Sonneberg (district)

Infobox German district noregbez
name=Sonneberg
state=Thuringia
capital=Sonneberg
area=433
population=66,562
population_as_of=2002
density=154
carsign=SON
url=http://www.lkson.de

Sonneberg is a "Kreis" (district) in the south of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the west clockwise) the districts Hildburghausen, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, and the Bavarian districts Kronach and Coburg.

History

The district was created in 1868 when districts were created in Saxe-Meiningen. In 1952 part of the district was incorporated into the newly created district Neuhaus am Rennweg. This district was dissolved again in 1994 and the district Sonneberg did regain its old size.

Geography

The district is located on the southern slope of the mountains of the Thuringian Forest. The land descends from the more than 800m high hills (the highest elevation is the 863m high "Bleßberg") down to the lower plains "Sonneberger Unterland" and "Schalkauer Platte". The "Dreistromstein" near Siegmundsburg near the city Neuhaus am Rennweg marks the meeting of the watersheds which separate the areas which fed the rivers Rhine, the Weser and the Elbe.

Coat of arms

Towns and municipalities

External links

* [http://www.landkreis-sonneberg.de Official website] (German)