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{{Infobox German place
|type               = Stadt
|image_photo       = Greiz 2013-05 0725 Blick vom Oberen Schloss.JPG
|image_caption     = Greiz, Thuringia
|image_coa            = DEU Greiz COA.png
|coordinates       = {{coord|50|39|17|N|12|11|59|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan          = Greiz in GRZ.png
|plantext = 
|state        = Thüringen
|district         = Greiz
|elevation              = 265
|area            = 84.87
|postal_code               = 07973
|area_code           = 03661
|licence               = GRZ, ZR
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 16 0 76 022
|divisions         = 10
|website           = [https://www.greiz.de/ www.greiz.de]
|mayor             = Alexander Schulze<ref>[https://wahlen.thueringen.de/datenbank/wahl1/wahl.asp?wahlart=BM&wJahr=0000&zeigeErg=LAND&auswertung=2 Gewählte Bürgermeister - aktuelle Landesübersicht], Freistaat Thüringen. Retrieved 25 June 2024.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2024&ndash;30
|party             = CDU
}}

'''Greiz''' ({{IPAc-en|g|r|aɪ|t|s}} {{respell|gryts}}; {{IPA|de|ɡʁaɪts|-|De-Greiz.ogg}}) is a town in the state of [[Thuringia]], Germany, and is the capital of the [[Greiz (district)|district of Greiz]]. Greiz is situated in eastern Thuringia, {{Convert|100|km|miles}} east of the state capital [[Erfurt]], on the [[White Elster]] river.

Greiz has a large park in its centre (Fürstlich Greizer Park)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Übersicht über den Fürstlich Greizer Park|publisher=Freundeskreis Greizer Park e.V.|access-date=19 May 2019|language=de|url=https://www.greizer-parkfreunde.de/index.php/wege.html}}</ref> which is classified as an [[English garden]]. Thomasstraße, Burgstraße, Marktstraße, Waldstraße, and Leonhardtstraße, with their [[Art Nouveau|Jugendstil]] houses, are well-known examples of that architectural style.

==History==
As with other nearby settlements, the place name (originally ''Grouts'') is of Slavic origin and means ''[[Gord (archaeology)|gord]]''. The first documented mention of the settlement dates from 1209. The prime location of Greiz on the confluence of the [[White Elster]] river and its tributary Göltzsch helped to make it a fast-growing town. From the 12th century it was governed by ''[[Advocatus|advocati]]'' ({{lang|de|Vögte}}), but in 1236 it came into the possession of [[Gera]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Greiz|volume=12|page=578}}</ref> It was recognized as a town in the 13th century. Later the [[House of Reuss]], a ruling German dynasty whose male members were all named Heinrich, built two castles in Greiz: the "Oberes Schloss" (Upper Castle) and the "Unteres Schloss" (Lower Castle). Both were built by famous architects and are still considered unique. Greiz became the capital of the [[Principality of Reuss-Greiz]] until 1918.

The town was wholly destroyed by fire in 1494, and almost totally in 1802.<ref name="EB1911"/>

[[File:Fußgängerzone Greiz.JPG|thumb|left|Greiz town center]]
Between 1934 and 1943, 809 people were forcibly sterilized by [[Nazis]] in the district hospital in Wichmannstraße. The local old folk's home and the care home submitted 122 sick people to the euthanasia program [[Aktion T4]].

During [[World War II]] hundreds of prisoners of war as well as men and women from countries occupied by Nazi Germany worked as forced laborers in Sorgwald near Thalbach, a village about 2&nbsp;km south-east of Greiz and in other enterprises. At least 102 of them died. There is a memorial for them in the Old Cemetery.

There is also a monument to the officer [[Kurt von Westernhagen]], who refused orders in April 1945 to blow up the bridge and defend the town, for which he was shot by the Gestapo.<ref>Thüringer Verband der Verfolgten des Naziregimes – Bund der Antifaschisten und Studienkreis deutscher Widerstand 1933–1945 (Hrsg.): ''Heimatgeschichtlicher Wegweiser zu Stätten des Widerstandes und der Verfolgung 1933–1945.'' (= ''Heimatgeschichtliche Wegweiser'', Band 8.) Erfurt 2003, {{ISBN|3-88864-343-0}}, S. 111 ff.</ref>

During [[World War II]], Greiz did not suffer much damage, although 3 of the 5 bridges in town were destroyed. [[Ulf Merbold]], who became the first astronaut from [[West Germany]] in 1983, was born here in 1941.

