Zella-Mehlis
Zella-Mehlis is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Thuringian Forest, approximately 5km north of Suhl and 20km east of Meiningen.
History
Two of Germany's most notable firearm manufacturers, Walther and Anschütz, were founded in Zella-Mehlis. They operated there until the Soviet occupation of Eastern Germany at the conclusion of World War II caused both companies to move.In January 2019, the former municipality of Benshausen was integrated into Zella-Mehlis, expanding the town's jurisdiction.
Twin towns
Zella-Mehlis is twinned with:- Andernach, Germany
- Gemünden am Main, Germany
- Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
People
- Helmut Recknagel, the first German Olympic ski jumping champion and world champion, started for SC Motor Zella-Mehlis
- Johann Kaspar Friedrich Manso, teacher, historian and philologist
- Johann Heinrich Ehrhardt, locomotive builder, engineer of the Saxon Railroad
- Johann Peter Haseney, copper engraver, creator of the first German stamp "Schwarzer Einser"
- Karl Künstler, Nazi SS concentration camp commandant
- Michael Schumann, professor of philosophy, politician, Member of the Brandenburg Landtag, Member of the Bundestag
- Anja Kampe, opera singer
- Carl Walther, gunsmith
- Marcel Callo, beatified member of the Roman Catholic Church, a location in Zella-Mehlis was named after him
- Horst Queck, ski jumper
- Reinhard Heß, ski jumping coach of the German national team
- Fredi Albrecht, wrestler and competitor, visited the children's and youth sports school here
- Klaus-Peter Göpfert, wrestler, attended the children's and sports school in Zella-Mehlis
- Rainer Schmidt, ski jumper, overall winner of the Four Hills Tournament, lives in Zella-Mehlis
- Christoph Matschie, 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, biathlete
- Sebastian Haseney, Nordic Combined skier
- Franz Göring, cross-country skier, lives in Zella-Mehlis
- Victoria Carl, cross-country skier
- Andi Langenhan, luger
- Frank Rommel, skeleton racer
- Tino Edelmann, Nordic Combined skier