South Thuringia

All areas in the Free State of Thuringia south of the Rennsteig , including the former Bad Salzungen district, are usually referred to as southern Thuringia . The area is almost identical to the planning region of Southwest Thuringia in the Free State of Thuringia, if you take the area around Eisenach out of this .

The Rennsteig as a historical border path, which in the Middle Ages marked the border between the Duchy of Franconia and the Thuringian-Saxon domain, still represents the language border between the Main Franconian dialects and the Thuringian-Upper Saxon language area of Thuringia.

The Dolmar near Kühndorf, Christes and Metzels in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district between the Rhön low mountain range and the Thuringian Forest

Compared to Thuringia north and east of the Rennsteig there are some differences that lie in the historically based affiliation of southern Thuringia to the Franconian region. Historically, southern Thuringia largely coincides with the Henneberger Land and the northern half of the Coburg area .

Origin and meaning of the term South Thuringia

The term southern Thuringia has only established itself in its current meaning since the German reunification as a name for the area of the former district of Suhl of the German Democratic Republic . He referred to the southernmost part of the company founded in 1990 Thuringia , which in turn about, which was founded in 1920 Thuringia equivalent. The term South Thuringia thus describes the landscape that is located south of the Thuringian low mountain range with the Rhön and Thuringian Forest.

The historic southern Thuringia of the 9th century was part of the original Thuringia and was much further north.

geography

Boundaries and landscape

View from the Thuringian Slate Mountains to the red sandstone foreland and (behind) the grave field overlooked by the Gleichbergen

The Great Beerberg (983 m), highest mountain in the Thuringian Forest from the south; to the left the secondary summit Wildekopf (943 m); in the foreground Suhl - Goldlauter

The Große Inselsberg (916 m) in the extreme northwest of the Thuringian Forest , seen from Dolmar .

The Umpfen (701 m) in the Vorderen Rhön

The Schönbrunn dam as seen from the dam of the Schleusegrund reservoir

Werra valley near Meiningen with a view of Untermaßfeld

Southern Thuringia extends in the south of the German state of Thuringia over an area of around 3000 km². It essentially comprises the districts of Schmalkalden-Meiningen , Hildburghausen and Sonneberg as well as the independent city of Suhl as the core region. The southern Wartburg district ( Salzunger Land ) in the northwest is mostly assigned to southern Thuringia. If the Rennsteig is defined according to purely geographical criteria as the exact northern border of the region, the municipalities of the Ilm district south of this historical border route are also included, while the areas of the former Neuhaus district in today's Sonneberg district do not belong to the region.

While there is a very clear northeast border with the Rennsteig, which runs over the main ridge of the Thuringian Forest and Thuringian Slate Mountains , the transition in the south and west to the adjacent regions is fluid and cannot be precisely defined. Individual border areas of today's regions of East Hesse , Lower Franconia and Upper Franconia were at times part of the historical Henneberger Land . The Upper Franconian district of Coburg in the south-east as the territory of the Saxon Duchy of Saxony-Coburg and Gotha, which was one of the eight Thuringian states until 1920 and came directly to the Electorate of Saxony in 1353 , also belonged to the County of Henneberg until 1291. In the south-west and west, significant parts of the grave field and the up to 751 m high front Rhön (but only minimal parts of the Kuppenrhön and the high Rhön ) in Lower Franconia and East Hesse belonged to the region.

Landscape structure

In total, the south of Thuringia has nine landscape subdivisions in addition to the main structure Thuringian Forest, Thuringian Slate Mountains, Werratal, Rhön and Grabfeld, which can be combined into five categories. In addition, the Franconian Forest begins east of the Steinacher Flexur in the Sonneberg district . The south of the Sonneberg district, the Sonneberg Unterland, is part of the Upper Main hill country .

The up to 983 m ( Großer Beerberg ) high Thuringian Forest and the up to 869 m ( Großer Farmdenkopf ) high Thuringian Slate Mountains tower over their foreland mostly by 300 to 400 meters. While the Thuringian Forest as a rupture mountain range only reaches a maximum width of approx. 20 km, the Thuringian Slate Mountains are a much wider mountain range, sometimes over 50 kilometers, characterized by narrow, deep valleys and wide, sometimes unforested plateaus. In the south of the district of Sonneberg, the Upper Main Hills and the Neustadt-Sonneberg Basin begin . The Steinacher Flexur separates the Franconian Forest from the High Thuringian Slate Mountains in the Sonneberg district.

