Heldburg

Heldburg
Town
Coat of arms of Heldburg
Coat of arms
AhlstädtAuengrundBeinerstadtBischofrodEisfeldBrünnDingslebenEhrenbergEichenbergEisfeldGrimmelshausenGrubHeldburgHenfstädtHildburghausenKloster VeßraLengfeldMarisfeldMasserbergOberstadtReuriethRömhildSchlechtsartSchleusegrundSchleusingenSchmeheimSchweickershausenSankt BernhardStraufhainThemarUmmerstadtVeilsdorfWesthausenThuringia
Location of Heldburg within Hildburghausen district
Interactive map of Heldburg
Heldburg is located in Germany
Heldburg
Location within Germany
Heldburg is located in Thuringia
Heldburg
Location within Thuringia
Coordinates: 50°17′N 10°44′E / 50.283°N 10.733°E / 50.283; 10.733
CountryGermany
StateThuringia
DistrictHildburghausen
Municipal assoc.Heldburger Unterland
Subdivisions13
Government
 • Mayor (2019–25)Christopher Other (CDU)
Area
 • Total
112.74 km2 (43.53 sq mi)
Elevation
288 m (945 ft)
Population
 (2025-12-31)
 • Total
3,261
 • Density28.92/km2 (74.92/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
98663
Dialling codes036871
Vehicle registrationHBN
Websitestadt-heldburg.de

Heldburg (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛltbʊʁk]) is a town and a municipality in the district of Hildburghausen, in Thuringia, in central Germany. The municipality was created with effect from 1 January 2019 by the merger of the former municipalities of Bad Colberg-Heldburg, Gompertshausen and Hellingen. It is situated 16 km south of Hildburghausen, and 18 km west of Coburg.

Administrative division

  • Albingshausen
  • Bad Colberg
  • Einöd
  • Gellershausen
  • Gompertshausen
  • Heldburg
  • Hellingen
  • Holzhausen
  • Käßlitz
  • Lindenau
  • Poppenhausen
  • Rieth
  • Völkershausen
  • Volkmannshausen

History

Heldburg was first mentioned in 837. It lies at the foot of the Heldburg Fortress. In 1374 it passed to the landgraves of Thuringia. Heldburg was granted town rights in 1394.

In 1900, the town had a population of 1,040.

During World War II, on 11 May 1942, the present-day district of Poppenhausen was the site of a massacre of 20 Polish prisoners of the Buchenwald concentration camp, who were publicly hanged by the Gestapo. After the war, the town was part of East Germany.

In 1993 it became part of the municipality Bad Colberg-Heldburg.

References

  1. ↑ Gewählte Bürgermeister - aktuelle Landesübersicht, Freistaat Thüringen, accessed 14 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden vom Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik" (in German). Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik.
  3. 1 2 Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon. Vol. 9. Leipzig und Wien. 1906. p. 132.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ↑ Buchenwald. Ausgrenzung und Gewalt 1937 bis 1945 (in German). Bad Berka. 2016. p. 214. ISBN 978-3-9816900-3-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ↑ Heldburg - Geschichte erleben Archived 2020-08-03 at the Wayback Machine, official website Heldburg