Meiningen

Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the Southern part of the state Thuringia in the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen.

The place was first mentioned in 982 A.D. and was chartered in 1344 A.D. Its name of inhabitants are Meininger

Situated on the river Werra the town today has about 26,000 inhabitants.

History

Between 1680 to 1918, it was part of Saxony-Meiningen . The fairy tale collector and writer Ludwig Bechstein were an archivist in Meiningen.

Sites of Interest

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

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 was employed. The activity of the Theaterherzogs George II of Saxony-Meiningen (1866-1914) lead to international celebrity. Bülow was replaced by Max Reger from 1911 to 1914. The First World War closed down the theatre.