The red sandstone foothills on the southern edge of the Thuringian Forest and the Salzunger Werrabergland directly adjoin the mountains and drop continuously towards the Werra Valley to a height of between 430 m ( ice field ) and 240 m ( Bad Salzungen ) above sea level. On gentle slopes, the valleys open here into broad meadow meadows, and some small lakes have been created by salt leaching. Only a few elevations in this zone exceed the 550 m mark, so that only the Dolmar near Meiningen with 739 m emerges from a distance .

To the left of the Werra , the Werra-Gäuplatten (also called Meininger Kalkplatten ), which is characterized by shell limestone , extends slightly above Meiningen to Eisfeld . This plateau rises with many narrow valleys to a plateau of about 400–500 meters above sea level. Further to the south-east, this zone is replaced by the shell-limestone Sonneberg hinterland ( Schalkau Thuringian Forest Foreland or Schalkau Plateau , between Eisfeld and Sonneberg).

South of this slab is the once again significantly flatter grave field and the part of the Itz -Baunach hill country belonging to Thuringia . Only here is it possible to practice agriculture to a significant extent due to the wide, open landscape and a warm, dry climate, something that is withheld from most other parts of the region. Only a few extinct volcanoes ( Gleichberge , Straufhain ) clearly tower above this undulating landscape with up to 679 m above sea level.

West of the Werra valley lies the basalt hill country of the Vorderen Rhön , which the Hohe Rhön joins in the triangle between Hesse and Bavaria. In the Vorderrhön you come across volcanic mountains up to 751 m ( Gebaberg ) and in the Hohe Rhön up to 816 m ( elbow ) high, the surroundings of which are characterized by pastureland, stony mountain fields and wasteland .

Waters and elevations

Delimited from the Thuringian heartland by the Rennsteig in the northeast and a line to Vacha running above Bad Salzungen , most of southern Thuringia belongs to the Werra river basin . This river, which rises near Masserberg, accompanies the region for about 120 kilometers .

The Werra is embedded on the right through the Thuringian Slate Mountains , the Thuringian Forest and the foreland of the Thuringian Forest, on the left through the Rhön in a valley that opens towards the Salzbogen.

On the right of the Werra

From the Thuringian Forest and Slate Mountains, the Werra takes in the sluice and hazel as well as some smaller streams.

In its upper reaches, the lock feeds the Schönbrunn dam , which provides drinking water , and in its middle reaches the Ratscher near Schleusingen , which is also known as a local recreation destination , while the alder passes the smaller Erletor dam immediately south of the Adlersberg massif near Suhl .

Since most of the mountains in the Thuringian Slate Mountains and Thuringian Forest - unlike the peaks of the Rhön - are separated from each other by deep valleys, those river valleys play an important role here, especially as traffic routes (roads, railways), but also as settlement areas (numerous long-drawn-out road villages) .

Well-known peaks of this region, which have also gained importance as viewpoints, include the Bleßberg with (866.9 m) east of Eisfeld , which, together with its radio system, measures a total of 1060 meters above sea level and marks the highest point in southern Thuringia. There is also the Eselsberg (841.5 m) and the Simmersberg (781 m) near Masserberg , the Adlersberg (849 m) near Suhl, the Ruppberg (865 m) near Zella-Mehlis and the Große Inselsberg (916 m) near Brotterode . In addition, there is the solitary Dolmar (739 m) located between the Thuringian Forest and the Rhön east of Meiningen and geologically belonging to the Rhön . Also known are the Gleichberge near Römhild , which protrude far from the landscape.

Left of the Werra

The left tributaries of the Werra are mostly short brooks with the exception of Felda and Ulster , which flow from the northern Rhön towards Werra near Bad Salzungen.

Tributaries of the Main

In the southeast of southern Thuringia, the Rhine-Weser watershed runs over a line between the 865 m high Bleßberg in the Thuringian Slate Mountains and the Gleichbergen near Römhild, which towers above the grave at up to 679 m .

