Gräfenthal () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in the district of

Saalfeld-Rudolstadt Saalfeld-Rudolstadt is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the south of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) the districts Weimarer Land, Saale-Holzland, Saale-Orla, the district Kronach in Bavaria, and the districts Son ...

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Geography

Gräfenthal is located in the southern

Thuringian Highland The Thuringian Highland, Thuringian Highlands or Thuringian-Vogtlandian Slate MountainsKohl, Horst; Marcinek, Joachim and Nitz, Bernhard (1986). ''Geography of the German Democratic Republic'', VEB Hermann Haack, Gotha, p. 7 ff. . ( or ''Thüringis ...

. Mountains in this region rise up to 800 meters above sea level and are usually wooded with spruce trees. 20 km north-eastern of Gräfenthal lies district town

Saalfeld Saalfeld () is a town in Germany, capital of the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district of Thuringia. It is best known internationally as the ancestral seat of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha branch of the Saxon House of Wettin. Geography The town is situated ...

. Neighboring municipalities (clockwise, starting northwards) are:

Reichmannsdorf Reichmannsdorf () is a village and a former municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the town Saalfeld. Before, it belonged to the municipal association Lichtetal am Rennsteig, w ...

Probstzella Probstzella is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany. History Between 1945 and 1990 Probstzella station served as East German inner German border crossing for rail transport. The crossing was open for trains t ...

Ludwigsstadt Ludwigsstadt is a town in the district of Kronach, in the Upper Franconian region of Bavaria, Germany. Geography It is situated in the valley of the Loquitz River, a tributary of the Saale, in the Thuringian-Franconian Highlands of the Thuri ...

Tettau Tettau is a municipality in the district of Kronach in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to ...

Oberland am Rennsteig Oberland am Rennsteig is a former municipality in the Sonneberg district of Thuringia, Germany. Since 31 December 2013, it is part of the town Sonneberg.Piesau Piesau is a village and a former municipality in the district of Sonneberg in Thuringia, Germany, close to the Thuringian Rennsteig. Formerly in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, it is part of the town Neuhaus am Rennweg since January 2019. It ...

Lichte image:Wallendorfer Porzellan Manufaktur.jpg, 220px, Wallendorfer Porcelain Manufacture, Oct. 2006 image:Talsperre Leibis Lichte in August 2009.jpg, 220px, Leibis-Lichte Dam, 102.5 m high Lichte is a village and a former municipality in the Sonn ...

, Schmiedefeld Gräfenthal has 8 subdivisions: *Buchbach *Creunitz *Gebersdorf *Gräfenthal *Großneundorf *Lichtenhain *Lippelsdorf *Sommersdorf

History

In 1288 the town was first mentioned. It was for much of its early history under various

Ernestine Ernestine is a feminine given name. Ernest is the male counterpart of this name. Notable people with the name include: * Ernestine Anderson (1928–2016), American jazz and blues singer * Ernestine Bayer (1909–2006), American athlete * Ernestin ...

princelings.

Number of inhabitants

* 1994: 3.146 * 1997: 3.036 * 2000: 2.913 * 2003: 2.808 * 2006: 2.692 * 2009: 2.499 * 2012: 2.150 * 2014: 2.056

Pictures

Buildings

*Castle Wespenstein *Grenz- und Heimatmuseum Gräfenthal *Town church, with restored

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

mural paintings. *Railway viaduct

Economy and infrastructure

Erstwhile

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

and the location at the route for commerce between

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

and

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

were important economical factors. Mainly

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

and

alum An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double salt, double sulfate salt (chemistry), salt of aluminium with the general chemical formula, formula , such that is a valence (chemistry), monovalent cation such as potassium ...

had been mined. During the 20th century Gräfenthal was well known for its porcelain products. From the formerly three manufactories only one is still in existence. Today a plastics factory is the main employer. Gräfenthal lies on the road between

Neuhaus am Rennweg Neuhaus am Rennweg is a town in the district of Sonneberg, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Thuringian Forest, 17 km north of Sonneberg, and 22 km southwest of Saalfeld. The former municipalities Lichte image:Wallendorfe ...

and

. Further roads lead to surrounding municipalities. The town used to be connected to the railway-system up until the line section between

Sonneberg Sonneberg () in Thuringia, Germany, is the seat of the Sonneberg district. It is in the Franconian south of Thuringia, neighboring its Upper Franconian twin town Neustadt bei Coburg. Sonneberg became known as the "world toy city", and is home ...

and

became disused due to lacking profitability.

Sons and daughters of the town

* (1904-2000), state and administrative lawyer in the period of National Socialism *

Helmut Lipfert Helmut Lipfert (6 August 1916 – 10 August 1990) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II. Lipfert ranks as the world's thirteenth fighter ace. Lipfert was credited with 203 victories achieved in 687 combat missions. All hi ...

(1916-1990), Luftwaffe officer in World War II * Christian Paschold (born 1949), sculptor, artist

References

Saalfeld-Rudolstadt {{SaalfeldRudolstadt-geo-stub