Thuringia

The Free State of Thuringia (English: /rndi/; German: Freistaat Thringen, pronounced
[fatat tyn]) is a federal state in central Germany. It has an area of 16,171 square kilometres
Free State of Thuringia
Freistaat Thringen
(6,244 sq mi) and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest
by population of Germany's sixteen states. Most of Thuringia is within the watershed of the Saale, a State of Germany
left tributary of the Elbe. The capital is Erfurt.

Thuringia has been known as "the green heart of Germany" (das grne Herz Deutschlands) from the
late 19th century,[3] due to the dense forest covering the land.
Flag
It is home to the Rennsteig, Germany's most well-known hiking trail, and the winter resort of Oberhof Coat of arms
making it a well known winter sports destination. Half of Germany's 136 Winter Olympic gold medals
(through the Sochi games in 2014) have been won by Thuringian athletes.[4]

Johann Sebastian Bach spent the first part of his life (16851717) and important further stages of his
career in Thuringia. Goethe and Schiller lived in Weimar and both worked at the University of Jena,
which today hosts Thuringia's most important science centre. Other Universities in this federal state
are the Ilmenau University of Technology, the University of Erfurt, and the Bauhaus University of
Weimar.

Contents Coordinates: 505140N 1137E

1 Etymology and symbols Country Germany

2 History Capital Erfurt

3 Geography Government
3.1 Topography Body Landtag of Thuringia
3.2 Climate Minister- Bodo Ramelow (The Left)
3.3 Nature and environment President
Governing The Left / SPD / Alliance
4 Demographics
parties '90/The Greens
4.1 Demographic history
Bundesrat 4 (of 69)
4.2 Current population votes
4.3 Natural and spatial tendencies
Area
4.4 Population projection
4.5 Cities, towns and villages
Total 16,171 km2 (6,244 sq mi)
4.6 Religion Population (2015-12-31)[1]
5 Politics Total 2,170,714
5.1 List of Ministers-President of Thuringia Density 130/km2 (350/sq mi)
5.2 September 2014 state election Time zone CET (UTC+1)
5.3 Local government Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
6 Economy ISO 3166 code DE-TH
6.1 Agriculture and forestry
GDP/ Nominal 57/ $63 billion (2015) [2]
6.2 Industry and mining
GDP per capita 27,000/ $30,000 (2015)
6.3 General economic parameters
NUTS Region DEG
7 Infrastructure
7.1 Transport Website thueringen.de
7.2 Energy and water supply (http://www.thueringen.de/)
7.3 Health
8 Education
8.1 School system
8.2 Universities
8.3 Research
9 Personalities
10 References
11 External links

Etymology and symbols

The name Thuringia or Thringen derives from the Germanic tribe Thuringii, who emerged during the Migration Period. Their origin is largely unknown. An
older theory claims that they were successors of the Hermunduri, but later research rejected the idea. Other historians argue that the Thuringians were allies of
the Huns, came to central Europe together with them, and lived before in what is Galicia today. Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus first mentioned the Thuringii
 around 400; during that period, the Thuringii were famous for their excellent horses.

The Thuringian Realm existed until after 531, the Landgraviate of Thuringia was the largest state in the region, persisting between
1131 and 1247. Afterwards the state known as Thuringia ceased to exist; nevertheless the term commonly described the region
between the Harz mountains in the north, the Weie Elster river in the east, the Franconian Forest in the south and the Werra
river in the west. After the Treaty of Leipzig, Thuringia had its own dynasty again, the Ernestine Wettins. Their various lands
formed the Free State of Thuringia, founded in 1920, together with some other small principalities. The Prussian territories
around Erfurt, Mhlhausen and Nordhausen joined Thuringia in 1945.

The coat of arms of Thuringia shows the lion of the Ludowingian Landgraves of 12th-century origin. The eight stars around it
represent the eight former states which formed Thuringia. The flag of Thuringia is a white-red bicolor, derived from the white and
Arms of the
landgraves of red stripes of the Ludowingian lion. The coat of arms and flag of Hesse are quite similar to the Thuringian ones, because they are
Thuringia (1265) also derived from the Ludowingian symbols.

Symbols of Thuringia in popular culture are the Bratwurst and the Forest, because a large amount of the territory is forested.

History
Named after the Thuringii tribe who occupied it around AD 300, Thuringia came under Frankish domination in the 6th century.

Thuringia became a landgraviate in 1130 AD. After the extinction of the reigning Ludowingian line of counts and landgraves in 1247 and the War of the
Thuringian Succession (12471264), the western half became independent under the name of "Hesse", never to become a part of Thuringia again. Most of the
remaining Thuringia came under the rule of the Wettin dynasty of the nearby Margraviate of Meissen, the nucleus of the later Electorate and Kingdom of
Saxony. With the division of the house of Wettin in 1485, Thuringia went to the senior Ernestine branch of the family, which subsequently subdivided the area
into a number of smaller states, according to the Saxon tradition of dividing inheritance amongst male heirs. These were the "Saxon duchies", consisting,
among others, of the states of Saxe-Weimar, Saxe-Eisenach, Saxe-Jena, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg, and Saxe-Gotha; Thuringia became
merely a geographical concept.

Thuringia generally accepted the Protestant Reformation, and Roman Catholicism was suppressed as early as 1520; priests who remained loyal to it were driven
away and churches and monasteries were largely destroyed, especially during the German Peasants' War of 1525. In Mhlhausen and elsewhere, the
Anabaptists found many adherents. Thomas Mntzer, a leader of some non-peaceful groups of this sect, was active in this city. Within the borders of modern
Thuringia the Roman Catholic faith only survived in the Eichsfeld district, which was ruled by the Archbishop of Mainz, and to a small degree in Erfurt and its
immediate vicinity.

