In the 12th century there was a castle, the Kyffhausen Castle, on the Kyffhäuser mountains, which was built during the reign of emperor Frederick I. According to the local legend, the emperor did not die, but instead went to sleep in this castle.
In 1952 the two districts of Artern (district) and Sondershausen were established. These districts were merged in 1994, with only a few municipalities joining other districts.
Historical Population
Values as of 31 December:
1994: 98,785
1995: 98,144
1996: 97,499
1997: 96,749
1998: 96,135
1999: 95,290
2000: 94,343
2001: 92,983
2002: 91,940
2003: 90,758
2004: 89,517
2005: 88,307
2006: 87,058
2007: 85,362
2008: 83,835
2009: 82,650
2010: 81,449
2011: 80,471
2012: 78,618
2013: 77,656
2014: 77,148
2015: 77,110
2016: 76,685
2017: 75,009
Data source since 1994: Thuringian State Statistical Bureau
Partnerships
The district has a partnership with the district Ahrweiler in Rhineland-Palatinate, which was initially established with the district Artern in 1990.
Geography
The district is named after the Kyffhäuser mountains. The main river is the Unstrut, which flows through the east of the district.
Coat of arms
The main symbol of the coat of arms is the lion of the counts of Schwarzburg, who historically ruled most of the district. The lion holds a shield which contains the coat of arms of the Counts of Mansfeld, who owned the area around Artern in the 18th century. The three green hills in the bottom symbolize the mountainous landscape with many forests, the big wavy line stands for the river Unstrut, the small one for the Wipper river.
Towns and municipalities
Clickable map of towns and municipalities in the district