Greiz has a population of about 20,400 people. The former municipality [[Neumühle/Elster]] was merged into Greiz in December 2019.

==Economy==
In addition to a chemical works and a disused paper factory, there are mechanical engineering operations, plastics manufacturing businesses, wood machining enterprises, medical technology, suppliers to the automobile industry, printing houses, and breweries. In recent years various high-tech businesses (sensor technology, climate simulators, micro-chip production) and environmental technology companies have been developed.

<gallery>
File:Greiz - upper castle (aka).jpg|Upper Castle
File:Greiz Schlösser Unteres und Oberes Schloss oberhalb der Weißen Elster Foto 2009 Wolfgang Pehlemann Wiesbaden IMG 0796.jpg|Upper and Lower castles
File:Unteres Schloss Greiz.JPG|Lower Castle
File:Greiz - town panorama (aka).jpg|View over the town
File:Fotothek df n-23 0000089 Werkansicht.jpg|The VEB chemical factory at Greiz-Dölau 1979
File:Alte Papierfabrik Greiz.jpg|The old paper factory
File:Luftaufnahme Oberes Schloss Greiz.jpg|Aerial view of Upper Castle, 2022
File:Luftaufnahme Sommerpalais Greiz Rückseite.png|Sommerpalais (Summer Palais)
</gallery>

== Neighbouring towns and districts ==
The following are the districts adjacent to Greiz:
* In the Greiz district: [[Zeulenroda-Triebes]], [[Langenwetzendorf]], [[Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf]], [[Berga/Elster]]
* In the [[Vogtlandkreis]] district ([[Saxony]]): [[Reichenbach im Vogtland]], [[Netzschkau]], [[Elsterberg]], [[Pöhl]], [[Plauen]], [[Rosenbach/Vogtl.]]
Adjacent towns include: 
* [[Elsterberg]]
* [[Reichenbach im Vogtland]]
* [[Hohenleuben]]
* [[Werdau]]
{{Adjacent communities|width=auto
| CENTER = Greiz
| NORTHWEST = [[Langenwetzendorf]]
| NORTH = [[Berga/Elster]]
| NORTHEAST = [[Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf]]
| WEST = [[Zeulenroda-Triebes]]
| EAST = [[Reichenbach im Vogtland]]
| SOUTHWEST = [[Plauen]], [[Pöhl]], [[Rosenbach/Vogtl.]]
| SOUTH = [[Elsterberg]]
| SOUTHEAST = [[Netzschkau]]
}}

==Transport==
[[Greiz station]] is on the [[Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway]].

==Demographics==
The current population is about 20,400. Like many towns in the former East Germany, Greiz has suffered from population decline in recent years.

[[File:Einwohnerentwicklung von Greiz.svg|thumb|400px|Population from 1800 to 2016]]
{{historical populations|cols=4|align=none
|title=Number of inhabitants ''(since 1960 as of 31st December)''
|1800|4,000
|1833|5,600
|1885|17,288
|1905|23,114
|1931|39,281
|1946{{efn|Census 29 October}}|45,410 
|1950{{efn|Census 31 August}}|42,520 
|1960|39,097
|1971|38,608
|1981|36,684
|1984|35,822
|1994|30,206
|1995|29,402
|1996|28,610
|1997|27,992
|1998|27,324
|1999|26,706
|2000|26,177
|2001|25,605
|2002|25,037
|2003|24,591
|2004|24,199
|2005|23,764
|2006|23,368
|2007|22,936
|2008|22,548
|2009|22,150
|2010|21,792
|2011|21,310
|2012|21,580
|2013|21,284
|2014|21,111
|2015|21,042
|2016|20,920
|2017|20,517
|2018|20,103
|2019|20,392
| source = Data source since 1994: Thüringian Federal Bureau of Statistics
}}{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* [https://www.greiz.de/ Town of Greiz]

{{Cities and towns in Greiz (district)}}
{{Cities in Thuringia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Greiz| ]]
[[Category:Greiz (district)]]