Schmalkalden-Meiningen

Schmalkalden-Meiningen is a Landkreis (rural district) in the west of Thuringia, Germany.

 History 
The district was created in 1994 by joining the old districts of Schmalkalden, Meiningen and part of Suhl-Land.

 Partnerships 
The district has a partnership with the Vogelsbergkreis in Hesse, as well as with the Komitat Pest in Hungary.

 Coat of arms 
100px|Coat of armsThe coat of arms shows symbols from the coat of arms of the three precursor districts, which are also symbols for the historic states which make up the territory of the district. The rooster in the topleft derives from the coat of arms of the counts of Henneberg. The hen stands on 3 green mounds, a reminder of the hillsa dn mountains of the area. The lion of Hesse is displayed in the topright, as the area was owned by Hesse 1360-1866. The banner in the bottom left comes from the coat of arms of the district Meiningen, and derives from the coat of arms of the city Würzburg. The prince-bishops of Würzburg owned Meiningen in the past. The coat of arms of Saxony in the bottom right is a reminder of the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, which existed from 1680 to 1918.

 Towns and municipalities 
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft-free townsand municipalities Brotterode
 Meiningen
 Oberhof
 Schmalkalden
 Steinbach-Hallenberg
 Zella-Mehlis Benshausen
 Breitungen
 Fambach
 Floh-Seligenthal
 Grabfeld
 Henneberg
 Herpf
 Heßles
 Rhönblick<li>Rippershausen
<li>Rosa
<li>Roßdorf
<li>Schwallungen
<li>Stepfershausen
<li>Sülzfeld
<li>Trusetal
<li>Untermaßfeld
<li>Wernshausen
Verwaltungsgemeinschaften1. Dolmar
 Christes
 Dillstädt
 Kühndorf
 Rohr
 Schwarza1
 Utendorf

2. Haselgrund
 Altersbach
 Bermbach
 Oberschönau
 Rotterode
 Springstille
 Unterschönau
 Viernau13. Hohe Rhön
 Aschenhausen
 Birx
 Erbenhausen
 Frankenheim
 Kaltensundheim1
 Kaltenwestheim
 Melpers
 Oberkatz
 Oberweid
 Unterweid4. Salzbrücke
 Bauerbach
 Belrieth
 Einhausen
 Ellingshausen
 Leutersdorf
 Neubrunn
 Obermaßfeld-Grimmenthal1
 Ritschenhausen
 Vachdorf
 Wölfershausen

5. Wasungen-Amt Sand
 Friedelshausen
 Hümpfershausen
 Mehmels
 Metzels
 Oepfershausen
 Unterkatz
 Wahns
 Wallbach
 Walldorf
 Wasungen1, 21seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft;2town

 References 

 Other websites 
 Official website  (German)