Zella-Mehlis Explained

Type:	Stadt
Image Coa:	Wappen Zella-Mehlis.svg
Coordinates:	50.6597°N 10.6669°W
Image Plan:	Zella-Mehlis in SM.png
State:	Thuringia
District:	Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Elevation:	500
Area:	52.99
Postal Code:	98544
Area Code:	03682
Licence:	SM
Gemeindeschlüssel:	16 0 66 092
Website:	www.zella-mehlis.de
Mayor:	Torsten Widder^[1]
Leader Term:	2024 - 30

Zella-Mehlis is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, located in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the scenic Thuringian Forest, approximately 5 km north of Suhl and 20 km east of Meiningen. The town was notably home to Walther and Anschütz, two of Germany's most notable firearm manufacturers, both of which were originally founded in Zella-Mehlis. They operated there until Soviet occupation of Eastern Germany at the conclusion of World War II caused both companies to move.

In January 2019, the former municipality Benshausen was integrated into Zella-Mehlis, expanding the town's jurisdiction.

Twin towns

Zella-Mehlis is twinned with:

People

Helmut Recknagel (* 1937), the first German Olympic ski jumping champion and world champion, started for SC Motor Zella-Mehlis
Johann Kaspar Friedrich Manso (1759-1826), teacher, historian and philologist
Johann Heinrich Ehrhardt (1805-1883), locomotive builder, engineer of the Saxon Railroad
Johann Peter Haseney (1812-1869), copper engraver, creator of the first German stamp "Schwarzer Einser" (Black one)
Karl Künstler (1901–1945), Nazi SS concentration camp commandant
Michael Schumann (1946-2000), professor of philosophy, politician (SED, PDS), Member of the Brandenburg Landtag, Member of the Bundestag
Anja Kampe (born 1968), Opera singer
Carl Walther (1858-1915), gunsmith
Marcel Callo (1921-1945), blessed of the Roman Catholic Church, a place was named here after him
Horst Queck (born 1943), ski jumper
Reinhard Heß (1945-2007), ski jumping coach of the German national team
Fredi Albrecht (born 1947), wrestler and competitor, visited the children's and youth sports school here
Klaus-Peter Göpfert (born 1948), wrestler, attended the children's and sports school in Zella-Mehlis
Rainer Schmidt (born 1948), ski jumper, overall winner of the Four Hills Tournament, lives in Zella-Mehlis
Christoph Matschie (born 1961), politician, SPD Chairman of the State of Thuringia 1999–2014, minister and parliamentary secretary of state, received training as a mechanic in Zella-Mehlis
Kati Wilhelm (born 1976), biathlete
Sebastian Haseney (born 1978), Nordic Combiner
Franz Göring (born 1984), cross-country skier, lives in Zella-Mehlis
Andi Langenhan (born 1984), Rennrodler
Frank Rommel (born 1984), Skeleton Pilots
Tino Edelmann (born 1985), Nordic Combiner

Notes and References

https://wahlen.thueringen.de/datenbank/wahl1/wahl.asp?wahlart=BM&wJahr=0000&zeigeErg=LAND&auswertung=2 Gewählte Bürgermeister - aktuelle Landesübersicht