been created. From 1782, the ''Englischer Garten'', an

English landscape garden The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (french: Jardin à l'anglaise, it, Giardino all'inglese, german: Englischer Landschaftsgarten, pt, Jardim inglês, es, Jardín inglés), is a sty ...

was created in the town center. In 1813, a Russian army of 70,000 soldiers and 2,300 officers under Grand Duke Alexander in his campaign against

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

camped in and around Meiningen. The Tsar had his quarters in the inn ''Zum Braune Hirsch'', which also served for the entrained

Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...

as headquarters. In 1782, Friedrich Schiller had been a guest at the inn. Markt2011a

One of the princesses of Saxe-Meiningen, Adelheid Louise Theresa Caroline Amelia von Sachsen-Meiningen, became the wife of the future King William IV of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

in 1818. The Australian city of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

is named for her.

Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (2 April 1826 – 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914. For his support for his successful court theatre he was also known as the ''Theaterherzog'' (theatre duk ...

, who became a great patron of the theatrical art, was born in 1826. The first Meiningen Court Theatre opened in 1831. The fairy tale collector and writer Ludwig Bechstein was an archivist in Meiningen. In 1858, the town was connected by the Werra Railway to the German railway network. In September 1874, a major fire destroyed a third of the town. The reconstruction took place in Neoclassical style with the financial help of many German and Austrian cities. In the same year, the Schweinfurt–Meiningen railway opened. A new town hall was built in 1878. By end of the 19th century and by the beginning of the 20th century, the existence of several large banks made Meiningen an important financial centre in Germany. During these decades, the town stretched out far beyond its ancient limits. New residential areas were built, and the population grew rapidly. Many lavish buildings were built at that time. 1889, the town church was enlarged in the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style. A large fire destroyed the ''Hoftheater'' (court theatre) in 1908, it was rebuilt in Neoclassical style and reopened in December 1909. In 1914, the

Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works The Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works (german: Dampflokwerk Meiningen) is a railway repair shop in Meiningen, Germany. It is owned by Deutsche Bahn and has specialised in the maintenance of museum steam locomotives since 1990, having extensive expe ...

was built.

After 1918

The Duchy was abolished at the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

in 1918. Meiningen then became the capital of the successor state ''Freistaat Saxony-Meiningen''. From 1920, it was a district town in the newly created state of

. was founded in 1923. In 1927, ', an airfield, was opened. In October 1931, airship

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin LZ 127 ''Graf Zeppelin'' () was a German passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled rigid airship that flew from 1928 to 1937. It offered the first commercial transatlantic passenger flight service. Named after the German airship pioneer Ferdin ...

landed there before 100,000 spectators, followed by the airship

LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II The ''Graf Zeppelin'' (; Registration: D-LZ 130) was the last of the German rigid airships built by Zeppelin Luftschiffbau during the period between the World Wars, the second and final ship of the ''Hindenburg'' class, and the second zeppel ...

on 9 July 1939. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Meiningen was the location of a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

hospital, and several German military hospitals. The Deutsche Dienststelle was based in the ''Drachenbergkaserne'' barracks from 1943 to 1945. A heavy air raid on Meiningen on 23 February 1945, by the USAAF caused 208 deaths, destroyed 251 houses and two bridges in total, and damaged 440 buildings. Meiningen was occupied by American armed forces on 5 April 1945. Justizzentrum-Meiningen5

In July 1945, the town was included in the Soviet occupation zone along with the rest of Thuringia, and thus later became part of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

(DDR). To accommodate workers for a microelectronics plant, the ''Robotron Meiningen'', the new district of Jerusalem (Meiningen) was created from 1967 to 1983 in the north between Helba and Welkershausen, eventually housing around 6,000 inhabitants. Meiningen was an important center of '' Die Wende'' in southern Thuringia in 1989. Among the many events were a total of 25 demonstrations with 1,000-25,000 participants. After German reunification in 1990, Meiningen became the district town of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. In the ''Dreißigacker'' district, new businesses and the new Meiningen Hospital were constructed. In the 1990s, there was a new construction boom in the town, with many houses being renovated and embellished. In July 1994, Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl visited the town, Angela Merkel did so in April 2012. The new ''Justizzentrum'' (court house) was built in 2000. In 2003, the town was connected to the '' Bundesautobahn 71''. With the opening of the new ''Kammerspiele'' in June 2008, the town created another theater venue, underlining its national significance as a cultural town. In 2013, the new industrial area ''Rohrer Berg'' near the motorway junction Meiningen-North was created.

