2. Thüringen, our federal state is called the “Green Heart of Germany”. The capital city is Erfurt. Erfurt is a great city with churches, museums and shopping facilities. In Thüringen you can find one of the nicest forests, called Thuringian Forest- Thüringer Wald. A lot of tourists come here every year in summer or winter. They go walking in summer or skiing in winter. Our hometown is Schmiedefeld; it’s in the south of Thüringen, in the middle of Thüringer Wald, near the towns Ilmenau and Suhl. You can reach the cities Erfurt or Weimar within an hour.

3. The bordering countries of Germany are the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France in the west; Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south and Denmark, the Baltic- and the North Sea in the north. The geo – coordinates of our federal state of Thüringen are: longitude: 10 degrees east till 13 degrees east. latitude: 52 degrees north till 50 degrees north. If you try to find all these numbers on the world map, you will exactly know, where we are.

4. The village is between Schmiedefeld is on the famous walking way „Rennsteig“. In Schmiedefeld there live about 2,200 people. The village is between 680 and 944 metres above sea levelSchmiedefeld is a „safe“ place for winter sports with about 150 days a year with temperatures under zero. The tourists can find lots of different possibilities for accomodation.Schmiedefeld is the best place for all kinds of winter sport activities- you will find offers for active participation in Schmiedefeld and its sourroundings- you can choose yourself! Cross country skiers will find 15 kilometres of prepared tracks on top of different mountains. The lift takes skiers from the valley to the top of the mountain up to about 800 metres. The new built highway (A 71) connects our region to Ilmenau and Erfurt- it brings you safely and fast back to your home regions. 680 and 944 metres above sea level. Schmiedefeld is a „safe“ place for winter sports with about 150 days a year with temperatures under zero. The tourists can find lots of different possibilities for accomodation. Schmiedefeld is the best place for all kinds of winter sport activities- you will find offers for active participation in Schmiedefeld and its sourroundings- you can choose yourself! Cross country skiers will find 15 kilometres of prepared tracks on top of different mountains. The lift takes skiers from the valley to the top of the mountain up to about 800 metres. The new built highway (A 71) connects our region to Ilmenau and Erfurt- it brings you safely and fast back to your home regions.

5. Schmiedefeld was mentioned for the first time in documents in 1406. The foundation dates back to iron ore mining and processing in Schmiedefeld. In the 16th and early 17th century this branche was a very successful supplying branche for the production of weapons in Suhl, a town nearby. Finally the factories from Rheinland/Westpfahlen were more successful than that region in the competition. In the years 1809 and 1855 porcellaine factories were founded, but they didn´t survive. The first economical progress for the region only came with the foundation of glass factories in 1862. Also the production of musical instruments like organs, violins and zithers brought wealth to Schmiedefeld for more than 150 years and it made the name famous across the borders. Schmiedefeld´s market place around 1937.

7. Already with the beginning of the 20th century the first „tourists“ came to Schmiedefeld. In 1904 Schmiedfeld was connected to the railway and that made it much easier to reach it. In the middle of the 30ies more than 3,000 guests visited the town. Schmiedefeld hosts fetched their guests from the station The bird catcher: " Wu bisten gewaßt? En Wald, ha Krienetze gefange. Wenn des verratst, wieviel ich hao, kriechste alle neu! No, wieviel werschten hon? Mer wonn ämol sprech, du hast neu gefange. Luder-Jong, doas hoat dr dr Teufel gesäöht.„ Can you translate it into „normal“ German language???

8. Schmiedefeld/Rennsteig is between 680 and 944 metres over sea level and only 680 and 944 metres over sea level and only 2 kilometres away from the famous, legendary walking way „Rennsteig“. It´s a good place for relaxing and winter sports. In hotels, holiday houses or holiday flats or in privately owned houses friendly hosts are waiting for their guests. They spoil their guests with specialities from Thüringen and events which show the extraordinary athmosphere of Thüringen- our federal state. Ski courses (downhill and cross country) are offered to skiers without enough practise. Snowboarding courses are also available. Once a year- in May- you can join in a famous marathon called Guthsmuths- Rennsteiglauf. People come for all over Germany and from abroad to take part in. You can chose between different tracks- the longst one is 75 kilometres.

9. This presentation was produced by: grade 9/school year 2007/08 Sources: www.Schmiedefeld.de Klaus Dieter Völker