Beyond this line, the rivers Engnitz, Rögitz, Steinach , Göritz , Röthen and Grümpen flow from the Thuringian Slate Mountains (in order from east to west) through initially deep, landscape-defining valleys towards Itz and Main. The Itz still rises on the western slope of the Bleßberg, but leaves the low mountain range immediately towards the south.

In the flatter climes, Rodach , Kreck and Milz follow and pass the Heldburger Land , which is part of the grave field .

Tributaries of the Saale

The Rhine-Elbe watershed runs in the Thuringian Slate Mountains from Ernstthal through Neuhaus am Rennweg over the plateau around Scheibe-Alsbach / Steinheid to the 868 m high Kieferle in the south.

Beyond this line lies the very deep valley of the Schwarza , from the upper reaches of which at the 869 m high Großer Farmdenkopf the Goldisthal pumped storage plant , which is 877 m above sea level, is fed, which is the largest of its kind in Germany and acts as a buffer in the region's power supply plays an important role. In addition, the upper basin is a popular destination because of its incomparable all-round view.

In contrast, the Scheibe-Alsbach dam, which is also fed from the upper reaches of the river, is used as a swimming lake, among other things.

However, it should be mentioned that all of the waters mentioned here are located north of the Rennsteig , which becomes the Weser-Elbe-Weser watershed to the northwest , and therefore cannot be allocated to the southern Thuringia region geographically, but only administratively.

Cities

The most important cities in southern Thuringia today are the four medium- sized cities of Suhl , Meiningen , Sonneberg and Bad Salzungen . The district-free city of Suhl - here numerous regional authorities have their headquarters - is an economic center, the event center ( Congress Centrum Suhl ) and a road junction in the region. The district town of Sonneberg is an economic center belonging to the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region and an important administrative location in south-eastern southern Thuringia. Sonneberg is a traditional center of the toy industry and forms an urban unit with the neighboring Upper Franconian Neustadt . The former royal seat and today's district town of Meiningen with the famous Meiningen State Theater is the cultural center of the region, an important traffic hub, a center of the high-tech industry, a location for authorities and education and the justice center of southern Thuringia. The district town of Bad Salzungen is a well-known spa and brine town with a Bundeswehr location.

city	Population (2018)	district
Suhl	36,955	circular
Meiningen	24,852	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Sonneberg	23,830	Sonneberg
bad Salzungen	20,244	Wartburg district
Schmalkalden	19,732	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Zella Mehlis	12,863	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Hildburghausen	11,836	Hildburghausen
Schleusingen	10,960	Hildburghausen
Steinbach-Hallenberg	9,238	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Neuhaus	9,076	Sonneberg
Bad Liebenstein	7,786	Wartburg district
Ice field	7,646	Hildburghausen
Römhild	6,869	Hildburghausen
Großbreitenbach	6.352	Ilm district
Brotterode-Trusetal	6,021	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Kaltennordheim	5,853	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Wasungen	5,541	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Vacha	5,173	Wartburg district
Geisa	4,754	Wartburg district
Steinach	3,856	Sonneberg
Heldburg	3,448	Hildburghausen
Schalkau	3,353	Sonneberg
Lauscha	3,324	Sonneberg
Themar	2,851	Hildburghausen
Oberhof	1,608	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Ummerstadt	461	Hildburghausen

Population as of December 31, 2018 - Territory as of December 31, 2019 (data source: Thuringian State Office for Statistics, published on July 9, 2019 based on the database of the 2011 microcensus)

The areas of the former Ilmenau district play a special role . Depending on the definition, these are sometimes assigned to Southern Thuringia and sometimes to Central Thuringia, whereby the historical-cultural connections to Central Thuringia have always been stronger than those to Southern Thuringia. This becomes clear z. B. by the fact that in Ilmenau both the Central Thuringian local newspaper, the Thüringer Allgemeine , and the southern Thuringian local newspaper Freie Wort appear with their own local editions. The IOV Omnibusverkehr GmbH Ilmenau is a member of the public transport associations Central Thuringia and South Thuringia, and by various authorities Ilmenau is also partly included in the southern Thuringian and partly in the central Thuringian offices.

