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Rudolstadt

Coordinates: 50°43′1″N 11°19′39″E / 50.71694°N 11.32750°E / 50.71694; 11.32750
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Rudolstadt
Coat of arms of Rudolstadt
Location of Rudolstadt within Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district
AllendorfAltenbeuthenBad BlankenburgBechstedtCursdorfDeesbachDöschnitzDrognitzGräfenthalHohenwarteKatzhütteKaulsdorfKönigseeLehestenLeutenbergMeuraProbstzellaRohrbachRudolstadtSaalfeldSchwarzatalSchwarzburgSitzendorfUhlstädt-KirchhaselUnterweißbachUnterwellenbornThuringia
Rudolstadt is located in Germany
Rudolstadt
Rudolstadt
Rudolstadt is located in Thuringia
Rudolstadt
Rudolstadt
Coordinates: 50°43′1″N 11°19′39″E / 50.71694°N 11.32750°E / 50.71694; 11.32750
CountryGermany
StateThuringia
DistrictSaalfeld-Rudolstadt
Subdivisions12
Government
 • Mayor (2024–30) Jörg Reichl[1]
Area
 • Total135.17 km2 (52.19 sq mi)
Elevation
195 m (640 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total24,749
 • Density180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
07407
Dialling codes03672
Vehicle registrationSLF, RU
Websitewww.rudolstadt.de

Rudolstadt is a town in the German federal state Thuringia, within the Thuringian Forest, to the southwest, and to Jena and Weimar to the north.

The former capital of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, the town is built along the River Saale inside a wide valley surrounded by woods. Rudolstadt was founded in 776 and has had municipal law since 1326. The town's landmark is the Castle Heidecksburg which is enthroned on a hill above the old town. The former municipality Remda-Teichel was merged into Rudolstadt in January 2019.

Rudolstadt was once well known because of the Anchor Stone Blocks of the Toy Company Richter and porcelain factories, beginning with the establishment of the Volkstedt porcelain manufacture in 1762.

History

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Early history

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There is archeological evidence of a hill fort on the Weinberg in Oberpreilipp from the time of the late Urnfield culture and the early Iron Age.[3] A Celtic settlement followed the Germanic one and the affiliation with the Duchy of Thuringia. From the 6th century onwards, archeological records suggest Slavic settlement in the area.

The first documented mention of the place-name was in 776 as Rudolfestat (Rudolf's settlement) as a gift from Charlemagne to Hersfeld Abbey[4]

After 1990

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In 1994 the Neonazi and police-informant Tino Brandt (NPD) founded the Neonazi-Gang „Thüringer Heimatschutz“ (THS, Thuringian homeland protection) in Rudolstadt. The structure of 170 right-wing extremists was an SA-style street gang. The THS gave rise to the Nazi terrorist group National Socialist Underground (NSU), which murdered a total of ten people over a period of 10 years.[5][6]

Historical population

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Population graph of Rudolstadt from 1834 to 2016

Number of Inhabitants (from 1960 as of 31 December, unless otherwise indicated):

1834 to 1960

  • 1834: 05,929
  • 1890: 11,398
  • 1925: 15,711
  • 1933: 16,863
  • 1939: 19,331
  • 1946: 22,100 1
  • 1950: 28,234 2
  • 1960: 27,678

1970 to 1997

  • 1970: 31,683
  • 1981: 31,547
  • 1984: 32,232
  • 1985: 32,408
  • 1994: 29,118
  • 1995: 28,691
  • 1996: 28,438
  • 1997: 28,521

1998 to 2005

  • 1998: 28,241
  • 1999: 27,996
  • 2000: 27,528
  • 2001: 26,940
  • 2002: 26,549
  • 2003: 26,010
  • 2004: 25,793
  • 2005: 25,397

2006 to 2013

  • 2006: 25,131
  • 2007: 24,650
  • 2008: 24,285
  • 2009: 24,033
  • 2010: 23,762
  • 2011: 23,998
  • 2012: 22,811
  • 2013: 22,739

since 2014

  • 2014: 22,667
  • 2015: 22,855
  • 2016: 22,704
  • 2017: 22,560
  • 2018: 22,283
Data since 1994: Thuringian Statistical Office

1 29 October
2 31 August

Culture

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Rudolstadt is twinned with Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland.[7]

The Rudolstadt Festival (formerly TFF, Tanz&FolkFest) takes place annually on the first full July weekend.[8]

Economy

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The headquarters of the EPC Group, a global engineering and construction company, are in Rudolstadt.

References

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  1. ^ Gewählte Bürgermeister - aktuelle Landesübersicht, Freistaat Thüringen. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden, erfüllenden Gemeinden und Verwaltungsgemeinschaften in Thüringen Gebietsstand: 31.12.2022" (in German). Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik. June 2023.
  3. ^ Michael Köhler: Thüringer Burgen und befestigte vor- und frühgeschichtliche Wohnplätze. Jenzig-Verlag Köhler, Jena 2001, ISBN 3-910141-43-9. p. 270.
  4. ^ Wolfgang Kahl, Hansjürgen Müllerott (2002), Die Vor- und Frühgeschichte Rudolstadts mit den Annalen von 775–786 bis 1503 und einem Exkurs aus der Geschichte Saalfelds (in German), Arnstadt: Thüringer-Chronik-Verlag H. E. Müllerott, p. 128, ISBN 3-910132-73-1
  5. ^ "NSU-Prozess: Der Gandhi von Rudolstadt". stuttgarter-nachrichten.de (in German). Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  6. ^ Enzian, Heike (4 October 2021). "NSU-Aufarbeitung: Den Dialog hinaus in die Stadt tragen". www.otz.de (in German). Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Donegal Councillor Ian McGarvey immortalised in wine". Donegal News. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019.
  8. ^ Official website of TFF.Rudolstadt Archived 2006-02-04 at the Wayback Machine
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