100-715: The Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway (also known as the Elstertalbahn —"Elster Valley Railway") is a main railway line in the German federal states of Thuringia and Saxony , which was originally built and operated by the Saxon-Thuringian Railway Company ( Sächsisch-Thüringische Eisenbahngesellschaft ). It runs in the valley of the White Elster ( Weiße Elster ) from Gera via Greiz and Plauen to Weischlitz . The original starting point of
200-675: A halt and it was reclassified as a station in 1905. The station of the settlement of Rentzschmühle, which is part of the Saxon municipality of Pöhl , lies in the valley of the White Elster on the edge of the Thuringian village of Cossengrün. The wooden entrance building is surrounded by several half-timbered houses. Barthmühle ( 50°33′28″N 12°09′49″E / 50.557889°N 12.163595°E / 50.557889; 12.163595 ) Thuringia Thuringia , officially
300-502: 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
400-472: A project for the restoration of the link to the former Wolfsgefärth station (called Gera-Röppisch since 1953; not to be confused with the new halt of Wolfsgefährt, which has been located further south since 2000) that existed until 1892, but instead of restoring the former station, only a junction was built. With its commissioning, the Saxon State Railways route via Gera Ost, Gera-Liebschwitz and
500-525: A relief route, but for connections to southern Germany. After the Reichenbach– Plauen line was restored to two tracks throughout, the utilisation of the lower railway also decreased. At the beginning of the 1980s, the operation of the Ex ;68 Karola once again provided a high-quality long-distance connection in the form of diesel multiple units. This was made possible by the conversion from 1979 of
600-483: A stop on the Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway. Berga (Elster) ( 50°44′50″N 12°09′32″E / 50.747188°N 12.158851°E / 50.747188; 12.158851 ) Berga (Elster) station was opened as a halt on 17 July 1875 and it was reclassified as a station in 1905. It has had the following names: The entrance building of the station was built of red brick. The other significant buildings are
700-447: 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,
800-547: A two-track railway and passed under the southeast tangent road to a junction, where the line to Saalfeld runs to the south and the line to Gößnitz branches off to the east. The now closed section of the Elster Valley Railway branched off to the southeast and passed to the east of the district of Zwötzen and crossed the White Elster to the west of Liebschwitz and came within a few metres of the Saalfeld line in
900-504: Is Germany's driest area, with annual precipitation of only 400 to 500 mm. Artern , in the north-east, is warm and dry, with a mean annual temperature of 8.5 °C and mean precipitation of 450 mm; contrast this with wet, cool Oberhof , in the Thuringian Forest, where temperature averages only 4.4 °C and mean annual precipitation reaches 1300 mm. Due to many centuries of intensive settlement, most of
1000-720: Is a white-red bicolor, derived from the white and red stripes of the Ludowingian lion. The coat of arms and flag of Hesse are quite similar to the Thuringian ones, since they are 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. Named after the Thuringii Germanic tribe who occupied it around AD 300, Thuringia came under Frankish domination in
1100-412: Is about 1.78% less. The current population is 2,120,237 (31 December 2020) with an annual rate of decrease of about 0.5%, which varies widely 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
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#17328016705701200-524: Is eight kilometres south of the capital's Cathedral , in the municipality of Rockhausen . Thuringia's climate is temperate with humid westerly winds predominating. Increasingly as one moves from the north-west to the south-east, the 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, leeward to mountains in all directions. It
1300-600: Is followed up by Werra river valley, dividing it from the Rhön 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 White 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
1400-645: Is intended to create a better connection with the Plauen tram network . During the construction the line between Plauen-Chrieschwitz and Weischlitz was blockaded until 2 November, so that buses replaced trains on this section. It was opened on 7 September 2015. Plauen (Vogtl) unt Bf and Plauen (Vogtl) Zellwolle halt are no longer served. Due to the need to renovate the Liebschwitz Viaduct (speed limit of 10 km/h). DB examined various options for traffic towards Weischlitz. In 2016, DB Netz AG launched
