Thuringian is an East Central German dialect group spoken in much of the modern German Free State of Thuringia north of the Rennsteig ridge, southwestern Saxony-Anhalt and adjacent territories of Hesse and Bavaria. It is close to Upper Saxon spoken mainly in the state of Saxony, therefore both are also regarded as one Thuringian-Upper Saxon dialect group. Thuringian dialects are among the Central German dialects with the highest number of speakers.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
In this Dossier
Rennsteig in the context of South Thuringia
South Thuringia (German: Südthüringen) refers to all areas of Franconia within the German state of Thuringia south of the Rennsteig and the Salzbogen, but including the entire former county of Bad Salzungen. The region is, if the Eisenach area is excluded, almost identical with the Southwest Thuringian Planning Region (Planungsregion Südwestthüringen) in the state of Thuringia.
The Rennsteig is a historical border road, that marked the boundary between the Duchy of Franconia and the Thuringian-Saxon sovereign territory, and today still represents the language boundary between the Main-Franconian dialects and the Thuringian-Upper Saxon language area of Thuringia.