Geography and climate

The town is situated in the valley of the Werra river between the Thuringian Forest and the

Rhön Mountains The Rhön Mountains () are a group of low mountains (or '' Mittelgebirge'') in central Germany, located around the border area where the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia come together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end ...

. Meiningen lies east of Fulda, south of

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits in ...

and north of

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg ...

, across the former frontier between West and

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In t ...

Subdivisions

Meiningen has three subdivisions. The urban districts are town center, North, East, South, Jerusalem (Meiningen), the rural communities are Helba (amalgamated in 1923) and Welkershausen (1936), as Dreißigacker (1990) and Herpf (2010). The former municipalities Henneberg, Wallbach and Walldorf were merged into Meiningen in January 2019, and Stepfershausen in December 2019. Meiningen abuts the following municipalities: Wasungen, Utendorf,

Kühndorf Kühndorf is a municipality in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size ...

Rohr, Thuringia Rohr is a municipality in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district in Thuringia. History Rohr was first mentioned in 815. A Benedictine monastery was established in the 9th century and a Carolingian church, St. Michaels, was built. The monastery las ...

, Ellingshausen,

Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal is a municipality in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. History Since 1498, it has been a place of pilgrimage. An early picture of Mary was said to have been miraculous. 1498 a chapel was inaugur ...

, Untermaßfeld, Sülzfeld, Grabfeld, Mellrichstadt (Bavaria), Rhönblick, Rippershausen and Mehmels.

Climate

The relation to the surrounding mountain ranges of the Rhön mountains and the Thuringian Highland deep and sheltered Werra valley and the dense town buildings provide a regional level, for a mild climate in Meiningen. The following values are averages from 1990 until 2012. The average annual temperature is . Temperature extremes since 1960 at Meiningen have ranged from on August 7, 2015, down to on February 12, 2012. The rainfall is 656 millimeters and the sun shines 1,559 hours per year.

Demographics

The town has about 25,000 (2021) inhabitants. Together with neighbouring Untermaßfeld,

, Einhausen, Sülzfeld, Rippershausen, Ritschenhausen, Mellrichstadt, Wasungen and Utendorf, Meiningen forms a small conurbation with a population of about 70,000.

Economy

Agriculture, industry and services

Meiningen offers over 14,500 jobs in around 3,200 small and medium-sized companies, medical facilities, cultural institutions and administrations. The largest employer is the hospital ''Klinikum Meiningen'' with nearly 1,000 employees.Federal agency for work (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), Local labor market - municipal associations and municipalities (annual figures), 30 June 2020. Meiningen is a center of electrical engineering and high-tech manufacturing. Numerous companies in that industry (founded here or that have settled here) form a

business cluster A business cluster is a geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field. Clusters are considered to increase the productivity with which companies can compete, nationally and glo ...

. This includes the global high-tech enterprise ADVA Optical Networking (ADVA AG).

is the only plant in Western and Central Europe where steam locomotives can be completely repaired and maintained. it also builds new locomotives and repairs historic passenger coaches, diesel locomotives and other railway vehicles. Other companies provide hardware for doors and windows, tools, ovens, electric goods and radiators. In the food industry, there are a wholesale bakery and a meat plant. Outside of manufacturing, the local savings bank (''Sparkasse''), municipal services, the theater and museums, the railway company ''Südthüringenbahn'' and health facilities are important in the local economy. Agriculture plays a minor role in Meiningen as the soil is not very fertile. However, the rural districts Herpf and Dreißigacker account for most of the agricultural area (17.6% of the total municipal territory).

Arts and culture

Theatre

The ''Staatstheater Meiningen'' offers musical theatre (opera, operetta, musicals), plays, symphony concerts, puppet shows, ballet and youth theatre. The '' Meiningen Hoftheater'' opened on 17 December 1831. It was destroyed in a fire in 1908 and was replaced in 1909 by the current building. The company was called the '' Meininger''. It featured plays and gave concerts, and travelled throughout Germany and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Active support by the ''Theaterherzog''

(1866–1914) helped it to attain international celebrity. Today the theatre is known as "Staatstheater Meiningen" (State Theatre Meiningen). It employs more than 320 people. The Director is Jens Neundorff von Enzberg.

