Ilm-Kreis Rural District

Ilm-Kreis
Map of Thuringia highlighting the district of Ilm-Kreis
State	Thuringia
District seat	Arnstadt
Area	843 km²
Population	117,418 (30 June 2005)
Pop. density	143 /km²
Licence plate code	IK
Web page	http://www.ilm-kreis.de

Ilm-Kreis is a district in Thuringia, Germany.

History

In medieval times the territory was ruled by the counts of Henneberg and the princes of Schwarzburg, two local dynasties. While Ilmenau was ruled by Henneberg, Arnstadt belonged to Schwarzburg. When the Henneberg family became extinct in 1583, Ilmenau was acquired by Saxony. The principality of Schwarzburg was split up between family members into several tiny states. One of those states (Schwarzburg-Arnstadt) was based in Arnstadt; it was founded in 1574 and existed until 1716, when it became part of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. It became part of Thuringia when the Freestate of Thuringia was founded in 1920.

The district was founded in 1920 (under the name Arnstadt); it was divided in 1952 into the districts of Arnstadt and Ilmenau, but joined together again in 1994.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays: the heraldic lion from the principality of Schwarzburg the hen from the county of Henneberg the eagle from the city arms of Arnstadt

Towns and municipalities

Verwaltungsgemeinschaft-free towns	and municipalities
Arnstadt Ilmenau Langewiesen Stadtilm	Ichtershausen Ilmtal Wachsenburggemeinde Wipfratal Wolfsberg

Verwaltungsgemeinschaften
1. Geratal Angelroda Elgersburg Geraberg1 Martinroda Neusiß 2. Großbreitenbach Altenfeld Böhlen Friedersdorf Gillersdorf Großbreitenbach1, 2 Wildenspring	3. Langer Berg Gehren1, 2 Herschdorf Möhrenbach Neustadt am Rennsteig Pennewitz 4. Oberes Geratal Frankenhain Gehlberg Geschwenda Gossel Gräfenroda1 Liebenstein Plaue2	5. Rennsteig Frauenwald Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig1 Stützerbach 6. Riechheimer Berg Alkersleben Bösleben-Wüllersleben Dornheim Elleben Elxleben Kirchheim1 Osthausen-Wülfershausen Rockhausen Witzleben
1seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft;2town

All villages, municipalities and TOWNS in Ilm-Kreis

Other websites

• Official website (German, English)