The 'Kyffhäuserkreis' is a district in the northern part of
Thuringia,
Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts
Mansfeld-Südharz,
Saalekreis und
Burgenlandkreis in
Saxony-Anhalt, and the districts
Sömmerda,
Unstrut-Hainich and
Eichsfeld.
History
In the 12th century there was a castle on the
Kyffhäuser mountains, which was built during the reign of emperor
Frederick I. According to the local legend, the emperor did not die, but instead went to sleep in this castle.
From 1579 on the region belonged to
Saxony, and after 1815 it became a part of
Prussia (until 1945).
In 1952 the two districts of Artern and Sondershausen were established. These districts were merged in 1994, with only a few municipalities joining other districts.
Partnerships
The district has a partnership with the district
Ahrweiler in
Rhineland-Palatinate, which was actually established with the district Artern in 1990.
Geography
The district is named after the ''Kyffhäuser'' mountains. The main river is the
Unstrut, which flows through the east of the district.
Coat of arms
 Coat of arms | The main symbol of the coat of arms is the lion of the counts of Schwarzburg, who historically ruled most of the district. The lion holds a shield which contains the coat of arms of the Counts of Mansfeld, who owned the area around Artern in the 18th century. The three green hills in the bottom symbolize the mountainous landscape with many forest, the big wavy line stands for the river Unstrut, the small one for the Wipper river. |
Towns and municipalities
External links
★
Official website (German)
★
Touristic website (English, German)