''Meininger Hofkapelle''

The Meiningen Court Orchestra is one of the oldest orchestras in Europe. The now 68-member orchestra is part of the Meininger Theatre and performs, in addition to opera accompaniment, regular symphony concerts and youth concerts. Philippe Bach was the music director from 2010 to 2022. His successor will be Killian Farrell (Ireland) from 2023. The court orchestra was founded in 1690 by Duke Bernhard I. In October 1880 the most successful period of the orchestra began and it developed into an elite European orchestra under the direction of Hans von Bülow. During the von Bülow period,

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

came to Meiningen to collaborate with the court orchestra and to conduct occasionally. Other notable conductors included

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

from 1885 to 1886,

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Leipzig University Church, as a professor a ...

from 1911 to 1914, and

Kirill Petrenko Kirill Garrievich Petrenko (russian: Кирилл Гарриевич Петренко, Latin script: ; born 11 February 1972) is a Russian-Austrian conductor. He is chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. Early life Petrenko was born in Omsk ...

from 1999 to 2002.

''Kunsthaus''

The ''Kunsthaus Meiningen'' (art house) is a cultural institution in the historic half-timbered house ''Alte Posthalterei'' ("Old Post Office"). It presents exhibitions of contemporary art and offers workshops and job opportunities for local and foreign artists.

Museums

* ''Meininger Museen'' ("Meiningen Museums") comprise six cultural and historical museums which house the largest art collection in Thuringia. The main museum is in '' Schloss Elisabethenburg'' (Elisabethenburg Palace), the former residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen. * ''Museum of Literature'' "Baumbachhaus" is mainly an exhibition on the life and work of local poet Rudolf Baumbach. Furthermore, there are exhibits on the interaction of Friedrich Schiller, Jean Paul and Ludwig Bechstein during their time in Meiningen. There is also a department of urban and local history. * The newest art museum, opened in 1999, is the ''Theater Museum'' "Magic World of Scenery" in the former riding school near the palace. It offers an annually changing exhibit of historically important theatre stage backdrops and historical information on the European tours of the Meiningen Court Theatre. * The ''Meininger Zweiradmuseum'' (MZM) shows all types of two-wheel vehicles produced in the GDR and a variety of police vehicles. This is run by a private club whose members acquire the models and restore them to their original condition. *

from 2023 hosts an interactive museum. Here, visitors can learn all about

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the loco ...

s. The focus of the exhibit is a locomotive that can be accessed on multiple levels. File:Schloss26.jpg, Meiningen Museums, main museum File:Grüne Bibliothek Schloss Elisabethenburg Green library Meiningen.jpg, Meiningen Museums, Green library File:Meiningen-Theatermuseum1.jpg, Theatre Museum File:Meiningen Theatermuseum Wintermärchen 01.jpg, Exposition ''A Winter's Tale'' by William Shakespeare File:Baumbachhaus.jpg, Literary museum ''Baumbachhaus'' File:DampflokwerkMgn.jpg, Steam Locomotive Works, museum in the green house

Landmarks

Townscape

Meiningen has an urban townscape typical of a residence town. The town has a historic downtown, neoclassicist streets and extensive parks in the town center. Around the center there are residential areas. The historic old town is still surrounded by parts of the town wall with

moats A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...

. It originated mainly in the 12th and 13th centuries. Several times in the town's past, large-scale fires or wars destroyed many buildings. A great fire destroyed nearly half the town's old quarter in September 1874. This part was rebuilt in the Neoclassical style with ornate buildings and straight streets. This style also characterizes the main shopping street, Georgstraße. In other parts of the old town half-timbered houses from the 16th to 17th century and large mansions from the 18th to the 19th century still predominate. Since 1990, some modern new buildings were added. The center is dominated by the ''Stadtkirche'' (town church). In the western part, the townscape has formed around ''Schloss Elisabethenburg''. The old town is surrounded by residential and business districts with neoclassical villas and palaces that were built in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the theater and several large bank buildings. North of the old town is the English Garden. In the north and south of the town are the industrial areas and shopping centers. While the town center and densely built-up residential areas are in the valley, many residential areas are situated on the hill slopes. File:Georgstr.02W.jpg, Shopping street Georgstraße File:Meiningen-Banken03.jpg, Bank buildings File:Englischer-Garten Meiningen.JPG, The English Garden in the town center File:Meiningen Stadtkirche 2012a.jpg, ''Stadtkirche'' with half-timbered house File:Meiningen-Zentrum01.jpg, View of the town File:Meiningen-Jerusalem.jpg, Meiningen-Jerusalem

