Thuringia | German State, History & Culture

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class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringia">Thuringia</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/place/Thuringia">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref277652"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Thuringia#ref277652">Geography</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref277653"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Thuringia/History">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringia/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Thuringia">Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a 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alt="Goethe National Museum" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/26/12126-004-4AE7403F/Wartburg-hill-Germany-Eisenach.jpg" data-href="/media/1/594417/92533" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/26/12126-004-4AE7403F/Wartburg-hill-Germany-Eisenach.jpg" alt="The Wartburg" height="50" /> </a> <a href="/video/Overview-Johann-Wolfgang-von-Goethe-Weimar-discussion/191879" data-href="/media/1/594417/191879" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <div class="position-relative --aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/76/179776-138-E93DCFA7/Overview-Johann-Wolfgang-von-Goethe-Weimar-discussion.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Discovering Weimar, Germany: A city rich in art and culture" class="col-100" /> <div class="btn btn-sm btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%)"> <em class="material-icons font-14" 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The death toll in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 is believed to be 38,000 with at least 1,300 more dead in Indian Kashmir. SEE CONTENT NOTES." width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/list/6-of-the-worlds-deadliest-natural-disasters" >6 of the World’s Deadliest Natural Disasters</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/list/secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/45/189145-131-45FF672E/Secret-Service-Agent-Earpiece.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/list/secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents" >Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/list/6-deadliest-earthquakes"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/166941-131-E27FD3A6/Yingxiu-school-China-Sichuan-earthquake-May-2008.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008." width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/list/6-deadliest-earthquakes" >The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/story/how-does-wi-fi-work"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/197118-131-00A7D6AF/Computer-Code-Binary-Internet-Password-Data-Technology.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Binary Computer Code, Binary Code, Internet, Technology, Password, Data" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/story/how-does-wi-fi-work" >How Does Wi-Fi Work?</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/story/did-george-washington-really-say-i-cant-tell-a-lie"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/82/110382-050-E95BCB99/Grant-Woods-Parsons-Weems-Fable.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Parsons Weems' Fable, oil on canvas by Grant Wood, 1939; in the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Catalog entry: The historian Mason Locke Weems, commonly known by his clerical title, Parson Weems, pulls back a curtain to point at 6-year-old George Washington. Bearing an adult head and holding an axe, George gazes blankly up at his father, Augustine, who questions his son while holding a partially cut cherry tree. All of this takes place in front of a 20th-century brick building, which Wood modeled after his own home in Iowa. The scene illustrates the fable of Washington and the cherry tree, which Weems invented in 1806 for the first president's biography. Wood playfully suggests the artifice of the tale here, presenting the story in the manner of a costumed stage play rather than a real event. Amid the action, two Black figures pick cherries in the background, a reference to Washington' slaveholding past and a reminder of of what often gets left out in historical mythmaking." width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/story/did-george-washington-really-say-i-cant-tell-a-lie" >Did George Washington Really Say, “I Can’t Tell a Lie”? </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <button class="drawerToggle btn position-sticky border btn-xs btn-white btn-circle rounded-sm d-none d-lg-flex " type="button" aria-label="Toggle Drawer"> <em class="material-icons font-18 text-blue" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="h-100 ml-0 pr-lg-0 "> <div class="h-100 grid gx-0 gx-lg-20"> <div class="h-100 col-sm"> <div class="h-100 infinite-pagination-container d-flex flex-column position-relative"> <div class="position-absolute top-0 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class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"> <a style="min-height: 160px;" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/29/101829-004-9AE90970/Wartburg-Eisenach-Ger.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/594417/101134"> <picture> <source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/29/101829-004-9AE90970/Wartburg-Eisenach-Ger.jpg?w=300"> <img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/29/101829-004-9AE90970/Wartburg-Eisenach-Ger.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop" alt="Wartburg, Eisenach, Ger." loading="eager" /> </picture> <button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"> <em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> </button> </a> </div> <figcaption class="card-body"> <div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"> <span> <a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/29/101829-004-9AE90970/Wartburg-Eisenach-Ger.jpg" data-href="/media/1/594417/101134"></a> <span><span>Wartburg, Eisenach, Ger.</span></span> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <span class="link-blue">(more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div><div class="topic-header"> <div class="d-flex align-items-top justify-content-between"> <div class="d-flex flex-column"> <div> <div> <h1>Thuringia</h1></div> </div> <div class="topic-identifier font-16 font-md-20">historical region and state, Germany</div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-flex flex-row"> <div class="mr-10 mb-15"> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 px-sm-5 px-md-10 js-inline-ai-ask-button"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> 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Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="Berentsen, William H." data-authors-initial="Berentsen, W.H." data-title="Thuringia" data-published-date="13 Nov. 2024" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringia" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=594417] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="Thuringia" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringia" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringia">https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringia</a> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-feedback-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal=".md-feedback-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="message"></em> Feedback </button> </div> <div> <button class="qa-external-website-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=594417] .md-websites-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 mr-5" data-icon="link"></em> External Websites </button> </div> </div> <div class="md-feedback-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom"> Feedback </div> <form method="post" action="/submission/feedback/594417"> <div class="my-20"> Corrections? 