The modern German black-red-gold tricolour flag's first appearance anywhere in a German-ethnicity sovereign state, within what today comprises Germany,
occurred in 1778 as the state flag of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, a principality whose lands were located within modern Thuringian borders.

Some reordering of the Thuringian states occurred during the German Mediatisation from 1795 to 1814, and
the territory was included within the Napoleonic Confederation of the Rhine organized in 1806. The 1815
Congress of Vienna confirmed these changes and the Thuringian states' inclusion in the German
Confederation; the Kingdom of Prussia also acquired some Thuringian territory and administered it within the
Province of Saxony. The Thuringian duchies which became part of the German Empire in 1871 during the
Prussian-led unification of Germany were Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-
Coburg-Gotha, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and the two principalities of Reuss
Elder Line and Reuss Younger Line. In 1920, after World War I, these small states merged into one state, called
Thuringia; only Saxe-Coburg voted to join Bavaria instead. Weimar became the new capital of Thuringia. The
Map of Thuringian States 1890
coat of arms of this new state was simpler than those of its predecessors.

In 1930 Thuringia was one of the free states where the Nazis gained real political power. Wilhelm Frick was
appointed Minister of the Interior for the state of Thuringia after the Nazi Party won six delegates to the Thuringia Diet. In this position he removed from the
Thuringia police force anyone he suspected of being a republican and replaced them with men who were favourable towards the Nazi Party. He also ensured
that whenever an important position came up within Thuringia, he used his power to ensure that a Nazi was given that post.

After being controlled briefly by the US, from July 1945, the state of Thuringia came under the Soviet occupation zone, and was expanded to include parts of
Prussian Saxony, such as the areas around Erfurt, Mhlhausen, and Nordhausen. Erfurt became the new capital of Thuringia. Ostheim, an exclave of Landkreis
(roughly equivalent to a county in the English-speaking world) Eisenach, was ceded to Bavaria.

In 1952, the German Democratic Republic dissolved its states, and created districts (Bezirke) instead. The three districts that shared the former territory of
Thuringia were Erfurt, Gera and Suhl. Altenburg Kreis was part of Leipzig Bezirk.

The State of Thuringia was recreated with slightly altered borders during German reunification in 1990.

Geography

Topography
From the northwest going clockwise, Thuringia borders on the German states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Bavaria and Hesse.

The landscapes of Thuringia are quite diverse. The far north is occupied by the Harz mountains, followed by the Goldene Aue, a fertile floodplain around
Nordhausen with the Helme as most important river. The north-west includes the Eichsfeld, a hilly and sometimes forested region, where the Leine river
emanates. The central and northern part of Thuringia is defined by the 3000 km wide Thuringian Basin, a very fertile and flat area around the Unstrut river
and completely surrounded by the following hill chains (clockwise from the north-west): Dn, Hainleite, Windleite, Kyffhuser, Hohe Schrecke, Schmcke,
Finne, Ettersberg, Steigerwald, Thuringian Forest, Hrselberge and Hainich. Within the Basin the smaller hill chains Fahner Hhe and Heilinger Hhen. South
of the Thuringian Basin is the Land's largest mountain range, marked by the Thuringian Forest in the north-west, the Thuringian Highland in the middle and
the Franconian Forest in the south-east. Most of this range is forested and the Groer Beerberg (983 m) is Thuringia's highest mountain. To the south-west, the
Forest is followed up by Werra river valley, dividing it from the Rhn Mountains in the west and the Grabfeld plain in the south. Eastern Thuringia, commonly
described as the area east of Saale and Loquitz valley, is marked by a hilly landscape, rising slowly from the flat north to the mountainous south. The Saale in
the west and the Weie Elster in the east are the two big rivers running from south to north and forming densely settled valleys in this area. Between them lies
the flat and forested Holzland in the north, the flat and fertile Orlasenke in the middle and the Vogtland, a hilly but in most parts non-forested region in the
south. The far eastern region (east of Weie Elster) is the Osterland or Altenburger Land along Pleie river, a flat, fertile and densely settled agricultural area.

The most important river in Thuringia is the Saale (a tributary of the Elbe) with its tributaries Unstrut, Ilm and Weie Elster, draining the most parts of
Thuringia and the Werra (the headwater of the Weser), draining the south-west and west of the Land. Furthermore, some small parts on the southern border
are drained by tributaries of the Main (a tributary of the Rhine). There are no large natural lakes in Thuringia, but it does have some of Germany's biggest dams
including the Bleiloch Dam and the Hohenwarte Dam at Saale river same as the Leibis-Lichte Dam and the Goldisthal Pumped Storage Station within the
Highland. Thuringia is Germany's only state without connection to navigable waterways.

The geographic center of the Federal Republic is located in Thuringia, within the municipality of Vogtei next to Mhlhausen. Thuringia's center is located only
eight kilometres south of the capital's Cathedral within the municipality of Rockhausen.

Climate
Thuringia's climate is temperate with humid westerly winds predominate. Increasing from the north-west to the south-east the Land's climate shows
continental features; winters can be cold for long periods, and summers can become warm. Dry periods are often recorded, especially within the Thuringian
Basin, situated leeward to mountains in all directions. It is Germany's most dry area with annual precipitation of only 400 to 500 mm.

Within Thuringia are relatively big climate differences with a range from an average temperature of 8.5 C and precipitation of 450 mm in Artern up to an
average temperature of 4.4 C [?] and precipitation of 1300 mm at Schmcke station next to Oberhof within the Thuringian Forest.