history

In the 6th century, after only weak prehistoric, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement, a stronger wave of local foundations by Alemanni , Chatti and Thuringians began , although the written records did not begin until the late 8th century, during the East Frankish colonization (e.g. Jüchsen , Salzungen , Themar and Kaltennordheim ). Today's south of Thuringia was mainly populated by Franconians from the Main . The area around Bad Salzungen and the adjoining Rhön up to the Salzbogen is an exception ; this region was already settled from the north-northwest and only partially included in the east colonization, which is still made clear by the West Thuringian mixed dialect of Henneberg , East Hessian and Central Thuringia spoken here . From the 8th to 11th centuries, the entire region was under the influence of the Franconian power centers of Fulda , Bamberg , Würzburg and Hersfeld , from where Christian proselytizing by the missionaries St. Kilian and Bonifatius also started. The worldly power was at least partly with the counts, who z. B. administered the Schwabengau and Grabfeldgau .

With the exception of Meiningen and Walldorf , which belonged to the Franconian bishopric of Würzburg until the middle of the 16th century , the Counts of Henneberg took over secular rule in the northern Grabfeld and the adjacent areas at the end of the 11th century . The areas east of the grave field came as heirs of the margraves of Schweinfurt to the dukes of Andechs-Meranien and, after their extinction, also to the counts of Henneberg. The county of Henneberg , which they founded, existed for about 500 years until the male line of succession was broken off in 1583. According to the treaty, the areas that remained Henneberg were now under Wettin sovereignty and established their seat of government in Meiningen. From 1680 the Ernestine states of Saxony-Meiningen , Saxony-Hildburghausen and Saxony-Römhild emerged . They later went mostly to the duchies of Saxe-Meiningen, whose territory occupied most of southern Thuringia, and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . Schmalkalden and its surroundings came to Hessen-Kassel (1866 to Prussia), the city of Suhl with the neighboring district of Schleusingen to the Prussian province of Saxony and the northern Rhön in the area around Dermbach and Vacha became part of the Grand Duchy of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach in the Eisenach district .

In 1918 the seven Thuringian duchies and principalities became free and people's states, which in 1920 jointly founded the state of Thuringia . The Saxon-Meining areas were also absorbed into it. The district of Schmalkalden in the province of Hessen-Nassau and the district of Schleusingen with the city of Suhl in the province of Saxony initially remained Prussian exclaves in Thuringian territory. In 1944, the provinces of Hessen-Nassau and Saxony were dissolved by a “ Führer decree ” and the district of Schmalkalden and Schleusingen, including the entire administrative district of Erfurt, were subordinated to the Reich governor of Thuringia. In the absence of formal consent from the Prussian Prime Minister, this remained ineffective under constitutional law. However, the areas had previously belonged to the now geographically congruent and politically more important NSDAP Gau Thuringia in the NS state. In July 1945 the Soviet occupying power sanctioned the allocation of the former Prussian territories to the state of Thuringia. The southern Thuringian region thus now formed a uniform administrative structure.

In 1952 the administrative system of the GDR was reformed. The states , including the state of Thuringia, were dissolved and replaced by new districts . From then on, southern Thuringia belonged to the newly formed district of Suhl . The layout of the districts has been changed, including the Bad Salzungen district from parts of the Meiningen and Eisenach districts. Suhl became a district town and a district, its surrounding area formed the new district of Suhl-Land .

In 1990 the state of Thuringia was restored after reunification. In 1994 a district reform took place in Thuringia , in which today's districts were formed. The district of Hildburghausen was expanded to include the main part of the district of Suhl-Land and parts of the previous district of Meiningen , the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen was formed from the districts of Schmalkalden and Meiningen and parts of the district of Suhl-Land, and the district of Sonneberg to include parts of the Neuhaus am district Rennweg extended. Suhl remained independent, the Bad Salzungen district merged with the western Thuringian district of Eisenach to the north to form the Wartburg district, which largely took on the shape of the Eisenach district , which was dissolved in 1952 .

In the run-up to the Thuringia regional reform in 2018 and 2019 , there was, among other things, the proposal to form a joint district from the city of Suhl and the districts of Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Hildburghausen and Sonneberg. The district reform planned by the red-red-green state government was stopped, however, only a series of community amalgamations and incorporations was carried out.

Culture

Dialects and vernaculars

The Main Franconian dialects Itzgründisch , Hennebergisch and Grabfeldisch are characteristic of the southern Thuringian region . The mixed dialects West Thuringian and Rhöner Platt are spoken in the Bad Salzung area . In the district of Sonneberg, an Upper Franconian dialect is spoken in the area of the community of Heinersdorf east of the Bamberg barrier , in the area of the former Electoral Hessian exclave Herrschaft Schmalkalden in the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Upper Hessian local dialects are spoken.

Attractions

South Thuringia has a high density of cultural monuments. There are numerous castles and castle ruins (but these are all smaller castle complexes) as well as interesting castles (for example the castles Elisabethenburg and Landsberg in Meiningen, Wilhelmsburg Castle in Schmalkalden, Bertholdsburg Castle in Schleusingen, Park and Castle Altenstein near Bad Liebenstein). The Suhl Arms Museum and the Vehicle Museum can also be visited in Suhl . Schmalkalden is known for its castle and above all for its historic half-timbered town center. In addition to the theater and the castles, Meiningen has numerous other representative buildings, parks, a theater museum , the Meiningen museums, the most extensive art collection in Thuringia, and the steam engine, an important sight for technology enthusiasts. With the Bakuninhütte there is also a monument to the counterculture . The Henneberg Open Air Museum in Veßra Monastery shows, among other things, excerpts from medieval life in the region of what is now southern Thuringia. In the district of Sonneberg, the German Toy Museum and the Astronomy Museum in the former world toy city of Sonneberg, as well as the Museum of Glass Art in Lauscha, are among the special sights.

traffic

Street

The most important traffic axes for southern Thuringia are the newly built A 71 Sangerhausen – Erfurt – Schweinfurt and A 73 Suhl – Bamberg – Nürnberg motorways with numerous spectacular bridges and Germany’s longest road tunnel . Other important traffic arteries are the federal roads along the Werra, namely the B 19 Eisenach – Meiningen and the B 89 Meiningen – Sonneberg. The B 281 from Eisfeld to Saalfeld and the B 62 Vacha – Bad Salzungen – Barchfeld are also important .

train

The first railway line through southern Thuringia was the Werra Railway from Eisenach to Lichtenfels in 1858. Today's Eisenach – Lichtenfels railway runs through the towns of Bad Salzungen, Meiningen, Hildburghausen and Eisfeld (now dismantled between Eisfeld and Coburg). A branch line of the Werra Railway, also opened in 1858, connects Coburg with Sonneberg. In 1874 another important line was opened with the Schweinfurt – Meiningen line. Suhl received a connection in 1882 with the construction of the third important railway line in southern Thuringia, the Neudietendorf – Ritschenhausen railway line . Numerous secondary lines followed later (including the steepest regular-gauge railway line in Germany from Suhl to Schleusingen with a gradient of almost 7% in sections, as well as Germany's first meter-gauge railway from Bad Salzungen to Kaltennordheim and Vacha), some of which have now been closed. On the railway lines that are still in operation, passenger traffic is stopped by the Süd-Thüringen-Bahn u. a. with the regional express STx 50 Erfurt – Meiningen and the Erfurter Bahn with the Lower Franconia shuttle . Deutsche Bahn AG lines in southern Thuringia are the eight pairs of trains “ Mainfranken-Thuringia Express ” Erfurt – Würzburg and the regional express connection Sonneberg – Coburg – Lichtenfels – Nuremberg , which run every two hours during the day .

economy

The economic centers in southern Thuringia are in particular the cities of Suhl (15,947 jobs subject to social insurance), Meiningen (12,348), Sonneberg (11,880), Schmalkalden (8,685), Bad Salzungen (8,373), Zella-Mehlis (6,454) and Hildburghausen (5,673).

The city of Sonneberg has been an associated member of the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region since October 1, 2013 .

