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.Edward Victor. Alphabetical List of Camps, Subcamps and Other Camps. www.edwardvictor.com/Holocaust/List %20 of %20 camps.htm

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.

 Coat of arms 
100px|Coat of armsBoth the lion as well as the crane-bird in the top part of the coat of arms are from the coat of arms of the Reuß families and their principalities. In the bottom is a part of the coat of arms of Saxony, as a small part of the district belonged to the Duchies of Saxony.

Towns and municipalities
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft-free townsand municipalities Bad Köstritz
 Berga/Elster
 Greiz
 Ronneburg
 Weida
 Zeulenroda-Triebes Caaschwitz
 Crimla
 Harth-Pöllnitz
 Hartmannsdorf
 Kraftsdorf
 Langenwetzendorf
 Langenwolschendorf<li>Mohlsdorf
<li>Neumühle/Elster
<li>Teichwolframsdorf
<li>Vogtländisches Oberland
<li>Weißendorf
<li>Wünschendorf/Elster
Verwaltungsgemeinschaften1. Am Brahmetal
 Bethenhausen
 Brahmenau
 Großenstein1
 Hirschfeld
 Korbußen
 Pölzig
 Reichstädt
 Schwaara
2. Auma-Weidatal
 Auma1, 2
 Braunsdorf
 Göhren-Döhlen
 Merkendorf
 Silberfeld
 Staitz
 Wiebelsdorf
 Zadelsdorf3. Ländereck
 Braunichswalde
 Endschütz
 Gauern
 Hilbersdorf
 Kauern
 Linda bei Weida
 Paitzdorf
 Rückersdorf
 Seelingstädt1
4. Leubatal
 Hain
 Hohenleuben1, 2
 Hohenölsen
 Kühdorf
 Lunzig
 Neugernsdorf
 Schömberg
 Steinsdorf
 Teichwitz
 Wildetaube5. Münchenbernsdorf
 Bocka
 Hundhaupten
 Lederhose
 Lindenkreuz
 Münchenbernsdorf1, 2
 Saara
 Schwarzbach
 Zedlitz1seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft;2town

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

References

Other websites
 Official website