Greiz (district)

**Greiz** is a Landkreis (rural district) in the east of Thuringia, Germany.

## History

Historically the area of the district was part of the _Vogtland_, named after the title _Vogt_ given to the local rulers in the 13th century. Only two lines of the _Reuß_ family survived from that time, with one principality based in Greiz, and the other in Gera and Schleiz. In 1919 both were merged into the _Volksstaat Reuß_ (People's State of Reuss), which then became part of Thuringia in 1920.

A subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp was located at Berga/Elster during World War II. The SS made inmates dig tunnels and lay railway tracks for the Schwalbe V project.

The district in its current form was created on July 1, 1994, when the districts Gera-Land, Zeulenroda and the previous district Greiz were merged.

## Towns and municipalities

|_Verwaltungsgemeinschaft_-free towns|and municipalities|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|valign=top|# Bad Köstritz # Berga/Elster # Greiz # Ronneburg # Weida # Zeulenroda-Triebes|valign=top|# Caaschwitz # Crimla # Harth-Pöllnitz # Hartmannsdorf # Kraftsdorf # Langenwetzendorf # Langenwolschendorf|valign=top|<ol start=8> <li>Mohlsdorf <li>Neumühle/Elster <li>Teichwolframsdorf <li>Vogtländisches Oberland <li>Weißendorf <li>Wünschendorf/Elster </ol>|
|colspan=3|Verwaltungsgemeinschaften|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
||**1. Am Brahmetal** # Bethenhausen # Brahmenau # Großenstein<sup>1</sup> # Hirschfeld # Korbußen # Pölzig # Reichstädt # Schwaara **2. Auma-Weidatal** # Auma<sup>1, 2</sup> # Braunsdorf # Göhren-Döhlen # Merkendorf # Silberfeld # Staitz # Wiebelsdorf # Zadelsdorf||**3. Ländereck** # Braunichswalde # Endschütz # Gauern # Hilbersdorf # Kauern # Linda bei Weida # Paitzdorf # Rückersdorf # Seelingstädt<sup>1</sup> **4. Leubatal** # Hain # Hohenleuben<sup>1, 2</sup> # Hohenölsen # Kühdorf # Lunzig # Neugernsdorf # Schömberg # Steinsdorf # Teichwitz # Wildetaube||**5. Münchenbernsdorf** # Bocka # Hundhaupten # Lederhose # Lindenkreuz # Münchenbernsdorf<sup>1, 2</sup> # Saara # Schwarzbach # Zedlitz|
|colspan=3 align=center|<sup>1</sup>seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft;<sup>2</sup>town|||||

## Sights

Sights in the district Greiz:
- The Upper Castle of Greiz
- The Lower Castle of Greiz
- The Summer Palace Greiz
- Weida Osterburg Castle
- Ronneburg Castle
- Reichenfels Castle Ruin
- Old Guardhouse "Alte Wache" in Greiz
- Zeulenroda Town Hall
- Widen Church Ruin in Weida
- St. Veit Parish Church
- Mildenfurth Monastery
- Cronschwitz Monastery Ruin
- Greiz Park
- Fairy Tale Forest in Wünschendorf

Museums in the district Greiz:
- Museum of Local History in Greiz
- Summer Palace in Greiz
- Zeulenroda City Museum in Zeulenroda
- Osterburg Castle Museum in Weida, Thuringia
- Heinrich-Schütz-House in Bad Köstritz
- Museum in Hohenleuben

## Other websites

- Official website

## Infobox (german district)

- **name**: Landkreis Greiz
- **image coa**: Wappen Landkreis Greiz.svg
- **state**: Thuringia
- **capital**: Greiz
- **kreisschlüssel**: 16076
- **area**: 844
- **population**: 121,129
- **population as of**: 2002
- **density**: 144
- **carsign**: GRZ
- **url**: http://www.landkreis-greiz.de
- **map**: thuringia_grz.png