Schmalkalden

Schmalkalden (German pronunciation: [ʃmalˈkaldən]) is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, in the southwest of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is on the southern slope of the Thuringian Forest at the Schmalkalde river, a tributary to the Werra. As of 31 December 2010, the town had a population of 19,978.

Schmalkalden
Schmalkalden about 1900
Coat of arms
Location of Schmalkalden within Schmalkalden-Meiningen district
Schmalkalden
Schmalkalden
Coordinates: 50°43′N 10°27′E
CountryGermany
StateThuringia
DistrictSchmalkalden-Meiningen
Government
 • MayorThomas Kaminski (Ind.)
Area
 • Total105.35 km2 (40.68 sq mi)
Elevation
295 m (968 ft)
Population
 (2018-12-31)[1]
 • Total19,732
 • Density190/km2 (490/sq mi)
Time zoneCET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes
98574
Dialling codes03683
Vehicle registrationSM
Websitewww.schmalkalden.de

History

First mentioned in an 874 deed, Smalcalta in the Frankish duchy of Thuringia received town privileges about 1180. When Landgrave Henry Raspe of Thuringia died without issue in 1247, it passed to the House of Henneberg-Schleusingen, while the major part of the landgraviate fell to the House of Wettin in Meissen. To secure their acquisition the Counts of Henneberg allied with the Landgraviate of Hesse, including the conclusion of an inheritance treaty. In 1360, together with Landgrave Henry II of Hesse they paid off Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg, son of Elisabeth of Henneberg.

Schmalkalden, Matthäus Merian, Topographia Hassiae, engraving, 1655

In 1531 the town hall of Schmalkalden was the site of the establishment of the Schmalkaldic League by Protestant princes under the lead of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse, in order to protect religious and political interests within their domains. In 1537 the Smalcald Articles were drawn up by Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon and other reformers.

When the Counts of Henneberg became extinct in 1583, their share was inherited by William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. William made the town a residence and had Wilhelmsburg Castle erected, finished in 1590. The Lordship of Schmalkalden remained an exclave of Hesse, from 1868 on it was part of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau until it was incorporated into the Province of Saxony in 1944 and in 1945 became part of the State of Thuringia.

The town sustained heavy bomb damage in World War II. From 1949 on, with Thuringia, it formed part of East Germany. After reunification it attained its present political configuration. In July 2018 the former municipality of Springstille was merged into Schmalkalden.

  • St. George Church
  • Wilhelmsburg
  • Marketplace Schmalkalden
  • Frame House near Marketplace
  • Church St. George
  • Row of Houses at Marketplace
Lordship of Schmalkalden

Herrschaft Schmalkalden
1247–1583
StatusState of the Holy Roman Empire
CapitalSchmalkalden
GovernmentPrincipality
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• Acquired by Henneberg
1247
• Joint rule with Hesse
1360
• To Hesse-Kassel
1583
• To Thuringia
1944
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Landgraviate of Thuringia
Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel

Notable people

International relations
Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Schmalkalden is twinned with:

Notes
  1. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden, erfüllenden Gemeinden und Verwaltungsgemeinschaften nach Geschlecht in Thüringen Gebietsstand: 31.12.2018". Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik (in German). September 2019.
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References
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