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEurope/GermanyThuringia.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">The History Files - Thuringia</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/26/travel/thuringia-a-land-of-long-ago.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">The New York Times - Thuringia, a Land of Long Ago</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.thueringen-entdecken.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Official Tourism Site of Thuringia, Germany</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/de-th.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">CRW Flags - Flag of Thuringia, Germany</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 d-none mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10 px-sm-5 px-md-10 js-header-ai-ask-button"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Thüringen</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/William-H-Berentsen/4877" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">William H. Berentsen</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Professor of Geography, University of Connecticut, Storrs. Editor of <i>Contemporary Europe: A Geographical Analysis</i>.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> William H. Berentsen</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringia/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 module-spacing js-inline-ai-ask-button p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>German: </dt> <dd>Thüringen</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Thuringia"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="115543" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/114935-050-3EB69017/Thuringia-locator-map-Germany.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/594417/115543"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/114935-050-3EB69017/Thuringia-locator-map-Germany.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/114935-050-3EB69017/Thuringia-locator-map-Germany.jpg?w=300" alt="Thuringia, Germany locator map" data-width="1155" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref59288"></span>Thuringia</strong>, historic region and <em>Land</em> (state) of east-central <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Germany</a>. Thuringia is surrounded by the German states of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lower-Saxony" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lower Saxony</a> to the northwest, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Saxony-Anhalt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Saxony-Anhalt</a> to the northeast, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Saxony-state-Germany" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Saxony</a> to the southeast, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Bavaria" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bavaria</a> to the south, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Hessen" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hessen</a> to the west. The capital is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Erfurt-Germany" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Erfurt</a>. Area 6,244 square miles (16,172 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) 2,334,575.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref277652"><h2 class="h1">Geography</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Thuringia extends eastward from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Werra-River" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Werra River</a> (a headstream of the Weser) to beyond the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Saale-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Saale River</a> as far as the Pleisse and northward from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringian-Forest" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Thuringian Forest</a> and the northernmost parts of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Franconian-Forest" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Franconian Forest</a> to the southern foothills of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Harz" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Harz </a>mountains. Much of the landscape of southern Thuringia is characterized by the picturesque rounded hills of the Thuringian Forest, whose northern slopes reach elevations of about 3,000 feet (900 metres). Lying between the Thuringian Forest and the Harz range on the northern border is the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thuringian-Basin" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Thuringian Basin</a>, a fertile agricultural region whose eastward-flowing streams are tributaries of the Saale. The southeastern portion of the state consists of the mountainous region of the Franconian Forest and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Vogtland" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Vogtland</a>. Extreme eastern Thuringia is <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="traversed" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traversed" data-type="MW">traversed</a> by the westerly offshoots of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Ore-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ore Mountains</a> (Erzgebirge), while the Rhön Mountains extend into western Thuringia. A large reservoir is located in Thuringia on the Saale, which flows basically northward. Regrettably, Thuringia has suffered high levels of damage to its forests from pollutants originating from industrial activities in nearly all wind directions. Still, a unique red beech forest habitat has been preserved in the Hainich National Park south of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Muhlhausen" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mühlhausen</a>. Like the rest of Germany, Thuringia has a relatively temperate climate.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Thuringia’s population is almost exclusively composed of ethnic Germans; there are no major <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="indigenous" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigenous" data-type="MW">indigenous</a> ethnic minorities, and only a very small percentage of the population are foreign nationals. The state, which had been slowly losing population for decades, experienced a decrease in population of about one-tenth in the last decade of the 20th century.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Agriculture contributes only a relatively small amount to total economic output and employment, although half the state’s land is given over to farming. Wheat, barley, sugar beets, rape, fodder crops, and market vegetables predominate in the basin’s agriculture, and orchards and vineyards cover the slopes overlooking the Ilm River. The only notable industrial resources in Thuringia are deposits of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/lignite" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">lignite</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/potash" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">potash</a> worked in the northern part of the Thuringian <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Basin" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Basin" data-type="EB">Basin</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/natural-gas" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">natural gas</a> pumped from the western part of the basin.