Wartburgkreis Rural District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wartburgkreis
District
Country	Germany
State	Thuringia
Capital	Bad Salzungen
Area
• Total	1,305 km2 (504 sq mi)
Population  (2002)
• Total	142,595
• Density	109.27/km2 (283.00/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Vehicle registration	WAK
Website	http://www.wartburgkreis.de

The Wartburgkreis is a Landkreis, which means a rural district, in the western part of Thuringia, Germany. The city of Eisenach is almost completely surrounded by the Wartburgkreis.

History of the District

This district was created in 1994. It was formed by joining two older districts: Eisenach and Bad Salzungen. A few towns from the Bad Langensalza district also joined. In 1998, the city of Eisenach left the district. It became a "district-free city," meaning it manages itself and is not part of the surrounding rural district.

The Wartburgkreis gets its name from the famous Wartburg Castle. This castle is near Eisenach. It is well-known because Martin Luther found refuge there in 1521. He stayed there to hide and translate the New Testament into German.

What the Coat of Arms Means

The coat of arms for Wartburgkreis shows symbols from the old states that used to be in this area. In the top-left and bottom-right, you see a lion. This lion was the symbol of the dukes of Thuringia. The chicken in the top-right stands for the county of Henneberg. The black cross in the bottom-left is the symbol of the imperial abbey and state of Fulda.

Towns and Communities

This district includes many towns and communities. Some of them manage themselves, while others are part of a group called a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft. This is like a shared administration for smaller towns.

Towns and communities that manage themselves:

Groups of communities (Verwaltungsgemeinschaften):

See also

In Spanish: Wartburgkreis para niños