1500-470: Is now Thuringia were the Sorbs proper , who unified all tribes in what is now southern half of Eastern Germany. 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
1600-668: Is the last station in Thuringia towards Weischlitz. Elsterberg ( 50°36′49″N 12°10′03″E / 50.613550°N 12.167461°E / 50.613550; 12.167461 ) Elsterberg station was opened on 8 September 1875. It is the first station in Saxony towards Weischlitz. The station in the north of the town has, besides an entrance building, a staff residence, a freight shed and two signal boxes. Elsterberg Kunstseidenwerk ( 50°36′17″N 12°09′34″E / 50.604840°N 12.159494°E / 50.604840; 12.159494 ) The halt of Elsterberg Kunstseidenwerk
1700-489: The Bahnmeisterei and two signal boxes. Neumühle (Elster) ( 50°42′08″N 12°10′13″E / 50.702232°N 12.170332°E / 50.702232; 12.170332 ) Neumühle (Elster) station was opened on 17 July 1875 as the halt of Neumühle and it was reclassified as a station in 1905. It received its present name in 1922. After the original entrance building was transferred to Wildetaube in 1891,
1800-875: The Bleiloch Dam and the Hohenwarte Dam on the River Saale, as well as the Leibis-Lichte Dam and the Goldisthal Pumped Storage Station in the Thuringian Highlands. Thuringia is Germany's only state with no connection to navigable waterways. The geographic centre of the Federal Republic is in Thuringia, within the municipality of Vogtei next to Mühlhausen . The centre of Thuringia
1900-726: The Eisenbahndirektion ( railway division ) of Dresden to the Eisenbahndirektion Erfurt . The signal boxes were gradually abandoned and demolished from 2005. Today, the station has only the functions of a halt ( Haltepunkt ). Since 24 October 2016, trains run towards Weischlitz via Wolfsgefärth over the Leipzig–Probstzella railway from Gera. Gera Süd Gbf (freight yard, 50°52′11″N 12°04′42″E / 50.869779°N 12.078416°E / 50.869779; 12.078416 ) Directly south of
2000-689: The Elbe , with its tributaries the Unstrut , Ilm and White Elster, drains the most part of Thuringia. The Werra – the headwater of the Weser – drains the south-west and west of the state. Furthermore, some small areas on the southern border are drained by tributaries of the Main , itself a tributary of the Rhine . There are no large natural lakes in Thuringia, but it does have some of Germany's biggest dams, including
2100-761: The Elster valley would have made the major bridges (the Göltzsch and Elster Viaducts ) in Vogtland unnecessary. Saxony also had no interest in a subsequent railway in the Elster valley, because it did not want any competition with its own lines. In 1855, an Eisenbahn-Bauverein (railway building association) was established in Greiz to build a rail connection to the Saxon-Bavarian Railway. A treaty between
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#17328016705702200-786: The Elsterberg –Gera section. There is a two-hourly cycle along the entire route with trains crossing in Elsterberg on the hour, while between Greiz and Gera trains run hourly, with trains crossing in Berga just before the half hour. Special excursions with steam locomotives run between Gera and Cheb, usually on weekends and holidays in the autumn. Freight transport is normally restricted to trains between Gera and Greiz-Dölau, as well as transfers between Weischlitz and Plauen-Chrieschwitz. The wagons are hauled between Gera and Greiz-Dölau by locomotives of classes 203 , 261 or 294 . The deliveries to
2300-566: 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 (Rhön around Geisa in the very west). Thuringia is a stronghold for the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the party emerged as the largest in Thuringia in the 2021 national elections . In 2017
2400-518: The Free State of Thuringia , is one of Germany's 16 states with 2.1 million people, its 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, its 11th-largest in area. Erfurt is the capital and largest city. Other cities include Jena , Gera and Weimar . Thuringia is bordered by Bavaria , Hesse , Lower Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and Saxony . It has been known as "the green heart of Germany" ( das grüne Herz Deutschlands ) from
2500-670: 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
2600-766: 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
2700-518: The Leine river emanates. The central and northern part of Thuringia is defined by the 3,000 km (1,200 sq mi) 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): Dün , Hainleite , Windleite , Kyffhäuser , Hohe Schrecke , Schmücke , Finne , Ettersberg , Steigerwald , Thuringian Forest , Hörselberge and Hainich . Within
2800-545: The Oberes Schloss (Upper Palace) in Greiz. On the second half of the route, the White Elster is crossed a total of fourteen times and it parallels Bundesstraße 92 closely as far as Elsterberg. At the exit from Greiz station, the disused line to Neumark branched off to the east and at the same time the line passes under old steel bridge of the Tannendorfstraße. After the confluence of the Göltzsch with
