Meiningen [key], city (1994 pop. 24,589), Thuringia, E central Germany, on the Werra River. Manufactures include textiles, paper, and metal products; there is an industry in railway repair. Meiningen was first mentioned in the 10th cent. and passed to the dukes of Saxony in 1583. It was the capital of the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen from 1680 to 1918. In the second half of the 19th cent. the ducal theater of Meiningen acquired an international reputation and long set the style for German dramatic performances. The ducal orchestra, conducted (1880–85) by Hans von Bülow, was also famous. The ducal palace in Meiningen dates from the 16th and 17th cent.
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