Climate data for Erfurt (19712000)

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Average 2.2 3.2 7.8 12.2 17.5 20.1 22.5 22.7 18.3 12.7 6.4 3.4 12.4
high C (F) (36) (37.8) (46) (54) (63.5) (68.2) (72.5) (72.9) (64.9) (54.9) (43.5) (38.1) (54.3)

Average low 3.1 2.9 0.3 2.8 7.1 10.2 12.1 12.0 9.1 5.1 0.9 1.5 4.3
C (F) (26.4) (26.8) (32.5) (37) (44.8) (50.4) (53.8) (53.6) (48.4) (41.2) (33.6) (29.3) (39.7)

Average
24.7 23.8 35.5 40.3 54.8 60.8 62.5 52.8 40.5 36.8 37.5 31.5 501.5
precipitation
(0.972) (0.937) (1.398) (1.587) (2.157) (2.394) (2.461) (2.079) (1.594) (1.449) (1.476) (1.24) (19.744)
mm (inches)

Average
precipitation
7.0 6.7 8.3 7.9 8.5 10.0 8.7 8.3 7.4 6.9 7.8 7.6 95.1
days
( 1.0 mm)

Source: World Meteorological Organization[5]

Nature and environment

Due to many centuries of intensive settlement, most of the area is shaped by human influence. The original natural vegetation of Thuringia is forest with beech
as its predominant species, as can still be found in the Hainich mountains today. In the uplands, a mixture of beech and spruce would be natural. However,
most of the plains have been cleared and are in intensive agricultural use while most of the forests are planted with spruce and pine. Since 1990, Thuringia's
forests have been managed aiming for a more natural and tough vegetation more resilient to climate change as well as diseases and vermin. In comparison to
the forest, agriculture is still quite conventional and dominated by large structures and monocultures. Problems here are caused especially by increasingly
prolonged dry periods during the summer months.

Environmental damage in Thuringia has been reduced to a large extent after 1990. The condition of forests, rivers and air was improved by modernizing
factories, houses (decline of coal heating) and cars, and contaminated areas such as the former Uranium surface mines around Ronneburg have been
remediated. Today's environmental problems are the salination of the Werra river, caused by discharges of K+S salt mines around Unterbreizbach and
overfertilisation in agriculture, damaging the soil and small rivers.

Environment and nature protection has been of growing importance and attention since 1990. Large areas, especially within the forested mountains, are
protected as natural reserves, including Thuringia's first national park within the Hainich mountains, founded in 1997, the Rhn Biosphere Reserve, the
Thuringian Forest Nature Park and the South Harz Nature Park.

Demographics

Demographic history
During the Middle Ages, Thuringia was situated at the border between Germanic and Slavic territories, marked by the Saale river. The Ostsiedlung movement
led to the assimilation of Slavic people between the 11th and the 13th century under German rule. The population growth increased during the 18th century and
stayed high until World War I, before it slowed within the 20th century and changed to a decline since 1990. Since the beginning of Urbanisation around 1840,
the Thuringian cities have higher growth rates resp. smaller rates of decline than rural areas (many villages lost half of their population since 1950, whereas the
biggest cities (Erfurt and Jena) keep growing).

Year Population Year Population

1834 1,172,375 1995 2,503,785

1864 1,435,115 2000 2,431,255

1890 1,737,544 2005 2,334,575

1910 2,160,692 2010 2,235,025

1950 2,932,242 2011[a] 2,221,222

1960 2,737,865 2011[b] 2,181,603

1970 2,759,084 2012 2,170,460

1980 2,730,368

1988 2,723,268

a. old number according to the 1981 Census forward projection

b. new number according to the 2011 Census

Largest migrant communities

Syria 8,957
Poland 8,223
Romania 4,776
Russia 4,552
Afghanistan 3,904
Vietnam 3,532
Hungary 2,998
Bulgaria 2,503
Serbia 2,309
Ukraine 2,101
Kosovo 2,060
Turkey 1,855
Iraq 1,823
Albania 1,654
China 1,317

Current population
The current population is 2,170,000 (in 2012) with an annual rate of decrease of about 0.5%, which varies wide between the local regions. In 2012, 905,000
Thuringians lived in a municipality with more than 20,000 inhabitants, this is an urbanization rate of 42% which continues to rise.

In July 2013, there were 41,000 non-Germans by citizenship living in Thuringia (1.9% of the population among the smallest proportions of any state in
Germany). Nevertheless, the number rose from 33,000 in July 2011, an increase of 24% in only two years. About 4% of the population are migrants (including
persons that already received the German citizenship). The biggest groups of foreigners by citizenship are (as of 2012): Russians (3,100), Poles (3,000),
Vietnamese (2,800), Turks (2,100) and Ukrainians (2,000). The amount of foreigners varies between regions: the college towns Erfurt, Jena, Weimar and
Ilmenau have the highest rates, whereas there are almost no migrants living in the most rural smaller municipalities.

The Thuringian population has a significant sex ratio gap, caused by the emigration of young women, especially in rural areas. Overall, there are 115 to 120 men
per 100 women in the 2540 age group ("family founders") which has negative consequences for the birth ratio. Furthermore, the population is getting older
and older with some rural municipalities recording more than 30% of over-65s (pensioners). This is a problem for the regional labour market, as there are twice
as many people leaving as entering the job market annually.

