GERMAN FEDERAL STATE

Thuringia: State Flag, Capital and Regional Profile

Thuringia is a country of low mountains, basin landscapes and former residences in the middle of Germany. Erfurt bundles the political tasks, while Weimar, Eisenach and many smaller towns each have their own historical priorities. The white-red flag looks restrained, but behind the colors of the country stands a multifaceted history that has long been shaped by numerous individual territories.

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Thuringia State Flag & Regional Facts · supplied learning collection

Thuringia at a glance

Name: Thuringia
Country: Germany
Profile type: German federal state
Administrative seat in source record: Erfurt
Historical cultural landscape: Thuringian basin
Literary World Heritage Site: Classic Weimar
Poets in Weimar: Goethe and Schiller
Country education: 1 May 1920
Re-establishment as a federal state: 1990
New Constitution: 25 October 1993
Place of Constitutional adoption: Wartburg in Eisenach
Historical staining plant: Waid
World Heritage Library: Duchess Anna Amalia Library

The Flag of Thuringia

The Thuringian flag shown here has two horizontal stripes of equal height: white above, red below. On this simple country flag, the coat of arms and writing are missing. Especially when distinguishing between Austrian and German regional flags, you have to consider whether a heraldic shield is present or only the color field is shown.

The well-known Thuringian lion belongs to the coat of arms, but cannot be seen on this selection. A flag description should therefore not read him into the picture. The two-colored form and the coat of arms service form can be understood as related but visibly different variants of the same sign.

Thuringia: Location and Territorial Role

Thuringia is located inland and has no sea coast. Erfurt is today's state capital. The distribution of numerous historical centers is explained by earlier territorial fragmentation: several courts and lords set up their own residences, libraries, theatres and administrative places, instead of bringing everything together in a single city.

The Thuringian basin belongs to the old settlement landscapes. South and west, central mountains change the relief. Human use and natural conditions overlap: agriculture, forest use, settlements and transport routes have for a long time formed a mosaic of different habitats that cannot be described as an untouched natural landscape.

Landscape, History and Culture

Today’s landscape has a long history of use. Early farmers cleared forests; later forms of use created meadows, pastures and other open locations. In warmer areas, viticulture and the cultivation of Färberwaid played a role. Thuringia’s landscape can therefore also be read as a historical archive of economic practices.

On 1 May 1920, a common country emerged from several Thuringian states. After changing administrative regulations, Thuringia was again formed as a federal state in 1990. The Free State received its new constitution on 25 October 1993 at the Wartburg. These data mark different steps in government development and should not be mixed together.

Weimar stands for the literary and spiritual flowering around Goethe and Schiller. The UNESCO ensemble Klassisches Weimar comprises houses, library, castles and parks. It shows how courtly promotion, personal networks and designed habitats worked together. Erfurt’s function as capital and Weimar’s cultural significance are different roles within the same country.

Wartburg as a constitutional place

Wartburg near Eisenach is not only a building of medieval history. There, the Thuringian state parliament adopted the new state constitution in 1993. This combines a well-known historical landmark with a clearly dated step in the democratic history of the country after reunification.

Classic Weimar

Goethe's and Schiller's houses form only a part of the world heritage. The Duchess Anna Amalia Library and the Park an der Ilm also belong to the ensemble. The connection between places of residence, collections and landscape makes it clear that cultural history has spatial connections.

Country of residences

The former small state left behind an unusual density of cultural institutions. Castles, parks and theatres tell of competing courtyards and different local developments. This polyphony helps to understand why Thuringia draws its cultural identity from numerous places and not exclusively from the state capital.