Meiningen

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Meiningen
Theater
Theater
Coat of arms Location
Coat of arms of Meiningen
Meiningen (Germany)
Meiningen
Administration
Country Flag of Germany Germany
State Thuringia
District Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Mayor Reinhard Kupietz
Basic statistics
Area 41.38 km² (16 sq mi)
Elevation 287 m  (942 ft)
Population 21,448  (31/12/2005)
 - Density 518 /km² (1,342 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate SM
Postal code 98617
Area code 03693
Website www.meiningen.de
Location of the town of Meiningen within Schmalkalden-Meiningen district
Map

Coordinates: 50°33′00″N 10°25′00″E / 50.55, 10.416667

Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the Southern part of the state of Thuringia and the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra.

Contents

[edit] History

The place was first mentioned in 982 and was chartered in 1230.

Between 1680 to 1918, it was part of Saxe-Meiningen. The fairy tale collector and writer Ludwig Bechstein was an archivist in Meiningen. The princess of Saxe-Meiningen Adelheid Louise Theresa Caroline Amelia von Sachsen-Meiningen was since 1818 the wife of the King William IV of Great Britain. The Name of Princess Adelheid is still alive as the Australian city Adelaide.

[edit] Main sights

  • Schloss Elisabethenburg
  • Castle Landsberg
  • Das Meininger Theater
  • Goetz-Höhle
  • Büchnersches Hinterhaus
  • Dampflokwerk [1] (in German)

[edit] Theatre

The theatre was called the Meininger. It featured plays and has concert halls and had a model effect in Germany and in Europe. Artists like Hans Guido von Bülow were employed. The activity of the Theaterherzog Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1866-1914) lead to international celebrity. Bülow was replaced by Max Reger from 1911 to 1914. Today its name is "Südthüringisches Staatstheater". It has more than 300 people employed and provides a huge area with opera and drama. General Musikdirektor - Hans Urbanek.

[edit] Famous Residents

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