Last modified: 2021-10-09 by 
klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: schmalkalden-meiningen | meiningen | quartered | hen(black) | lion(barry) | crancelin | flag(quartered) |
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![[Schmalkalden-Meiningen county flag]](../images/d/de-sc.gif)
2:3 
image by Stefan Schwoon, 17 Mar 2001
The Landkreis [county] of Schmalkalden-Meiningen is located in the southwest of the Land of Thuringia. It had 83 cities [Städte] and municipalities [Gemeinden]. The capital is Meiningen. More information can be obtained in the Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen website.
Ivan Sache, 18 Nov 2000The flag is quartered green-white with centred arms. (information about ratio provided by Falko Schmidt)
Source: this online catalogue and §2(3) of Hauptsatzung of Schmalkalden-Meiningen County, version 5 October 2009
Stefan Schwoon, 17 Mar 2001
![[Schmalkalden-Meiningen county banner]](../images/d/de-sc_.gif)
5:2 image by Stefan Schwoon, 17 Mar 2001
The banner is quartered green-white with centred arms.
Source: this online catalogue
Stefan Schwoon, 17 Mar 2001
![[Schmalkalden-Meiningen county CoA]](../images/d/de-sc).gif)
image located by Stefan Schwoon, 17 Mar 2001
Shield quartered, 1st quarter Or on a triplemount Vert issuant a hen statant Sable combed Gules, 2nd quarter Azure a lion rampant barry of eight of Argent and Gules crowned and armed Or, 3rd quarter Azure a banner quartered of Gules and Argent on a pole Or in bend, 4th quarter barry of ten of Sable and Or a crancelin Vert.
Meaning:
The first quarter of the shield shows a hen, i.e. the canting arms of the counts of Henneberg (litt. the hen mountain). Until 1583, this family, represented by the two lineages of Henneberg-Schleusingen and Henneberg-Hartenberg, owned most of the territory of the modern Landkreis. The second quarter shows the bunte Löwe (multicoloured lion), and recalls the long-lasting (1360-1866) link between the domain of Schmalkalden and the landgraviate of Hesse. The third quarter shows the so-called fränkische Herzogsfähnlein (litt. Franconian small ducal flag) or Sturmfähnlein (litt. small assault flag), to recall that Meiningen belonged until 1542 to the principality-bishopric of Würzburg. The fourth quarter shows the crancelin of Saxony, to recall the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen (1680-1918), whose capital was Meiningen.
The arms are made up of parts of the arms of the former counties Schmalkalden, Meiningen and Suhl-Land. The hen, derived from the arms of the Counts of Henneberg, was present in all three former arms. The second quarter is the lion of Hessen, he symbolises the fact that the area was owned by the Landgraves of Hessen from 1360-1866. The banner in the third quarter is taken from the arms of Meiningen and indicates the fact that Meiningen belonged to the Bishopric of Würzburg. It displays the Rennfähnlein (Franconian Assault Flag) of the Bishopric of Würzburg. The arms of Sachsen in the fourth quarter are a reminder of the Duchy of Sachsen-Meiningen from 1680-1918.
Sources: Linder and Olzog 1996, Ulle 2000 and §2(1) of Hauptsatzung of Schmalkalden-Meiningen County, version 5 October 2009
Stefan Schwoon, 17 Mar 2001 and Santiago Dotor, 26 Feb 2002
Flag and banner were approved on 1 October 1998. The arms were approved on 15 July 1995.
Dirk Schönberger and Ralf Hartemink, 17 Mar 2001
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