2900-747: The Principality of Reuss-Greiz , a defunct principality in the modern state's 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 ;
3000-613: 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 Mühlhausen and elsewhere, the Anabaptists found many adherents. Thomas Müntzer , a leader of some non-peaceful groups of this sect, was active in this city. Within
3100-701: The Rhön 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
Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3200-772: The Weimar Republic , six Landtag elections were held. Thuringia was one of the states where the Nazi Party first gained real political power during the Weimar Republic. Wilhelm Frick was appointed Minister of the Interior in the state coalition government after the Nazi Party won six deputies to the Thuringian Landtag in the December 1929 election. In this position, he removed from
3300-640: The Werdau–Mehltheuer railway on 29 August 1876, it reclassified as a station on 1 August 1884. It has had the following names: The present entrance building dates back to 1916. Other buildings are freight and locomotive sheds, workshops and two signal boxes. Since the Wünschendorf (Elster)–Weida section was closed on 1 May 1997 and the Werdau–Wünschendorf (Elster) section was closed on 15 November 2000, Wünschendorf station has only been
3400-595: The electoral threshold of 5%. The other two parties of the traffic light coalition in Berlin, Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), did not pass the threshold and lost all of their seats, which contributed to the break-up of that coalition on November 6th. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) recorded small gains and came second with 24%. The newly-founded Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance BSW debuted in third place at 16%. The AfD in Thuringia became
3500-782: The 1992/93 timetable, only one pair of Eilzug (semi-fast) trains were scheduled on the Greiz– Erfurt (– Fulda ) and on the Gera– Adorf ;(Vogtl) routes. The freight traffic shrank to a few trains on the Greiz–Dölau route and some through trains to the Czech Republic. The branching Greiz–Neumark line was closed and dismantled in 1999. Passenger services have been operated jointly by Vogtlandbahn and Deutsche Bahn since 9 December 2012. Vogtlandbahn operates services between Weischlitz and Gera , while Deutsche Bahn operates on
3600-532: The 2011 Census results. Since the Protestant Reformation , the most prominent Christian denomination in Thuringia has been Lutheranism . During the GDR period, church membership was discouraged and has continued shrinking since the reunification in 1990. Today over two thirds of the population is non-religious. The Protestant Church in Germany has had the largest number of members in the state, adhered to by 20.8% of
3700-557: The 264 metre-long Rüßdorf Tunnel shortens the route. From Lehnamühle the route runs through the Greiz-Werdauer Wald landscape as far as Neumühle station and to a double crossing of the river to Neumühle Tunnel. On the way to Greiz, the river is crossed twice, and this section has one of the most noteworthy works of civil engineering—as shown by its popularity with photographers—the Schlossberg Tunnel under
3800-606: 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 (1247–1264), 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 ,
3900-780: The Basin the smaller hill chains Fahner Höhe and Heilinger Höhen . South of the Thuringian Basin is the state'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 Großer Beerberg (983 m) is Thuringia's highest mountain. To the south-west, the Forest
4000-417: The Districts of Erfurt , Suhl and Gera . Thuringia was re-established in 1990 following German reunification , slightly re-drawn, and became one of the new states of the Federal Republic of Germany. The name Thuringia or Thüringen 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
4100-417: The Elster Valley Railway changing to the western river bank. After passing the quartzite quarry, the Werdau–Mehltheuer railway curves eastwards into the Fuchsbach valley, while the Elster Valley Railway runs through a tunnel for the first time and crosses the river again. In Berga , it crosses federal highway 175 and south of the town it first crosses alluvial farmland, until the river is crosses again and
Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
4200-454: 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 , Mühlhausen 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
4300-447: The Free State of Thuringia ( Freistaat Thüringen ); only Saxe-Coburg voted to join Bavaria instead. Weimar became the new capital. The coat of arms of this new state was simpler than those of its predecessors. The Landtag of the newly established state first convened in 1920 in Weimar. Its deputies were elected for three years according to proportional representation , with a minimum voting age of 21. Between 1920 and 1932, under
4400-443: The German federal system with a unitary state . Thuringia was the location of the Buchenwald concentration camp with multiple subcamps. After being controlled briefly by the US following the end of the Second World War , 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 , Mühlhausen , and Nordhausen . Erfurt became
4500-422: The Greiz-Brunn Railway Company was nationalised and the Neumark–Greiz line became part of the Royal Saxon State Railways . Immediately thereafter, construction began on a short connecting line to the Elster Valley Railway . A 200 metre long tunnel was excavated immediately west of Greiz-Aubachtal station in order to connect with the Elster Valley Railway running from the south into Greiz station. On 15 October 1879,
4600-404: The Principality of Reuss Elder Line and the Kingdom of Saxony was signed on 3 November 1863 as the basis for its construction. On 30 June 1864, the Greiz-Brunn Railway Company ( German : Greiz-Brunner Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft ) was formed. On 17 September 1864, construction began on the line. The starting point of the new line was Neumark station and initially the line ran along the tracks of
4700-465: The Prussian Wolfsgefärth station was abandoned at the same time. The new line required an elaborate new bridge over the White Elster and its floodplains at Liebschwitz. The so-called "lower railway" ( untere Bahn ) was designed for the implementation of two-track operation throughout (tunnels, bridge abutments). In fact, the second track was installed only on the Gera–Wünschendorf and Plauen (Vogtl) Chrieschwitz–Plauen lower station sections. After
4800-414: The Royal Saxon State Railways in Gera. With the dedication to the station in 1893, the station received an entrance building made of red brick. The station had the following names: Since the numerous level crossings were a hindrance to road traffic, the tracks were raised between 1906 and 1911. The current station building was built on Sachsenplatz in Gera in 1911. In 1922, the station was transferred from
4900-426: The Saxon-Bavarian Railway. The line branched off from the main line to the newly built Brunn station in order to continue through the Aubach valley to Greiz-Aubachtal station, which was the end of the line. The line was built fairly quickly, so that the line was completed in October 1865. On 21 October 1865 the line was opened with a procession; regular train services were recorded on 23 October 1865. On 1 January 1876,
5000-425: The Thuringian police force anyone he suspected of being a republican and replaced them with men who were favourable towards the Nazis. He also ensured that, whenever an important position came up within Thuringia, a Nazi was given that post. Following the Nazi seizure of power in Berlin, the Landtag was formally abolished as a result of the " Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich " of 30 January 1934, which replaced
5100-407: The White Elster were important industrial locations. There were also some long-distance rail passenger services to Czechoslovakia , since until the 1970s, the more easterly "upper railway" via Werdau and Reichenbach was partly only single-track due to the dismantling in the post war period and was therefore overloaded. Analogous to this was the use of the parallel Werdau–Mehltheuer railway as
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#17328016705705200-413: The White Elster, the line crosses the Elster twice and runs through the Dölau (or Rothenthal) tunnel, before reaching Greiz-Dölau station. Between Greiz-Dölau and Elsterberg, the line remains on the eastern bank of the Elster and crosses the state border into Saxony, before crossing the river a total of six times and through two tunnel on the subsequent section to Barthmühle. Among the most striking points on
5300-463: 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
5400-402: The area of today's Wolfsgefärth junction, where the current Elster Valley Railway starts. The decommissioned Weida–Wünschendorf–Werdau railway crosses the Elster Valley Railway near the Wünschendorf dolomite works and the two lines converge at Wünschendorf station. Both lines leave the town and the Wünschendorf basin in parallel and reach the narrow and densely wooded valley of the Elster, with
5500-415: The balance was negative with Switzerland (−2,800) and Austria (−900). 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
5600-408: 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 ) kept growing). The 1981 census projected that Thuringia's population would reach 2,221,222 by 2011. The population counted in the 2011 census was 2,181,603, which
5700-415: 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. 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
5800-405: 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
5900-426: 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 25–40 age group ("family founders") which has negative consequences for
6000-454: The construction of the many bridges and the eight tunnels put the Saxon-Thuringian Railway Company into financial difficulties in 1876, so the line had to be sold to the Royal Saxon State Railways ( Königlich Sächsische Staatseisenbahnen ). The Royal Saxon State Railways opened a separate route from Gera ( Reuß ) Sächs Stsb station (now Gera Süd) via Gera Ost and Gera-Liebschwitz to Wünschendorf on 1 December 1892. The original connection to
6100-417: The demolition of the coal and engine sheds in 2015. Greiz-Dölau ( 50°37′48″N 12°11′05″E / 50.630025°N 12.184753°E / 50.630025; 12.184753 ) Greiz-Dölau station was opened on 1 May 1893 as the halt of Dölau and it was reclassified as a station in 1905. Since its opening, the station has had a small entrance building. It has had the following names: Greiz-Dölau
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#17328016705706200-573: The economy has seen an upturn and the general economic situation has improved. Agriculture and forestry have declined in importance over the decades. Nevertheless, they are more important than in 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
6300-405: The end of the Second World War it was dismantled. The Elster Viaduct ( Elstertalbrücke ) on the heavily used line from Gößnitz to Plauen was blown up by the German army on 16 April 1945. In the autumn of 1945, it was possible to resume continuous train operations after the removal of the rubble. After the Second World War the line was of great importance for freight transport, since the towns on
6400-421: The first far-right party in Germany since World War II to win a state election. Thuringia is divided into 17 districts ( Landkreise ): Furthermore, there are five urban districts: 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 in 2005. Since that year,
6500-409: 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 White Elster) is the Osterland or Altenburger Land along Pleiße river, a flat, fertile and densely settled agricultural area. There are two large rivers in Thuringia. The Saale , a tributary of
6600-407: The forested mountains, are protected as natural reserves, including Thuringia's first national park within the Hainich mountains, founded in 1997, the Rhön Biosphere Reserve , the Thuringian Forest Nature Park and the South Harz Nature Park . During the Middle Ages, Thuringia was at the border between Germanic and Slavic territories, marked by the Saale river. The main Slavic tribe in what
6700-559: 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. Neumark%E2%80%93Greiz railway The Neumark–Greiz railway
6800-410: The incorporation of the town into Wünschendorf/Elster , it was renamed Wünschendorf (Elster) Nord in 1953. Wünschendorf (Elster) ( 50°47′51″N 12°05′52″E / 50.797621°N 12.097664°E / 50.797621; 12.097664 ) The halt of Wünschendorf was opened on 17 July 1875 with the Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway. With the opening of the Werdau–Wünschendorf–Weida section of
6900-568: The largest party with 33% of the vote (and 36% of the seats), its best ever performance and the first time it placed first in a state election in Germany. The incumbent governing coalition suffered dramatic losses; the Left had split up, with new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) becoming the more popular part, while the remaining Left lost more than half of its support and fell to fourth place on 13%. The 130+ year old SPD, which since late 2021 rules Germany under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, recorded its worst result in any postwar state election, barely passing
7000-426: The late 19th century due to its broad, dense forest. Most of Thuringia is in the Saale drainage basin , a left-bank tributary of the Elbe . Thuringia is home to the Rennsteig , Germany's best-known hiking trail . Its winter resort of Oberhof makes it a well-equipped winter sports destination – half of Germany's 136 Winter Olympic gold medals had been won by Thuringian athletes as of 2014. Thuringia
7100-417: 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. * Average annual change in percent within the last three years (13 December 2009 to 31 December 2012), adjusted from incorporations and
7200-657: The line is the following section under the Elster Viaduct , which carried the Leipzig–Hof railway . Immediately afterwards the line runs to the confluence of the Trieb and passes the Pöhl dam, which lies 800 metre to the east. The Barthmühle tunnel as well as four other Elster bridges follow until it reaches the industrial city of Plauen with its stations of Chrieschwitz, Mitte, Unterer Bahnhof and Zellwolle, although only
7300-487: The line was at Wolfsgefärth station on the existing Prussian Leipzig–Probstzella railway . The section from Wolfsgefärth to Greiz went into operation on 17 July 1875. The second section from Greiz to Plauen lower station ( Plauen unterer Bahnhof ) was opened on 8 September and the last section was opened to Weischlitz on 20 September of the same year, where it connected with the Plauen–Cheb railway . However,
7400-407: The locomotive-hauled Vindobona trains from class VT 18.16 diesel multiple units. From 1981/82 only freight and local passenger traffic was operated. Typically class 112 (later class 202 ) locomotives were used in passenger traffic and class 120 (later class 220) locomotives were used in freight traffic. After German Reunification in 1990, the importance of the route decreased. In
7500-460: 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
7600-476: The new Mitte station is now served. After leaving the city, the line is approached from the north by the Plauen–Cheb railway , which finally meets the Elster Valley Railway in Kürbitz and the lines run parallel for the remaining two kilometres to Weischlitz. Gera Süd ( 50°52′16″N 12°04′35″E / 50.871161°N 12.076455°E / 50.871161; 12.076455 ) Gera Süd (south) station
7700-562: The new capital of Thuringia. Ostheim , an exclave of Landkreis 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 present State of Thuringia was recreated with slightly altered borders during German reunification in 1990. From
7800-654: 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
7900-546: 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 generally accepted
8000-782: The opening of the section to the lower station in Plauen on 8 September 1875 it was a terminus. Greiz was the capital of the Principality of the Reuss Elder Line and the station became the second largest station on the line. After the purchase of the Neumark–Greiz railway of the Greiz-Brunn Railway Company ( Greiz-Brunner Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft ) by the Kingdom of Saxony, this line was extended in 1876 from Greiz ob Bf (upper station) to Greiz unt Bf , making
8100-463: The party got 22.7%, while in 2021 they got 24.0%. Thuringia is notable for being the first and only state in Germany where the communist party that ruled former East Germany until 1989, The Left (Die Linke), and the new Alternative for Germany (AfD) have seen their first-ever first place finish in a state election. Die Linke in 2019 , and the AfD in 2024 . The Alternative for Germany (AfD) became
8200-514: The population in 2018. Members of the Catholic Church formed 7.6% of the population, while 71.6% of Thuringians were non-religious or adhere to other faiths. 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
8300-569: 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 German citizenship). The biggest groups of foreigners by citizenship are (as of 2012): Russians (3,100), Poles (3,000), Turks (2,100) and Ukrainians (2,000). The number of foreigners varies between regions:
8400-483: The rail operations on the Gera Süd–Wolfsgefärth section to the parallel Leipzig–Probstzella railway, Bahnhof Gera-Liebschwitz was closed on 24 October 2016. Wünschendorf (Elster) Nord ( 50°49′03″N 12°04′41″E / 50.817363°N 12.078001°E / 50.817363; 12.078001 ) The halt of Wünschendorf (Elster) Nord (north) was opened on 1 June 1909 as the halt of Meilitz . After
8500-477: 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 there were 17,934 births, the highest number since 1990. Migration plays an important role in Thuringia. The internal migration shows
8600-601: The sidings in the Plauen municipal area (Zellwolle, Plauen lower station, Chrieschwitz) are hauled by class 261 locomotives (as of May 2013). These wagons are detached in Plauen ;ob Bf and transferred to the line to Cheb ("upper railway") and reverse in Weischlitz . Construction of the new Plauen (Vogtl) Mitte halt began on 24 February 2014 as part of the ÖPNV/SPNV-Verknüpfungsstelle Reichenbacher Straße (Reichenbacher Straße link public transport project). This
8700-414: The station into a junction station. In 1879, the station was renamed Greiz Bahnhof (Greiz station) and it was designated as Greiz in 1897. Parts of the station were rebuilt around 1880 and 1920. After passenger traffic on the line to Neumark ended in 1997, the line was closed in 1999. Since then Greiz station has only been a through station. The freight shed was demolished in 2001. This was followed by
