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

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 ...

. It is located in the region of

Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...

and has a population of around 26,000 (2024).

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Jahresrückblick 2021 (year review), PDF (4,4 MB). Meiningen is the capital and the largest town of the

Schmalkalden-Meiningen Schmalkalden-Meiningen is a '' Landkreis'' in the southwest of Thuringia, Germany. Its neighboring districts are (from the northwest clockwise) the districts Wartburgkreis, Gotha, Ilm-Kreis, the district-free city Suhl, the district Hildburghaus ...

district. From 1680 to 1920, Meiningen was the capital of the Duchy (and briefly of the Free State) of

Saxe-Meiningen Saxe-Meiningen ( ; ) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine duchies, Ernestine line of the House of Wettin, located in the southwest of the present-day Germany, German state of Thuringia. Established in 1681, by partition of the Ern ...

. 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 or 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 ...

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

East Franconian East Franconian ( ), usually referred to as Franconian (' ) in German, is a dialect spoken in Franconia, the northern part of the federal state of Bavaria and other areas in Germany around Nuremberg, Bamberg, Coburg, Würzburg, Hof, Bayreuth, ...

History

Through the Middle Ages

Meiningen originated during the formation of the

Frankish Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Frankish-dominated empire in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the Lomba ...

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 The Werra (), a river in central Germany, is the right-bank headwater of the Weser. "Weser" is a synonym in an old dialect of German. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After the Werra joins the river Fulda in the to ...

river.

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 The Duchy of Franconia () was one of the five stem duchies of East Francia and the medieval Kingdom of Germany emerging in the early 10th century. The word Franconia, first used in a Latin charter of 1053, was applied like the words Francia, Fr ...

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 Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

donated Meiningen in 1008 to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Würzburg, 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 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 Graf, comital family (''Grafen'') which from the 11th century onwards held large territories in the Duchy of Franconia. Their county was raised to a Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, princely county ( ...

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

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...

s. From 1239 to 1242 the

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the t ...

of the

Franciscan Order The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

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.

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'') 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. History and use Known in Late Latin as ''fustaneum'' or ''fustanum'' and in Medieval Latin as ''pannus fustāneus'' ('fustian cloth') or ''tela fustāne ...

- and

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

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, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

in 1634, when

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

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

. 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 (, , , , ), is a style of "landscape" garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal ...

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 (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

camped in and around Meiningen. The Tsar had his quarters in the inn ''Zum Braune Hirsch'', which also served for the entrained Prussian Army as headquarters. In 1782,

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

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 north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

in 1818. The Australian city of

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

is named for her. Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, 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 Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassici ...

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 or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

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 was built.

After 1918

The Duchy was abolished at the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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 flight, transatlantic passenger flight service. The ship was named after th ...

landed there before 100,000 spectators, followed by the airship LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II on 9 July 1939. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Meiningen was the location of a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person 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 war for a ...

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 The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

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 East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

(DDR). To accommodate workers for a

microelectronic Microelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture (or microfabrication) of very small electronic designs and components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre- ...

s 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 The Peaceful Revolution () – also, in German called ' (, "the turning point") – was one of the peaceful revolutions of 1989 at the peak of the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in the late 1980s. A process of sociopolitical change that led to, am ...

'' 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 Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (; 3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician who served as chancellor of Germany and governed the ''Federal Republic'' from 1982 to 1998. He was leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to ...

visited the town,

Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German retired politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She is the only woman to have held the office. She was Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and Leade ...

did so in April 2012. The new ''Justizzentrum'' (court house) was built in 2000. In 2003, the town was connected to the ''

Bundesautobahn 71 is an Autobahn in Germany. It connects the A 38 and Erfurt to the A 70 near Schweinfurt. A further northern extension to the A 14 near Plötzkau has been proposed by the state government of Sachsen-Anhalt.Werra The Werra (), a river in central Germany, is the right-bank headwater of the Weser. "Weser" is a synonym in an old dialect of German. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After the Werra joins the river Fulda in the to ...

river between the

Thuringian Forest The Thuringian Forest (''Thüringer Wald'' in German language, German ) is a mountain range in the southern parts of the Germany, German state of Thuringia, running northwest to southeast. Skirting from its southerly source in foothills to a gorg ...

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 o ...

. Meiningen lies east of

Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...

, south of

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Central Germany (cultural area), Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the Gera (river), River Gera, in the so ...

and north of

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

, across the former frontier between West and

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

Subdivisions

Meiningen has several 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 Walldorf (; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Walldoaf'') is a town in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. In the eighteenth century, Walldorf was the birthplace of John J ...

were merged into Meiningen in January 2019, Stepfershausen in December 2019, and Sülzfeld in January 2024. Meiningen abuts the following municipalities: Wasungen, Utendorf, Kühndorf, Rohr, Thuringia, Ellingshausen, Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal, Untermaßfeld, 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, Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal, 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 16,400 jobs in around 3,600 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 gl ...