Castles and palaces

* '' Schloss Elisabethenburg'' palace, built 1682-1692, a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

castle with three wings and ''Hofkapelle''(castle chapel) and a rotunda. This is the former seat of the Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen. Today the palace houses museums, the town hall, the concert hall ''Johannes Brahms'', wedding room, the restaurant ''Schloßstuben'', a tower cafe, the town archives and the state archives. * ', built 1840 for Duke Bernhard II, inspired by visits to his sister

Adelheid Adelheid is the modern Dutch and German form of the Old High German female given name Adalheidis, meaning "nobility" or "noble-ness". It may refer to the following people: * Saint Adelheid or Adelaide of Italy, (931–999), Holy Roman Empress an ...

, queen consort of the United Kingdom. Built under the direction of architect August Wilhelm Döbner in

Gothic revival style Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

. * ''Kleines Palais'' (Little Palace), built in 1821. The Little Palace (also known as Princess Palace) is a Neoclassical palace of the Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen. Duke Bernhard II had it built by the architect Johann Andreas Schaubach as his summer palace. * ''Großes Palais'' (Great Palace), built 1823. The palace was built in Neoclassical style by architect Johann Andreas Schaubach as widow seat for the Duchess Luise Eleonore. In 1863, it was renovated and expanded in the

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...

style under the direction of architect Otto Hoppe. * Strupp Villa, mansion in the Neoclassical style, built for the banker Gustav Strupp in 1909 to a design by architect Karl Behlert. File:Meiningen Elisabethenburg 2012 1.jpg, ''Schloss Elisabethenburg'' (castle) File:SchlossElisabethenburg-Brunnen.jpg, ''Schloss Elisabethenburg'', courtyard with fountain File:Meiningen Hessensaal 01.jpg, ''Schloss Elisabethenburg'', baroque

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...

hall File:Meiningen, Schloss Landsberg.JPG, ''Schloss Landsberg'' File:Meiningen Großes Palais 2012.jpg, ''Großes Palais'' File:KleinesPalais2.jpg, ''Kleines Palais''

Churches

* Protestant parish church of Our Lady (''Stadtkirche'', town church), with foundations from the year 1000. The church received its present (Gothic revival) form after conversion in between 1884 and 1889. * Catholic Church Our Lady, built in 1972. * Castle Church, baroque style, located in the south wing of ''Schloss Elisabethenburg'', today a concert hall. * Crypt Chapel in Gothic revival style in the English Garden, built in 1839-41 as a burial place for the ducal family.

Fountains and monuments

* Bechstein Fountain, also called ''Märchenbrunnen'' (fairy tale fountain). The poet and collector of fairy tales lived in Meiningen. In his honour, the fountain by Robert Diez was erected in the English Garden in 1909. * ''Heinrichsbrunnen'' (

Emperor Henry II Henry II (german: Heinrich II; it, Enrico II; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry the Exuberant, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor ("Romanorum Imperator") from 1014. He died without an heir in 1024, and was the last ruler ...

Fountain), considered to be the founder of the local church. Built in 1872, the fountain is located in the marketplace. * Fountain Chapel, very old fountain in the small square At The Chapel. * Monument to

. The monument from 1898/99 is the work of sculptor Adolf von Hildebrand (1847-1921) from Munich. It was the first monument honouring Brahms in Germany. * Monument to Jean Paul, located in English Garden, built in 1858. * Monument to

, it has been standing in the English Garden since 1935. File:Heinrichsbrunnen1.jpg, Emperor Henry II fountain File:Bechsteinbrunnen2W.jpg, Bechstein fountain File:Brahms5.JPG, Monument to Johannes Brahms File:Engl.Garten-Meiningen4.jpg, Monument to Jean Paul File:Wende-Stele1.jpg, Die Wende 1989 in Meiningen

