Suhl

Suhl is a city in Thuringia, Germany, located 50km SE of Erfurt, 110km NE of Würzburg and 130km N of Nuremberg. With its 35,000 inhabitants, it is the smallest of the six urban districts within Thuringia. Together with its northern neighbour-town Zella-Mehlis, Suhl forms the largest urban area in the Thuringian Forest with a population of 46,000. The region around Suhl is marked by up to 1,000-meter high mountains, including Thuringia's highest peak, the Großer Beerberg (983 m), approximately 5km NE of the city centre.Suhl was first mentioned in 1318 and stayed a small mining and metalworking town, until industrialization broke through in late 19th century and Suhl became a centre of Germany's arm production, specialized on rifles and guns with companies such as Sauer & Sohn. Furthermore, the engineering industry was based in Suhl with Simson, a famous car and moped producer. In 1952, Suhl became one of East Germany's 14 district capitals, which led to a government-directed period of urban growth and conversion. Its results – a typical 1960s concrete architecture-marked city centre – are defining until today. With the loss of its administrative and industrial functions, Suhl saw a lasting period of urban decline since 1990.Suhl is known for its sportsmen, especially in shooting, winter sports, and volleyball.