. This includes the global high-tech enterprise ADVA Optical Networking (ADVA AG). Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works 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 continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. Active support by the ''Theaterherzog'' Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (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 Freiherr Hans Guido von Bülow (; 8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894) was a German conductor, pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for establishi ...

. During the von Bülow period,

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

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 and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

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, a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University Chu ...

from 1911 to 1914, and

Kirill Petrenko Kirill Garrievich Petrenko (, 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, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, to a violinist father and m ...

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

Jean Paul Jean Paul (; born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, 21 March 1763 – 14 November 1825) was a German Romanticism, German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories. Life and work Jean Paul was born at Wunsiedel, in the Ficht ...

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. * Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works 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, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

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. 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 Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

castle with three wings and ''Hofkapelle''(castle chapel) and a rotunda. This is the former seat of the Dukes of

. 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.It is now a museum of German History. * ', built 1840 for Duke Bernhard II, inspired by visits to his sister Adelheid, queen consort of the United Kingdom. Built under the direction of architect August Wilhelm Döbner in Gothic revival style. * ''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 Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...

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 Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...

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 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

, 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,

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 The (; ) was a period of Economic history of Europe (1000 AD–present), European economic history in mid- and late-19th century German Empire, Germany and Austria-Hungary between Industrialization in Germany, industrialization and the great P ...

''). * Some half-timbered houses (examples: Büchnersches Hinterhaus, Henneberg Haus, Hartung Haus, Rassmann Haus) File:Fachwerkhaus-meiningen002b.jpg, ''Büchnersches Hinterhaus'' File:Meiningen - Henneberger Haus (2012-05-20).jpg, ''Henneberger Haus'' File:Engl.GartenMeiningen.JPG, Artificial ruins at the English Garden (from 1793/94) File:Post 06W.jpg, post office File:Klinikum Meiningen (außen) 2015-09-28.jpg, hospital

Government

Meiningen is the district town of the ''Kreis

''. The town functions as a major center of southern Thuringia in a number of ways (justice ( Landgericht Meiningen, Amtsgericht Meiningen), state 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 Free Voters (, FW) is a political party in Germany. It originates as an umbrella organisation of several Free Voters Associations (), associations of people which participate in an election without having the status of a registered party. These ...

(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 DEU Neu-Ulm COA

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

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, 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 country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

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

–

Schweinfurt Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a town#Germany, city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding Schweinfurt (district), district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultur ...

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

Eisenach Eisenach () is a Town#Germany, town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia, and bordering northeastern Hesse, Hessian re ...

and

( B 19) and to Sonneberg and

Kronach Kronach (; ) is a Town#Germany, town in Upper Franconia, Germany, located in the Franconian Forest area. It is the capital of the Kronach (district), district Kronach. The town is equipped with a nearly complete city wall and Germany's biggest an ...

( B 89) as well as some regional roads to

, Suhl in Thuringia and Mellrichstadt in

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 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

valley from the

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), Haßberge district. It is situated on the river Main (river), Main, 20 km east of Schweinfurt and 30 km northwest of Bamberg. In 1852, Ludw ...

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 (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

/ 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, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

s and a technical school for

Emergency medical technician An emergency medical technician (often, more simply, EMT) is a medical professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found serving on ambulances and in fire departments in the US and Canada, as full-time and som ...

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

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

* 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 ...

* Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1826–1914), "Theatre Duke" * Fritz Schulz-Reichel (1912–1990), German jazz and pop pianist * Gunter Sieberth (born 1965), oboist * Gustav von Vaerst (1894-1975), general * Johann Georg Walch (1693–1775), Lutheran theologian and philosopher * Ludwig von Wolzogen (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 (1927–1994), actor *

(1833–1897), composer, pianist and conductor *

(1830–1894), conductor *

Eberhard Esche Eberhard Esche (October 25, 1933 in Leipzig – May 15, 2006 in Berlin) was a German film and television actor. He studied at the Theaterhochschule Leipzig. He appeared in the following: *'' For Eyes Only'' (1961) *''Nebel'' (1963) *'' Divided ...

(1933–2006), actor * Ellen Franz (1839–1923), (as wife of the Duke: Helene Freifrau von Heldburg), pianist and actress * Elīna Garanča (born 1976), operatic mezzo-soprano * Elisabeth Grümmer (1911–1986), operatic lyric soprano * Josef Kainz (1858–1910), actor * (1854–1895), historian, occultist and theosophist * Karl Korsch (1886–1961), Marxist * (1773–1839), stenographer *

(1763–1825), poet *

(born 1972), conductor *

(1873–1916), composer, pianist and conductor *

(1759–1805), poet * Adele Sandrock (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 polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

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

References

{{Authority control Schmalkalden-Meiningen