State of Thuringia (1920–1952)

With the 1934 Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich, the country was brought into line, with the Gau Thuringia under Fritz Sauckel playing the more important role politically.

Saxony-Meiningen's concerns were allayed (among other things by a guarantee of continued existence for the Sonneberg Chamber of Industry and Commerce and for the districts).

The Constitution of the State of Thuringia, which was adopted on 11 March 1921, and the Community Treaty of 1919 were drafted by the Jena representative of the German Democratic Party, Eduard Rosenthal [de].

The lion was surrounded by eight silver stars, which symbolized the eight parts of the country, including the Prussian territories incorporated into Thuringia in 1945.

The Weimar Republic, on 30 April 1920, recognized "the land of Thuringia", which on 12 May of the same year received a provisional and, after several serious disturbances, on 11 March 1921 a permanent constitution.

A referendum was held if the country parliament adopted a bill brought about by people's initiative; excluded from it, however, were finance laws.

It would, with the aforesaid exception, legislate, supervise the administration, and appoint government, which must enjoy its confidence and, at its request, attend its meetings and committees.

The eighth star in the current coat of arms of Thuringia - a lion on a blue background - symbolizes these Prussian territories, which were finally legally annexed at the end of 1945.

Despite the imminent end of the war, Nazi officers ordered the "Trutzgau Thuringia" to be defended to the last man; the "Werra Line" west of Eisenach was to be held under all circumstances.

This led to fighting on 1 April between Treffurt and Gerstungen between Volkssturm, Hitler Youth and front-line soldiers against the advancing US troops, which claimed around 350 lives and destroyed around 85% of the small town of Creuzburg.

Due to the Allied Agreements of Yalta, the state of Thuringia, with the exception of the exclave of Ostheim vor der Rhön, was occupied by Soviet troops between 2 and 6 July 1945.

The country, now part of the Soviet Occupation Zone (SBZ), was enlarged to 15,585 km2 by the addition of the former Prussian Erfurt administrative district.

The municipality of Ostheim vor der Rhön was incorporated into Bavaria in 1945 by order of the American military government.

The state presidents of Thuringia (from 1947 prime ministers) from 1945 were: This article contains content from the Owl Edition of Nordisk familjebok, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904 and 1926, now in the public domain.