Other landmarks

* ''Goetz-Höhle'', guided cave tours. Largest accessible gap cave in Europe with 50-metre high clefts. The cave was discovered in 1915 by Reinhold Goetz in his mountain garden and has been open to the public since 1934. * The English Garden is located in the town center and was created in 1782. The park was several times altered and enlarged in the 19th century. * Districts in the Neoclassical style. A large part of the old town was rebuilt after a fire with stately buildings in the style of the period ('' Gründerzeit''). * Some half-timbered houses (examples: Büchnersches Hinterhaus, Henneberg Haus, Hartung Haus, Rassmann Haus) File:Fachwerkhaus-meiningen002b.jpg, ''Büchnersches Hinterhaus'' File:Henneberger-2011W.jpg, ''Henneberger Haus'' File:Engl.GartenMeiningen.JPG, Artificial ruins at the English Garden (from 1793/94) File:Post 06W.jpg, post office File:Klinikum30a.jpg, hospital

Government

Meiningen is the

district town Town of district significance is an administrative division of a district in a federal subject of Russia. It is equal in status to a selsoviet or an urban-type settlement of district significance, but is organized around a town (as opposed to a ...

of the ''Kreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen''. The town functions as a major center of southern Thuringia in a number of ways (justice ( Amtsgericht Meiningen), theater, state archives, hospitals).

Mayor and town council

The current mayor Fabian Giesder, SPD has been in office since 2012. His predecessor was Reinhard Kupitz, Freie Wähler (in office 1992–2012).

Election results

The last municipal election was held in 2014 with the result: * The holders of one seat from Pro Meiningen and the one from Dreißigacker switched in June 2014 to SPD. / ** until 15 February 2015 (resigned).

Town twinning

Meiningen is twinned with: * Neu-Ulm Wappen von Neu-Ulm

, Germany, since 1988 * Bussy-Saint-Georges,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, since 2006 * Obertshausen Wappen Obertshausen

, Germany, since 2007 * Meiningen (Vorarlberg) Wappen at meiningen

, Austria, since 2012 Friendly relations also exist with the city of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

because it was named for Queen Adelaide (Queen of the United Kingdom), born and raised in Meiningen as Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.

Infrastructure

Transport

;Road Meiningen is located at the Bundesautobahn 71 ( Sangerhausen–

– Schweinfurt) with two motorway junction. Furthermore, there are two ''Bundesstrassen'' (federal roads): to Eisenach and

( B 19) and to Sonneberg and Kronach ( B 89) as well as some regional roads to Fulda in

, Suhl in Thuringia and Mellrichstadt in

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

. A bypass road around Meiningen was built in the 2000s in the east; its northeastern extension is in planning. ;Railway Meiningen has been a railway node since the late 19th century. The Werra Railway was opened in 1858, the Schweinfurt–Meiningen railway in 1874 and the Neudietendorf–Ritschenhausen railway from Erfurt in 1884. Meiningen station was built in 1858. The Bavarian station was added as the second train station in 1874. There are direct train services to Erfurt, Eisenach, Sonneberg and Schweinfurt. ;Bus Urban transport is operated by bus routes. There are 13 lines with about 100 stops, serving all parts of the town. ;Bike There are several long-distance cycling trails, the first ''Werratal-Radweg'' along the Werra valley from the Thuringian Forest to the river

Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...

, the second ''Main-Werra-Radweg'' from Meiningen to Würzburg on the Main river. A third trail goes from Meiningen to

Haßfurt Haßfurt (; English: Hassfurt) is a town in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the Haßberge district. It is situated on the river Main, 20 km east of Schweinfurt and 30 km northwest of Bamberg. In 1852, Ludwig's Western Railway reached the ...

in Bavaria.

Education

After reunification, the educational system was reformed. In 1994, the Thuringian Police academy Meiningen was established and in 1998 a Police

Hochschule ' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right t ...

(

tertiary education Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

/ German name: Fachhochschule Polizei) was added. The campus accommodates about 500 police officers in training. In addition, there are two

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, ...

s and a technical school for

Emergency medical technician An emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as an ambulance technician, is a health professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances. In English-speaking countries, paramedics are ...

s. Furthermore, there is one public and one Protestant '' Gymnasium'' in Meiningen.

Notable people

People born in Meiningen

* Peretz Bernstein (1890–1971), Israeli politician *

Matthias Brenner Matthias Brenner (born 10 September 1957) is a German actor, Film director, director and writer. Matthias Brenner was born in Meiningen, Bezirk Suhl, East Germany, the son of actor Carl Rüdiger Brenner (1924–1984). He spent his childhood there. ...