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Thuringia is a relatively poor state by German standards, and, owing to severe economic problems following <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/German-reunification" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">German reunification</a> in 1990, its populace suffers from high levels of unemployment. The state’s economy is now largely dependent upon service-sector activities, but industrial production, though diminished since 1990, is still important. The principal manufactures are automobiles and auto parts, metalworking, precision machinery and instruments, optics, electrical equipment, a much diminished textile sector, and biotechnology. Glass, wood, and toy industries are found in some towns of the forest valleys. Despite the economic problems that came with unification, Thuringia has one of the most significant concentrations of ‘‘new economy’’ activities among the eastern German states, including a biotechnology industry and the production of microelectronics, optics, medical and electronic equipment, and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="pharmaceuticals" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/pharmaceuticals" data-type="EB">pharmaceuticals</a>. Auto manufacturing is also important.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="109716" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/101852-004-780CD3E4/Market-square-Erfurt-Ger.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/594417/109716"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/101852-004-780CD3E4/Market-square-Erfurt-Ger.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/101852-004-780CD3E4/Market-square-Erfurt-Ger.jpg?w=300" alt="Erfurt, Germany" data-width="550" data-height="394" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/101852-004-780CD3E4/Market-square-Erfurt-Ger.jpg" data-href="/media/1/594417/109716">Erfurt, Germany</a><span>Market square, Erfurt, Germany.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Erfurt-Germany" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Erfurt</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Jena-Germany" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jena</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Gera-Germany" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Gera</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Weimar-Germany" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Weimar</a> are the main urban localities in the state and serve as regional centres for service activities. A modest tourist industry that largely serves German travelers is focused on cultural activities and historical sites in<a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Eisenach" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"> Eisenach</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Meiningen" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Meiningen</a>, and Weimar and on the scenic beauties of the Harz mountains and the Thuringian Forest.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Thuringia’s primary transportation facilities are east-west oriented rail and autobahn routes linking major cities in Saxony with north-south rail and autobahn routes in central Germany and the Rhine region.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } 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justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=august-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="15174" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/8763-004-A9DCB02A/Belvedere-Castle-Weimar-Germany.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/594417/15174"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/8763-004-A9DCB02A/Belvedere-Castle-Weimar-Germany.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/8763-004-A9DCB02A/Belvedere-Castle-Weimar-Germany.jpg?w=300" alt="Belvedere Castle" data-width="481" data-height="300" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/8763-004-A9DCB02A/Belvedere-Castle-Weimar-Germany.jpg" data-href="/media/1/594417/15174">Belvedere Castle</a><span>Belvedere Castle, Weimar, Germany.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="102090" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/101839-004-0ADF9482/Interior-Goethe-National-Museum-Ger-Weimar.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/594417/102090"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/101839-004-0ADF9482/Interior-Goethe-National-Museum-Ger-Weimar.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/101839-004-0ADF9482/Interior-Goethe-National-Museum-Ger-Weimar.jpg?w=300" alt="Goethe National Museum" data-width="550" data-height="391" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/101839-004-0ADF9482/Interior-Goethe-National-Museum-Ger-Weimar.jpg" data-href="/media/1/594417/102090">Goethe National Museum</a><span>Interior of the Goethe National Museum, Weimar, Germany.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The state of Thuringia is governed by a Landtag (parliament) and a minister-president, who is generally a leading member of the parliament’s strongest party. Jena, Erfurt, Ilmenau, and Weimar are sites of universities. Weimar is also a major historical and contemporary centre for <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a> in Thuringia. The city was home to some of Germany’s most important historical cultural figures, such as the writer and philosopher <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Wolfgang-von-Goethe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Johann Wolfgang von Goethe</a> and the dramatist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Schiller" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Friedrich von Schiller</a>, whose former homes are now museums. Those museums, along with more than a dozen other buildings and parks throughout Weimar dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, were collectively designated the UNESCO <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-Heritage-site" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World Heritage site</a> of Classical Weimar in 1998. Weimar has numerous other sights, notably the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bauhaus" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bauhaus</a> museum, also a World Heritage site (1996), as well as art galleries, archives, and theatres, several of which occupy buildings with historical and architectural significance.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="92533" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/26/12126-004-4AE7403F/Wartburg-hill-Germany-Eisenach.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/594417/92533"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/26/12126-004-4AE7403F/Wartburg-hill-Germany-Eisenach.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/26/12126-004-4AE7403F/Wartburg-hill-Germany-Eisenach.jpg?w=300" alt="The Wartburg" data-width="232" data-height="300" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/26/12126-004-4AE7403F/Wartburg-hill-Germany-Eisenach.jpg" data-href="/media/1/594417/92533">The Wartburg</a><span>The Wartburg, on a hill above Eisenach, Germany.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Erfurt, another cultural centre, is particularly well <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="endowed" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/endowed" data-type="EB">endowed</a> with historic architectural treasures. Meiningen is home to renowned theatre productions, which have a long tradition in the city. The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wartburg" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Wartburg</a>, a castle located just south of Eisenach, is a World Heritage site (1999) not only because of its feudal origins but also because of its cultural heritage: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Luther" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Martin Luther</a> translated the New Testament into German while in exile there.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-simplify-root"></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":2,"pageId":594417,"pageLength":862,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.36"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.133.36' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Thuringia | German State, History & Culture | Britannica