Meiningen is a district and cultural city in the Franconian south of Thuringia.
Meiningen has the function of a center and is the largest city in the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen.
It is the cultural and judicial center of South Thuringia and an important economic center of the region.
The fulfilling municipality of Meiningen has 27,844 inhabitants.
Meiningen is located on the Werra, has extensive parks and numerous classicist buildings in the city center.
The historic old town, still surrounded by the medieval moats of the former city fortifications, is characterized by an eclectic quarter and half-timbered buildings as well as town houses.
Meiningen was founded as a Franconian royal estate and was first mentioned in 982.
From 1008 it belonged to the Hochstift Würzburg for more than half a millennium and, due to its favorable location, soon developed into the most important city in today's southern Thuringia. It was able to maintain this position from 1583 as the administrative seat of the Henneberg region and from 1680 as the capital and residence of the Duchy of Saxony-Meiningen until the 20th century.
The city was also known for a profound theater reform under Duke Georg II and a great heyday of the Meininger Hofkapelle under the leadership of well-known conductors such as Hans von Bülow and Max Reger.
(Source: Wikipedia)