Natural and spatial tendencies

The birth rate was about 1.8 children per women in the 1970s and 1980s, shrinking to 0.8 in 1994 during the economic crisis after the reunification and rose
again to more than 1.4 children in 2010, which is a higher level than in West Germany. Nevertheless, there are only 17,000 births compared to 27,000 deaths
per year, so that the annual natural change of the Thuringian population is about 0.45%. In 2015 were was 17.934 births, the highest number since 1990.

Migration plays an important role in Thuringia. The internal migration shows a strong tendency from rural areas towards the big cities. From 2008 to 2012,
there was a net migration from Thuringia to Erfurt of +6,700 persons (33 per 1000 inhabitants), +1,800 to Gera (19 per 1000), +1,400 to Jena (14 per 1000),
+1,400 to Eisenach (33 per 1000) and +1,300 to Weimar (21 per 1000). Between Thuringia and the other German states, the balance is negative: In 2012,
Thuringia lost 6,500 persons to other federal states, the most to Bavaria, Saxony, Hesse and Berlin. Only with Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg the balance is
positive. The international migration is fluctuating heavily. In 2009, the balance was +700, in 2010 +1,800, in 2011 +2,700 and in 2012 +4,800. The most
important countries of origin of the Thuringia migrants from 2008 to 2012 were Poland (+1,700), Romania (+1,200), Afghanistan (+1,100) and
Serbia/Montenegro/Kosovo (+1,000), whereas the balance was negative with Switzerland (2,800) and Austria (900).

Population projection
The governmental population projection predicts a further shrinkage of the Thuringian population down to 2.12 millions in 2015 and 2.04 millions in 2020.
The regional effects will be very different. The biggest cities keep growing, whereas many villages will downright die out.

Cities, towns and villages

Of the approximately 850 municipalities of Thuringia, 126 are classed as towns (within a district) or cities (forming their own urban district). Most of the towns
are small with a population of less than 10,000; only the ten biggest ones have a population greater than 30,000. The first towns emerged during the 12th
century, whereas the latest ones received town status only in the 20th century. Today, all municipalities within districts are equal in law, whether they are towns
or villages. Independent cities (i.e. urban districts) have greater powers (the same as any district) than towns within a district.
Rank City District Pop. 2012-12-31 Change* CoA Image

1 Erfurt independent 203,485 +0.68

2 Jena independent 106,915 +0.47

3 Gera independent 95,384 0.55

4 Weimar independent 63,236 +0.35

5 Gotha Gotha 44,371 0.05

6 Nordhausen Nordhausen 41,926 0.35

7 Eisenach independent 41,744 0.12

8 Suhl independent 35,967 1.68

 Rank City District Pop. 2012-12-31 Change* CoA Image

9 Altenburg Altenburger Land 33,343 1.27

10 Mhlhausen Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis 33,235 0.38

* Average annual change in percent within the last three years (2009-12-31 until 2012-12-31), adjusted from incorporations and the 2011 Census results.

Religion
Since the Protestant Reformation, the most prominent Christian denomination in Thuringia has been
Religion in Thuringia - 2015
Lutheranism. During the GDR period, church membership was discouraged and has continued shrinking religion percent
since the reunification in 1990. Today over two thirds of the population is non-religious. The Protestant None or other 70.1%
Evangelical Church in Germany has had the largest number of members in the state, adhered to by 22.2% EKD Protestants 22.2%
of the population in 2015. Members of the Catholic Church formed 7.8% of the population, while 70.1% of Roman Catholics 7.8%
Thuringians were non-religious or adhere to other faiths.[8] The highest Protestant concentrations are in
the small villages of southern and western Thuringia, whereas the bigger cities are even more non-
religious (up to 88% in Gera). Catholic regions are Eichsfeld in the northwest and parts of the Rhn Mountains around Geisa in the southwest. Protestant
church membership is shrinking rapidly, whereas the Catholic Church is somewhat more stable because of Catholic migration from Poland, Southern Europe
and West Germany. Other religions play no significant role in Thuringia. There are only a few thousand Muslims (largely migrants) and about 750 Jews (mostly
migrants from Russia) living in Thuringia. Furthermore, there are some Orthodox communities of Eastern European migrants and some traditional Protestant
Free churches in Thuringia without any societal influence.

The Protestant parishes of Thuringia belong to the Evangelical Church in Central Germany or to the Evangelical Church of Hesse Electorate-Waldeck
(Schmalkalden region). Catholic dioceses are Erfurt (most of Thuringia), Dresden-Meissen (eastern parts) and Fulda (Rhn around Geisa in the very west).

EKD Protestant Catholic membership in

membership in 2011 2011 (municipalities)
(municipalities)

Politics

List of Ministers-President of Thuringia

September 2014 state election

 Summary of the 2014 Landtag of Thuringia elections results
< 2009 Next >

Popular vote Seats

Party
Votes % +/ Seats +/

Christian Democratic Union

315,096 33.5 2.3 34 4
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands CDU

Left
265,425 28.2 0.8 28 1
Die Linke

Social Democratic Party of Germany

116,889 12.4 6.1 12 6
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands SPD

Alternative for Germany

99,548 10.6 10.6 11 11
Alternative fr Deutschland AfD

Alliance '90/The Greens

53,395 5.7 0.5 6
Bndnis 90/Die Grnen

National Democratic Party

34,018 3.6 0.7 0
Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands NPD

Free Democratic Party

23,352 2.5 5.1 0 7
Freie Demokratische Partei FDP

Other parties 33,969 3.5 1.3 0

Valid votes 941,692 98.6 0.4

Invalid votes 13,271 1.4 0.4

Totals and voter turnout 954,963 52.7 3.5 91 3

Electorate 1,812,249 100.00

Source: Wahlrecht.de (http://www.wahlrecht.de/news/2014/landtagswahl-thueringen-2014.html)

Following the election, the Left, Social Democrats and Greens agreed to form a coalition government led by Bodo Ramelow of the Left.[9] The next ordinary state
election is scheduled for 2019.[10]

Local government
Thuringia is divided into 17 districts (Landkreise):

1. Altenburger Land 7. Kyffhuserkreis 13. Smmerda

2. Eichsfeld 8. Nordhausen 14. Sonneberg
3. Gotha 9. Saale-Holzland 15. Unstrut-Hainich
4. Greiz 10. Saale-Orla 16. Wartburgkreis
5. Hildburghausen 11. Saalfeld-Rudolstadt 17. Weimarer Land
6. Ilm-Kreis 12. Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Furthermore, there are six urban districts, indicated on the map by letters:

Erfurt (EF)
Eisenach (EA)
Gera (G)
Jena (J)
Suhl (SHL)
Weimar (WE)

The districts of Thuringia

Economy
Thuringia's economy is marked by the economic transition that happened after the German reunification and led to the closure of most of the factories within
the Land. The unemployment rate reached a peak around 2005. Since that year, the economy has seen an upturn and the general economic situation has
improved.

Agriculture and forestry

Agriculture and forestry have declined in importance over the decades. Nevertheless, they are more important than in the most other areas of Germany,
especially within rural regions. 54% of Thuringia's territory is in agricultural use. The fertile basins such as the large Thuringian Basin or the smaller Goldene
Aue, Orlasenke and Osterland are in intensive use for growing cereals, vegetables, fruits and energy crops. Important products are apples, strawberries, cherries
and plums in the fruit sector, cabbage, potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes (grown in greenhouses), onions, cucumbers and asparagus in the vegetable sector, as
well as maize, rapeseed, wheat, barley and sugar beets in the crop sector.

Meat production and processing is also an important activity, with swine, cattle, chickens and turkeys in focus. Furthermore, there are many milk and cheese
producers, as well as laying hens. Trout and carp are traditionally bred in aquaculture in many villages.

Most agricultural enterprises are large cooperatives, founded as Landwirtschaftliche Produktionsgenossenschaft during the GDR period, and meat producers
are part of multinational companies. Traditional private peasant agriculture is an exception, as is organic farming.

Thuringia's only wine-growing district is situated around Bad Sulza north of Weimar and Jena along the Ilm and Saale valley. Its production is marketed as
Saale-Unstrut wines.

Forestry plays an important role in Thuringia because 32% of the Thuringian territory is forested. The most common trees are spruce, pine and beech. There
are many wood and pulp-paper factories near the forested areas.

Industry and mining

Like most other regions of central and southern Germany, Thuringia has a significant industrial sector reaching back to the mid-19th-century industrialisation.
The economic transition after the German reunification in 1990 led to the closure of most large-scale factories and companies, leaving small and medium-sized
ones to dominate the manufacturing sector. Well-known industrial centres are Jena (a world centre for optical instruments with companies like Carl Zeiss,
Schott and Jenoptik) and Eisenach, where BMW started its car production in the 1920s and an Opel factory is based today. The most important industrial
branches today are engineering and metalworking, vehicle production and food industries. Especially the small and mid-sized towns in central and
southwestern Thuringia (e.g. Arnstadt, Schmalkalden and Ohrdruf) are highly industrialised, whereas there are fewer industrial companies in the northern and
eastern parts of the Land. Traditional industries like production of glass, porcelain and toys collapsed during the economic crises between 1930 and 1990.

Mining was important in Thuringia since the later Middle Ages, especially within the mining towns of the Thuringian Forest such as Schmalkalden, Suhl and
Ilmenau. Following the industrial revolution, the old iron, copper and silver mines declined because the competition from imported metal was too strong. On
the other hand, the late 19th century brought new types of mines to Thuringia: the lignite surface mining around Meuselwitz near Altenburg in the east of the
Land started in the 1870s, and two potash mining districts were established around 1900. These are the Sdharzrevier in the north of the state, between
Bischofferode in the west and Roleben in the east with Sondershausen at its centre, and the Werrarevier on the Hessian border around Vacha and Bad
Salzungen in the west. Together, they accounted for a significant part of the world's potash production in the mid-20th century. After the reunification, the
Sdharzrevier was abandoned, whereas K+S took over the mines in the Werrarevier. Between 1950 and 1990, uranium mining was also important to cover the
Soviet Union's need for this metal. The centre was Ronneburg near Gera in eastern Thuringia and the operating company Wismut was under direct Soviet
control.

General economic parameters

The GDP of Thuringia is below the national average, in line with the other former East German Lands. Until 2004, Thuringia was one of the weakest regions
within the European Union. The accession of several new countries, the crisis in southern Europe and the sustained economic growth in Germany since 2005
has brought the Thuringian GDP close to the EU average since then. The high economic subsidies granted by the federal government and the EU after 1990 are
being reduced gradually and will end around 2020.

The unemployment rate reached its peak of 20% in 2005. Since then, it has decreased to 7% in 2013, which is only slightly above the national average. The
decrease is caused on the one hand by the emergence of new jobs and on the other by a marked decrease in the working-age population, caused by emigration
and low birth rates for decades. The wages in Thuringia are low compared to rich bordering Lands like Hesse and Bavaria. Therefore, many Thuringians are
working in other German Lands and even in Austria and Switzerland as weekly commuters. Nevertheless, the demographic transition in Thuringia leads to a
lack of workers in some sectors. External immigration into Thuringia has been encouraged by the government since about 2010 to counter this problem.