8800-427: The station is the closed Gera Süd Gbf freight yard. It was opened on 1 July 1897. Its tracks were raised between 1906 and 1911. Gera Süd Gbf went out of operations on 1 June 1992. It was subsequently dismantled. Gera Ost ( 50°50′58″N 12°05′34″E / 50.849331°N 12.092790°E / 50.849331; 12.092790 ) The halt of Gera Ost (east) was opened on 1 December 1892 as Zwötzen and
8900-467: The station received its current red brick building. The station also has a wooden waiting room and a goods shed. Greiz ( 50°39′09″N 12°11′38″E / 50.6525°N 12.1940°E / 50.6525; 12.1940 ) Greiz station was opened on 17 July 1875 under the name of Greiz unt Bf (lower station) with the Wolfsgefärth–Greiz section of the Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway. Until
9000-413: The two kilometre long rail link was put into operation. The last development of the line was the building of a separate track between Neumark and Brunn, which was opened on 19 May 1886. In 1924, the line was officially reclassified from a main line to a branch line. After the political changes in 1989/1990 the number of passengers on the line continued to fall. Passenger services were finally close at
9100-426: The viaduct over the Elster, which had existed since 1892, has now been closed. Since then, the trains have been running from Wolfsgefärth over the largely parallel line of the Leipzig–Probstzella railway to Gera. The parallel section of the Elster Valley Railway was taken out of service at the same time and the trains now run from Wolfsgefärth via the Leipzig–Probstzella railway to Gera. Trains leave Gera Süd station on
9200-592: Was a branch line in the German states of Saxony and Thuringia , which was built by the Greiz-Brunn Railway Company . It ran from Neumark in the Vogtland district of Saxony to Greiz in Thuringia, but was closed in 1999. As early as 1839, manufacturers in Greiz had sought a connection to the then projected Saxon-Bavarian Railway ( Leipzig–Hof railway ). Ultimately, this line was built entirely on Saxon territory, although an alignment through
9300-405: Was closed on 24 October 2016. Gera-Liebschwitz ( 50°50′19″N 12°04′51″E / 50.838492°N 12.080763°E / 50.838492; 12.080763 ) Gera-Liebschwitz station was opened on 1 December 1892 as a halt and reclassified as a station in 1905. The entrance building and the work shops are made of red brick. The station had the following names: With the relocation of
9400-600: Was established in 1920 by the Weimar Republic through a merger of the Ernestine duchies , save for Saxe-Coburg . After World War II , Thuringia came under the Soviet occupation zone in Allied-occupied Germany , and its borders were reformed, to become contiguous . Thuringia became part of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, but was dissolved in 1952 during administrative reforms , and divided into
9500-619: Was favoured by or was the birthplace of three key intellectuals and leaders in the arts: Johann Sebastian Bach , Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , and Friedrich Schiller . The state has the University of Jena , the Ilmenau University of Technology , the University of Erfurt , and the Bauhaus University of Weimar . The Frankish Duchy of Thuringia was established around 631 AD by King Dagobert I . The modern state
9600-574: 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
9700-484: Was opened on 1 December 1949 as the halt of Elsterberg Spinnfaser in the vicinity of the VEB Clara Zetkin rayon factory in the south of the town. It was renamed Elsterberg Kunstseidenwerk (rayon factory) in 1956. Rentzschmühle ( 50°34′29″N 12°09′28″E / 50.574809°N 12.157847°E / 50.574809; 12.157847 ) Rentzschmühle station was opened on 8 September 1875 as
9800-582: Was opened on 1 June 1886 as Gera-Pforten freight yard at the junction of the Leipzig–Probstzella and Gößnitz–Gera railways. On 1 December 1892, Royal Saxon State Railways ( Königlich Sächsische Staatseisenbahnen ) opened the Gera Süd– Wünschendorf section as an independent route for the Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway. The station in the Gera district of Pforten thus became the first station of
9900-401: Was reclassified as a station ( Bahnhof ) in 1905. The station had the following names: The station has a red brick entrance building, as well as freight sheds, workshops and a Bahnmeisterei (track supervisor's office). It was reclassified as a halt in 1972. With the relocation of the rail operations on the Gera Süd–Wolfsgefärth section to the parallel Leipzig–Probstzella railway, Gera Ost halt
10000-452: 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 White 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,
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