Sonneberg (district)

Last updated
Sonneberg
District
Hissflagge Landkreis Sonneberg.svg
Flag
DEU Landkreis Sonneberg COA.svg
Coat of arms
Sonneberg (district)
Country Germany
State Thuringia
Founded1868
Capital Sonneberg
Government
 • District admin. Robert Sesselmann (AfD)
Area
 • Total460.83 km2 (177.93 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2021) [1]
 • Total56,504
 • Density120/km2 (320/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Vehicle registration SON, NH
Website www.landkreis-sonneberg.de

Sonneberg is a Kreis (district) in the south of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the west clockwise) the districts Hildburghausen, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, and the Bavarian districts Kronach and Coburg.

Contents

History

The district was created in 1868 when districts were introduced in Saxe-Meiningen. In 1952, parts of the district were split off into a newly created district Neuhaus am Rennweg. In 1994, Neuhaus am Rennweg was dissolved and the district Sonneberg regained its original size. In 2019 the municipalities Lichte and Piesau from the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt came as villages into the town Neuhaus am Rennweg in the district Sonneberg.

Geography

The district is located on the southern slopes of the mountains of the Thuringian Forest. The land descends from the more than 800m tall hills (the highest elevation is the 869m high Großer Farmdenkopf) down to the lower plains Sonneberger Unterland and Schalkauer Platte. The Dreistromstein near Siegmundsburg near Neuhaus am Rennweg marks the intersection of three watersheds that drain into the rivers Rhine, Weser, and Elbe.

Politics

Jürgen Köpper of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has served as interim district administrator since Hans-Peter Schmitz resigned in March 2023, citing health concerns. [2] An early election to replace him took place on 11 June 2023, with a runoff held on 25 June. In the runoff, Jürgen Köpper was defeated by Robert Sesselmann of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). This marked the first time any AfD candidate had been elected district administrator, and the first executive position to be held by the party. [3]

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes %Votes %
Robert Sesselmann Alternative for Germany 10,94146.714,99252.8
Jürgen Köpper Christian Democratic Union 8,37135.713,41947.2
Anja Schönheit Social Democratic Party 3,10713.3
Nancy Schwalbach The Left/The Greens 1,0234.4
Valid votes23,44298.928,41198.7
Invalid votes2631.13671.3
Total23,705100.028,778100.0
Electorate/voter turnout48,29949.148,26159.6
Source: Wahlen Thüringen

Coat of arms

DEU Landkreis Sonneberg COA.svg The coat of arms shows symbols of the historic states which make up the territory of the district. In the top left field is the lion as symbol of the county of Meißen. In the top right field is the symbol of the Lords of Sonneberg, which includes sheep shears. The bottom left field displays the symbol of the Counts of Schaumberg-Rauenstein, and the bottom right field shows the coat of arms of Saxony.
Coat of arms until 1952 DEU Landkreis Sonneberg COA 1952.svg
Coat of arms until 1952

Until 1952, a coat of arms introduced in the 1920s was used, which shows the coat of arms of the House of Henneberg instead of the Lords of Sonneberg in the top right field as another important part of Sonneberg's history.

Towns and municipalities

Clickable map of towns and municipalities in the district Municipalities in SON.svgSteinach
Clickable map of towns and municipalities in the district
TownsMunicipalities
  1. Lauscha
  2. Neuhaus am Rennweg
  3. Schalkau
  4. Sonneberg
  5. Steinach
  1. Föritztal
  2. Frankenblick
  3. Goldisthal

Related Research Articles

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Saalfeld-Rudolstadt is a Kreis (district) in the south of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Weimarer Land, Saale-Holzland, Saale-Orla, the district Kronach in Bavaria, and the districts Sonneberg, Hildburghausen and Ilm-Kreis.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gräfenthal</span> Town in Thuringia, Germany

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauscha</span> Town in Thuringia, Germany

Lauscha is a town in the district of Sonneberg, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 13 km north of Sonneberg, and 24 km southwest of Saalfeld. Lauscha is known for its glassblowing, especially for Christmas tree decorations like baubles.

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Neuhaus am Rennweg is a town in the district of Sonneberg, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Thuringian Forest, 17 km north of Sonneberg, and 22 km southwest of Saalfeld. The former municipalities Lichte and Piesau were merged into Neuhaus am Rennweg in January 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lichte</span> Ortsteil of Neuhaus am Rennweg in Thuringia, Germany

Lichte is a village and a former municipality in the district of Sonneberg in Thuringia, Germany, close to the Thuringian Rennsteig. Formerly in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, it is part of the town Neuhaus am Rennweg since January 2019.

Piesau is a village and a former municipality in the district of Sonneberg in Thuringia, Germany, close to the Thuringian Rennsteig. Formerly in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, it is part of the town Neuhaus am Rennweg since January 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thuringian Highland</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonneberg (Thür) Hauptbahnhof</span>

Sonneberg (Thür) Hauptbahnhof is a railway station for the city of Sonneberg in the German state of Thuringia and is on the Coburg–Sonneberg line. The station was built as part of the construction of the Hinterland Railway and still plays a central role in public transport of Sonneberg and the surrounding area. It was built in 1907 to replace the old station, which was built in 1857 and 1858 by the Werra Railway Company, together with the single-track Coburg–Sonneberg line, a branch line of the Werra Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rückersbiel</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lichte (Thuringia) station</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lichte (Thuringia) east station</span>

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Hildburghausen II – Sonneberg II is an electoral constituency represented in the Landtag of Thuringia. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 20. It covers the eastern part of Hildburghausen district and the northern part of Sonneberg district.

Saalfeld-Rudolstadt II is an electoral constituency represented in the Landtag of Thuringia. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 29 and It covers the eastern part of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saalfeld-Rudolstadt – Saale-Holzland-Kreis – Saale-Orla-Kreis</span> Federal electoral district of Germany

Saalfeld-Rudolstadt – Saale-Holzland-Kreis – Saale-Orla-Kreis is an electoral constituency represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 195. It is located in eastern Thuringia, comprising the districts of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Saale-Holzland-Kreis, and Saale-Orla-Kreis.

References

  1. ↑ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden, erfüllenden Gemeinden und Verwaltungsgemeinschaften in Thüringen Gebietsstand: 31.12.2021" (in German). Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik. June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Sonneberger district administrator retired - first candidate reports". Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (in German). 2 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Germany: Far-right AfD wins first governing post". Deutsche Welle . 25 June 2023.

50°25′N11°10′E / 50.42°N 11.17°E / 50.42; 11.17

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