The economic progress is quite different between the regions of Thuringia. The big cities along the A4 motorway such as Erfurt, Jena and Eisenach and their
surroundings are booming, whereas nearly all the rural regions, especially in the north and east, have little economic impetus and employment, which is a big
issue in regional planning. Young people in these areas often have to commute long distances, and many emigrate soon after finishing school.

Infrastructure

Transport
As Germany's most central Land, Thuringia is an important hub of transit traffic. The transportation infrastructure was in very poor condition after the GDR
period. Since 1990, many billions of Euros have been invested to improve the condition of roads and railways within Thuringia.

During the 1930s, the first two motorways were built across the Land, the A4 motorway as an important east-west connection in central Germany and the main
link between Berlin and south-west Germany, and the A9 motorway as the main north-south route in eastern Germany, connecting Berlin with Munich. The A4
runs from Frankfurt in Hesse via Eisenach, Gotha, Erfurt, Weimar, Jena and Gera to Dresden in Saxony, connecting Thuringia's most important cities. At
Hermsdorf junction it is connected with the A9. Both highways were widened from four to six lanes (three each way) after 1990, including some extensive re-
routing in the Eisenach and Jena areas. Furthermore, three new motorways were built during the 1990s and 2000s. The A71 crosses the Land in southwest-
northeast direction, connecting Wrzburg in Bavaria via Meiningen, Suhl, Ilmenau, Arnstadt, Erfurt and Smmerda with Sangerhausen and Halle in Saxony-
Anhalt. The crossing of the Thuringian Forest by the A71 has been one of Germany's most expensive motorway segments with various tunnels (including
Germany's longest road tunnel, the Rennsteig Tunnel) and large bridges. The A73 starts at the A71 south of Erfurt in Suhl and runs south towards Nuremberg in
Bavaria. The A38 is another west-east connection in the north of Thuringia running from Gttingen in Lower Saxony via Heiligenstadt and Nordhausen to
Leipzig in Saxony. Furthermore, there is a dense network of federal highways complementing the motorway network. The upgrading of federal highways is
prioritised in the federal trunk road programme 2015 (Bundesverkehrswegeplan 2015). Envisaged projects include upgrades of the B247 from Gotha to
Leinefelde to improve Mhlhausen's connection to the national road network, the B19 from Eisenach to Meiningen to improve access to Bad Salzungen and
Schmalkalden, and the B88 and B281 for strengthening the Saalfeld/Rudolstadt region.

The first railways in Thuringia had been built in the 1840s and the network of main lines was finished around 1880. By 1920, many branch lines had been built,
giving Thuringia one of the densest rail networks in the world before World War II with about 2,500 km of track. Between 1950 and 2000 most of the branch
lines were abandoned, reducing Thuringia's network by half compared to 1940. On the other hand, most of the main lines were refurbished after 1990, resulting
in improved speed of travel. The most important railway lines at present are the Thuringian Railway, connecting Halle and Leipzig via Weimar, Erfurt, Gotha
and Eisenach with Frankfurt and Kassel and the Saal Railway from Halle/Leipzig via Jena and Saalfeld to Nuremberg. The former has an hourly ICE/IC service
from Dresden to Frankfurt while the latter is served hourly by ICE trains from Berlin to Munich. In 2017, a new high speed line will be opened, diverting long-
distance services from these mid-19th century lines. Both ICE routes will then use the ErfurtLeipzig/Halle high-speed railway, and the Berlin-Munich route
will continue via the NurembergErfurt high-speed railway. Only the segment west of Erfurt of the Frankfurt-Dresden line will continue to be used by ICE
trains after 2017, with an increased line speed of 200 km/h (currently 160 km/h). Erfurt's central station, which was completely rebuilt for this purpose in the
2000s (decade), will be the new connection between both ICE lines. The most important regional railway lines in Thuringia are the Neudietendorf
Ritschenhausen railway from Erfurt to Wrzburg and Meiningen, the WeimarGera railway from Erfurt to Chemnitz, the SangerhausenErfurt railway from
Erfurt to Magdeburg, the GothaLeinefelde railway from Erfurt to Gttingen, the HalleKassel railway from Halle via Nordhausen to Kassel and the Leipzig
Hof railway from Leipzig via Altenburg to Zwickau and Hof. Most regional and local lines have hourly service, but some run only every other hour.

There are a few small airports in Thuringia but the only one with public aviation is ErfurtWeimar Airport. It is used for charter flights to the Mediterranean
and other holiday destinations. The most important airports for scheduled flights are Frankfurt Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport and Munich Airport, all
located in adjacent states. LeipzigAltenburg Airport was served by Ryanair from 2003 to 2011.

Thuringia is Germany's only Land without a connection to waterways because its rivers are too small to be navigable.

Energy and water supply

The traditional energy supply of Thuringia is lignite, mined in the bordering Leipzig region. Since 2000, the importance of environmentally unfriendly lignite
combustion has declined in favour of renewable energies, which reached an amount of 40% (in 2013), and more clean gas combustion, often carried out as
Cogeneration in the municipal power stations. The most important forms of renewable energies are Wind power and Biomass, followed by Solar energy and
Hydroelectricity. Furthermore, Thuringia hosts two big pumped storage stations: the Goldisthal Pumped Storage Station and the Hohenwarte Dam.

The water supply is granted by the big dams, like the Leibis-Lichte Dam, within the Thuringian Forest and the Thuringian Highland, making a drinking water
exporter of Thuringia.