(born 1957), actor, director and writer * Fritz Diez (1901–1979), actor and producer * Kurt May (1896–1992), Lawyer and campaigner against the Nazis * Bernd Meinunger (born 1944), lyricist and record producer *

Theodor Oberländer Theodor Oberländer (1 May 1905 – 4 May 1998) was an Ostforschung scientist and German Nazi official and politician, who after the Second World War served as Federal Minister for Displaced Persons, Refugees and Victims of War in West Germany ...

(1905–1998), German politician * Paul Oestreicher (born 1931), Anglican priest and canon emeritus in

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

* Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1792–1849), queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of

William IV of the United Kingdom William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

(1826–1914), "Theatre Duke" *

Fritz Schulz-Reichel Fritz Schulz-Reichel (July 4, 1912 – February 14, 1990) was a German jazz and pop pianist. Schulz-Reichel was born in Meiningen. His father was a classical musician, and he began playing piano at the age of six. He developed an unusual technique ...

(1912–1990), German jazz and pop pianist *

Gunter Sieberth Gunter Sieberth (born in 1965) is a German oboist. Life Sieberth comes from Meiningen in Thuringia. From 1978 to 1983 he attended the in Weimar. Afterwards he studied at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar with Axel Schmidt, solo En ...

(born 1965), oboist *

Gustav von Vaerst __NOTOC__ Gustav von Vaerst (19 April 1894 – 10 October 1975) was a German general during World War II. He was the last commander of the 5th Panzer Army, which was trapped in Northern Tunisia, between 28 February and 9 May 1943. He surrender ...

(1894-1975), general *

Johann Georg Walch Johann Georg Walch (17 June 1693 – 13 January 1775) was a German Lutheran theologian. Life He was born in Meiningen, where his father, Georg Walch, was general superintendent. He studied at Leipzig and Jena, amongst his teachers being J. F. ...

(1693–1775), Lutheran theologian and philosopher *

Ludwig von Wolzogen Justus Philipp Adolf Wilhelm Ludwig Freiherr von Wolzogen (4 February 1773 – 4 July 1845) was a Württembergian military officer, who served during the Napoleonic Wars. Biography Early life Wolzogen's father, Ernst Ludwig Freiherr von Wol ...

(1773–1845), military officer

Notable residents

* Albert Bassermann (1867–1952), actor * Rudolf Baumbach (1840–1905), poet * Ludwig Bechstein (1801–1860), poet * Bjørn Bjørnson (1859–1942), actor and director *

Peter Borgelt Peter Borgelt (20 September 1927 – 18 March 1994) was a German television actor. Borgelt was best known for playing the character of Hauptmann Fuchs in the long-running series ''Polizeiruf 110'' between 1971 and 1991. As with this series he o ...

(1927–1994), actor *

(1833–1897), composer, pianist and conductor * Hans von Bülow (1830–1894), conductor * Eberhard Esche (1933–2006), actor * Ellen Franz (1839–1923), (as wife of the Duke: Helene Freifrau von Heldburg), pianist and actress *

Elīna Garanča Elīna Garanča (born 16 September 1976) is a Latvian mezzo-soprano. She began to study singing in her hometown of Riga in 1996 and continued her studies in Vienna and in the United States. By 1999 she had won first place in a significant competi ...

(born 1976), operatic mezzo-soprano * Elisabeth Grümmer (1911–1986), operatic lyric soprano *

Josef Kainz Josef Gottfried Ignaz Kainz (2 January 1858 – 20 September 1910) was an Austrian actor of Hungarian birth. He was highly active in theatres in Austria and Germany from 1873–1910. Revered as one of the greatest actors of the German-speakin ...

(1858–1910), actor * (1854–1895), historian, occultist and theosophist * Karl Korsch (1886–1961), Marxist * (1773–1839), stenographer * Jean Paul (1763–1825), poet *

(born 1972), conductor *

(1873–1916), composer, pianist and conductor * Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805), poet *

Adele Sandrock Adele Sandrock (; born Adele Feldern-Förster; 19 August 1863 – 30 August 1937) was a German-Dutch actress. After a successful theatrical career, she became one of the first German movie stars. Early life Sandrock was born in Rotterdam, Net ...

(1863–1937), actress *

(1864–1949), composer and conductor * Ingrid van Bergen (born 1931), actress *

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...

(1749–1832), poet, dramatist, diplomat and philosopher

References

{{Authority control Schmalkalden-Meiningen Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen