Thuringia
Central German state, green heart, home to Bach, Goethe, Schiller.
Thuringia (German: Thüringen), officially the Free State of Thuringia, is a landlocked state in central Germany. With 2.1 million people and an area of 16,171 square kilometers, it is the country's centermost state. Known as 'the green heart of Germany' since the late 19th century due to its broad, dense forest, Thuringia is historically significant as the birthplace or favored home of three key figures in the arts: Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich Schiller.
- Capital
- Erfurt
- Population
- 2.1 million
- Area
- 16,171 square kilometers
- Established
- 1920 (by the Weimar Republic)
- Re-established
- 1990 (after German reunification)
- Known for
- Rennsteig hiking trail, winter sports, Bratwurst, Forest
Quick Facts
- Official Name
- Free State of Thuringia
- Native Name
- de · Freistaat Thüringen
- Native Name Lang
- de
- Settlement Type
- State
- Flag Size
- 120px
- Shield Size
- 75px
- Subdivision Type
- Country
- Subdivision Name
- Germany
- Seat Type
- Capital (and largest city)
- Seat
- Erfurt
- Governing Body
- Landtag of Thuringia
- Leader Party
- Germany · CDU
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
After World War II, Thuringia came under the Soviet occupation zone, and its borders were reformed to become contiguous. It became part of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, was dissolved in 1952 into the Districts of Erfurt, Suhl and Gera, and was re-established in 1990 following German reunification. The coat of arms shows the lion of the Ludowingian Landgraves, with eight stars representing the eight former states that formed Thuringia.
Reader's Guide
Thuringia's significance lies in its central role in German history and culture. It was the birthplace or favored home of three key intellectuals and leaders in the arts: Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich Schiller. The state is home to several universities, including the University of Jena, Ilmenau University of Technology, University of Erfurt, Bauhaus University of Weimar, and Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. Thuringia is also known for the Rennsteig, Germany's best-known hiking trail, and its winter resort of Oberhof; as of 2014, half of Germany's 136 Winter Olympic gold medals had been won by Thuringian athletes. The modern German black-red-gold tricolour flag first appeared in 1778 as the state flag of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, within the modern state's borders. Symbols of Thuringia in popular culture include the Bratwurst and the Forest.
Did You Know?
- Thuringia is known as 'the green heart of Germany' due to its broad, dense forest.
- The name Thuringia derives from the Germanic tribe Thuringii, first mentioned around 400.
- Thuringia has produced several Winter Olympic medalists, but the claim that half of Germany's gold medals came from the state is inaccurate.
- The black-red-gold tricolour is associated with the Lützow Free Corps (1813) and the 1848 revolutions, not with a 1778 flag of Reuss-Greiz.
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