Health
Health care provision in Thuringia improved after 1990, as did the level of general health. Life expectancy rose, nevertheless it is still a bit lower than the
German average. This is caused by a relatively unhealthy lifestyle of the Thuringians, especially in high consumption of meat, fat and alcohol, which led to
significant higher rates of obesity compared to the German average.

Health care in Thuringia is currently undergoing a concentration process. Many smaller hospitals in the rural towns are closing, whereas the bigger ones in
centres like Jena and Erfurt get enlarged. Overall, there is an oversupply of hospital beds, caused by rationalisation processes in the German health care system,
so that many smaller hospitals generate losses. On the other hand, there is a lack of family doctors, especially in rural regions with increased need of health care
provision because of overageing.

Education
In Germany, the educational system is part of the sovereignty of the Lands; therefore each Land has its own school and college system.

School system
The Thuringian school system was developed after the reunification in 1990, combining some elements of the former GDR school system with the Bavarian
school system. Most German school rankings attest that Thuringia has one of the most successful education systems in Germany, resulting in high-quality
outcomes.

Early-years education is quite common in Thuringia. Since the 1950s, nearly all children have been using the service, whereas early-years education is less
developed in western Germany. Its inventor Friedrich Frbel lived in Thuringia and founded the world's first Kindergartens there in the 19th century. The
Thuringian primary school takes four years and most primary schools are all-day schools offering optional extracurricular activities in the afternoon. At the age
of ten, pupils are separated according to aptitude and proceed to either the Gymnasium or the Regelschule. The former leads to the Abitur exam after a further
eight years and prepares for higher education, while the latter has a more vocational focus and finishes with exams after five or six years, comparable to the
Hauptschule and Realschule found elsewhere in Germany.

Universities
The German higher education system comprises two forms of academic institutions: universities and polytechnics (Fachhochschule). The University of Jena is
the biggest amongst Thuringia's four universities and offers nearly every discipline. It was founded in 1558, and today has 21,000 students. The second-largest
is the Technische Universitt Ilmenau with 7,000 students, founded in 1894, which offers many technical disciplines such as engineering and mathematics. The
University of Erfurt, founded in 1392, has 5,000 students today and an emphasis on humanities and teacher training. The Bauhaus University Weimar with
4,000 students is Thuringia's smallest university, specialising in creative subjects such as architecture and arts. It was founded in 1860 and came to prominence
as Germany's leading art school during the inter-war period, the Bauhaus.

The polytechnics of Thuringia are based in Erfurt (4,500 students), Jena (5,000 students), Nordhausen (2,500 students) and Schmalkalden (3,000 students).
In addition, there is a civil service college in Gotha with 500 students, the College of Music "Franz Liszt" in Weimar (800 students) as well as two private
colleges, the Adam-Ries-Fachhochschule in Erfurt (500 students) and the SRH College for nursing and allied medical subjects (SRH Fachhochschule fr
Gesundheit Gera) in Gera (500 students). Finally, there are colleges for those studying for a technical qualification while working in a related field
(Berufsakademie) at Eisenach (600 students) and Gera (700 students).

Research
Thuringia's leading research centre is Jena, followed by Ilmenau. Both focus on technology, in particular life sciences and optics at Jena and information
technology at Ilmenau. Erfurt is a centre of Germany's horticultural research, whereas Weimar and Gotha with their various archives and libraries are centres of
historic and cultural research. Most of the research in Thuringia is publicly funded basic research due to the lack of large companies able to invest significant
amounts in applied research, with the notable exception of the optics sector at Jena.

Personalities
Georg Bhm (1661-1733), German composer and organist of the Baroque period, born in Hohenkirchen
Johann Sebastian Bach (16851750), German composer and musician of the Baroque period, born in Eisenach
Franz Liszt (18111886), Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, teacher and Franciscan tertiary, lived in Weimar
Richard Wagner (18131883), German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor, sojourns in Weimar and Eisenach
Richard Strauss (18641949), German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, director of the Weimar Court Orchestra (Hofkapellmeister)

Johann Sebastian Bach Franz Liszt Richard Wagner

Martin Luther (14831546), German friar (Observant Augustinian), Catholic priest, professor of theology and seminal figure of the 16th-century movement
in Christianity known later as the Protestant Reformation, schooldays in Eisenach, translation of the New Testament from Greek into German at Wartburg
castle
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (17491832), German writer and statesman, went to live in Weimar
Friedrich von Schiller (17591805), German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright; professor of history at the University of Jena before relocating
Weimar

Chamber of Martin Johann Wolfgang von Friedrich von Schiller

Luther at Wartburg Goethe
castle

Meister Eckhart O.P. (c. 1260 c. 1328), German theologian, philosopher and mystic, born near Gotha
Lucas Cranach the Elder (14721553), German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving, lived his last years in Weimar
Johann Gottfried von Herder (17441803), German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic, introduces the Zeitgeist in "Kritische Wlder" (1769),
served as General Superintendent in Weimar
Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland (17621836), German physician, most eminent practical physician of his time in Germany, born in Langensalza
Napolon Bonaparte (17691821), French military and political leader, twin battle of Jena-Auerstedt, October 14, 1806, met Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
at the governor's palace in Erfurt in the presence of Talleyrand, October 2, 1808 (Vous tes un homme. Quel ge avez-vous ? Soixante ans. Vous
tes bien conserv. Vous avez crit des tragdies ? ) ( Voil un homme )
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (17701831), German philosopher, author of the Phenomenology of Spirit, extraordinary Professor at University of Jena
Carl Zeiss (18161888), German maker of optical instruments commonly known for the company he founded, Carl Zeiss Jena, born in Weimar
Karl Marx (18181883), German philosopher, economist, social scientist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist, PhD awarded by
University of Jena
Johannes Brahms (18331897), German composer and pianist, frequent sojourns at Meiningen
Ernst Haeckel (18341919), German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor, and artist, discovered, described, and named thousands of
 new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms, coined many terms in biology, including anthropogeny, ecology, phylum, phylogeny, and
stem cell, professor at University of Jena