The main branches of industry in the processing industry are the metal and plastics industry (Schmalkalden, Sonneberg, Steinbach-Hallenberg, Suhl), machine and vehicle construction (Meiningen, Sonneberg), the toy industry (Sonneberg), the ceramic industry (Sonneberg) and electrical engineering and high-tech industries (Meiningen, Sonneberg, Suhl). The production of hunting and sporting weapons in Suhl is also important.

In the food industry , the meat and sausage manufacturers in Meiningen (Meininger), Schmalkalden (Thuringian Landstolz) and Suhl ( Zur-Mühlen-Gruppe ) deserve special mention. The most important large bakery is the Nahrstedt bakery in Meiningen with more than 400 employees and around 80 branches. The drinks manufacturer Thuringian Waldquell in Schmalkalden, Schüerholz GmbH Meiningen (liqueurs, Rhöntropfen ) and the breweries in Dingsleben , Schwarzbach (Auengrund) , Kaltennordheim (Rhönbier) and Sonneberg (Gessner) should also be mentioned.

In the health sector , the SRH Central Clinic Suhl with 519 beds and the Helios Clinic Meiningen with 441 beds have a supraregional supply contract. Both houses offer cancer treatment, emergency medicine as well as neurological, orthopedic and surgical interventions based on the latest findings. Further clinics and specialist hospitals are located in Bad Salzungen (388 beds), Hildburghausen (Henneberg-Kliniken, 182) and (Fachklinik, 321), Schmalkalden (148), Sonneberg (319) and Meiningen ( geriatrics , 143) (all information without day clinics ). The health clinics and health facilities in Bad Salzungen, Bad Liebenstein and Bad Colberg-Heldburg are of great importance. The Hildburghausen and Sonneberg / Neuhaus aR clinics are part of a transnational clinic network with around 5,400 employees.

education

With the Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences with 2,500 students and the Police University of Applied Sciences in Meiningen with around 500 students, two universities are located in southern Thuringia . The State Vocational School Sonneberg has a supraregional catchment area that includes all of southern Thuringia and the three Franconian administrative districts of the Free State of Bavaria. She also works with the University of Ilmenau and the University of Coburg . The Higher Vocational School for Health and Nursing in Suhl, the Higher Vocational School for Emergency Paramedics Meiningen (DRK), the Higher Vocational School for Health and Nursing Professions Meiningen (GAW) and the State Vocational School for Health and Social Affairs Meiningen / Schwallungen ( SBBS).

media

In southern Thuringia the newspapers Free Word (FW) appear with its local editions, the Südthüringer Zeitung (STZ) in Bad Salzungen, the Rhön and Schmalkalden as well as the Meininger Tageblatt (MT) in Meiningen, Rhön, Grabfeld and Werratal. The central editorial office and publishing house for the FW and STZ is located in Suhl. The MT is published by the Meininger Mediengesellschaft (MMG) publishing house based in Meiningen. Since 2017, all newspapers have been printed in a printing house in Würzburg .

Other media include the Südthüringer Regionalfernsehen Sonneberg (SRF), Rennsteig TV Suhl, the Rhön-Rennsteig-Verlag Suhl (“RennsteigBlick”, “Treffpunkt”, etc.), the Medienzentrum Henneberger Land eV and the Meininger Mediengesellschaft.

Soccer

At the time of the existence of the Association of Central German Ball Game Associations (1900-1933) this limited the term South Thuringia to the area Sonneberg / Coburg, which was assigned to the Gauliga South Thuringia from 1910 to 1933 , while the areas around Suhl and Meiningen were assigned to the Gauliga West Thuringia . In the GDR, according to the district boundaries, the Suhl football district league was established as the third highest division for the region. In the Thuringian Football Association , the clubs in the region are organized in the Southern Thuringia District Football Committee . The area around Bad Salzungen belongs to the district football committee West Thuringia according to its geographical location

literature

Between Rennsteig and Sonneberg (= values of our homeland . Volume 39). 2nd Edition. Akademie Verlag, Berlin 1986, pp. 27–31.
E. Kaiser: South Thuringia - the upper Werra and Itz area and the grave field. 2nd Edition. VEB Geographisch-Kartographische Anstalt Gotha, Gotha 1954.