Ilm-Kreis | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
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| Country | Germany |
| State | Thuringia |
| Capital | Arnstadt |
| Government | |
| • District admin. | Petra Enders (Ind.) |
| Area | |
• Total | 805.11 km2 (310.85 sq mi) |
| Population (31 December 2022)[1] | |
• Total | 106,776 |
| • Density | 130/km2 (340/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Vehicle registration | IK, ARN, IL |
| Website | ilm-kreis.de |
Ilm-Kreis is a district inThuringia, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the city ofErfurt, the districts ofWeimarer Land,Saalfeld-Rudolstadt andHildburghausen, the city ofSuhl, and the districts ofSchmalkalden-Meiningen andGotha. It is named after the riverIlm, flowing through the district.
In medieval times the territory was ruled by the counts ofHenneberg and the princes ofSchwarzburg, two local dynasties. WhileIlmenau was ruled by Henneberg, Arnstadt belonged to Schwarzburg. When the Henneberg family became extinct in 1583, Ilmenau was acquired bySaxony. In the meantime the principality of Schwarzburg began to disintegrate and was split up 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 fell toSchwarzburg-Sondershausen. This mini state existed until 1920, when the state of Thuringia was founded.
The district was founded in 1920 (under the name Arnstadt); it was divided in 1952 into the districts of Arnstadt and Ilmenau, but reunited in 1994.
In its southern portions the district includes parts of the southeasternThuringian Forest, among them the highest elevation of that mountain chain, theGroßer Beerberg (982 m). To the north the country is sloping away and becomes rather plain, mainly agricultural area.
The coat of arms displays:
| Verwaltungsgemeinschaft-free towns | and municipalities |
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1.Geratal/Plaue | |
| 1seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft;2town | |
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| Rural districts | |
50°45′N11°00′E / 50.75°N 11.0°E /50.75; 11.0
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| National | |