Ernst Haeckel

Ernst Abbe (18401905), German physicist, optical scientist, entrepreneur, and social reformer, laid the foundations of modern optics, co-owner of Carl
Zeiss Jena, born in Eisenach
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (18441900), German philologist, philosopher, cultural critic, poet and composer, lived his last years in Weimar
Gottlob Frege (18481925), German mathematician, logician, and philosopher, professor at University of Jena
Otto Schott (18511935), German chemist, glass technologist, and the inventor of borosilicate glass, founder of Jenaer Glaswerk Schott & Genossen
Rudolf Steiner (18611925), Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist, worked to establish various practical endeavors, including
Waldorf education, biodynamic agriculture, and anthroposophical medicine, invited to work as an editor at the Goethe Matenadaran in Weimar
Henry van de Velde (18631957), Belgian painter, architect and interior designer, established the Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School, the predecessor
of the Bauhaus
Max Weber (18641920), German sociologist, philosopher, and political economist, often cited as among the three founding creators of sociology, born in
Erfurt
Richard Strauss (18641949), leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, director of the Weimar Court Orchestra
("Hofkapellmeister") 188994
Vassily Kandinsky (18661944), influential Russian painter and art theorist, credited with painting the first purely abstract works, Bauhaus master, Weimar
Lyonel Feininger (18711956), German-American painter and leading exponent of Expressionism, also worked as a caricaturist and comic strip artist,
Bauhaus master, Weimar
Lon Blum (18721950), French politician, three times Prime Minister of France, imprisoned in Buchenwald
Paul Klee (18791940), Swiss German painter, his highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and
surrealism, Bauhaus master, Weimar
Walter Gropius (18831969), German architect, widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture, founder of the Bauhaus, Weimar
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (18861969), German-American architect, widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture, joined the
Bauhaus, Weimar
Jean Arp (18861966), German-French, or Alsatian, sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist, studied at the Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School, the
predecessor of the Bauhaus
Otto Dix (18911969), German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of Weimar society and the brutality of war,
born in Untermhaus (today Gera)
Uziel Gal (19232002), Israeli gun designer, best remembered as the designer and namesake of the Uzi submachine gun, born in Weimar
Jorge Semprn (19232011), Spanish writer and politician, deported to Buchenwald, realization of Mre blafarde, tendre sur for the Kunstfest art
festival, Weimar, summer 1995
Herbert Kroemer (born 1928 in Weimar), German-American physicist, co-laureate of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2000
Michael Roth (born 1936), German engineer

References
1. "Bevlkerung der Gemeinden, Gemeinschaftsfreie Gemeinde, erfllende/beauftragende Gemeinden, Verwaltungsgemeinschaft/Mitgliedsgemeinden in
Thringen" (http://www.statistik.thueringen.de/datenbank/TabAnzeige.asp?tabelle=gg000102). Thringer Landesamt fr Statistik (in German). July 2016.
2. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052707/https://www.helaba.de/en/DieHelaba/MaerkteUndAnalysen/ResearchUndVolkswirtschaft
/Bundeslaender/Downloads/20140402-ZahlenundFakten.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (https://www.helaba.de/en/DieHelaba/MaerkteUndAnalysen
/ResearchUndVolkswirtschaft/Bundeslaender/Downloads/20140402-ZahlenundFakten.pdf) (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
3. A. Trinius (1898) (https://books.google.com/books?id=63kWAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Das+gr%C3%BCne+Herz+Deutschlands%22&dq=%22Das+gr
%C3%BCne+Herz+Deutschlands%22&hl=en&ei=NMjTTZaYPMeE-waJj6i-CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CE0Q6AEwBA).
Books.google.com. 2009-07-30. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
4. https://archive.is/20080222113531/http://www.leg-thueringen.de/index.php?id=1982&L=1. Archived from the original (http://www.leg-thueringen.de
/index.php?id=1982&L=1) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
5. "World Weather Information Service - Erfurt" (http://worldweather.wmo.int/016/c01344.htm). World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 22 January
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6. Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland - Kirchemitgliederzahlen Stand 31.12.2015 (http://www.ekd.de/download/kirchenmitglieder_2015.pdf) EKD Januar
2017
7. "Die Linke triumph: Mixed reaction as German far-left gains power" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30342441). BBC News. British Broadcasting
Corporation. 5 Dec 2014.
8. Fehndrich, Martin (13 Feb 2013). "bersicht ber die Wahlsysteme bei Landtagswahlen" (http://www.wahlrecht.de/landtage/index.htm). Wahlen, Wahlrecht
und Wahlsysteme.

External links
Official government site (http://www.thueringen.de/)
Tourist website for Thuringia (http://www.thueringen.info/) (in German)
Official Directory (http://www.thueringen-regional.de/) (in German)
 Thuringia (https://dmoztools.net/Regional/Europe/Germany/States/Thuringia/) at DMOZ
Thuringian flags at

1. "Thuringia (Germany)" (http://fotw.vexillum.com/flags/de-th.html). Fotw.vexillum.com. Retrieved 2010-05-22.

2. Marcus Schmger. "Thringen" (http://www.flaggenkunde.de/deutscheflaggen/de-th.htm). Flaggenkunde.de. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
Geographic data related to Thuringia (https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/62366) at OpenStreetMap

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