DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Freistaat Thüringen	Thuringia
Landkreis: Saalfeld-Rudolstadt

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Leutenberg is situated at an elevation of 300 m on the river Sormitz in the heart of the nature reserve Thüringer Schiefergebirge-Obere Saale. The municipality has a population of about 2,100 (2017). Leutenberg is popularly nicknamed the Town of seven valleys.

The earliest known written document mentioning Lutenberg dates from 1187. Since the 13th century, the area belonged to the counts of Schwarzburg. The earliest document mentioning Luthenberg as a town dates from 1326. From 1362 until 1564 Leutenberg was the residence of a collateral line of the Schwarburgs, the counts of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg. In the clurse of the 16th century the continuous inheritance disputes between the counts of Schwarzburg and the counts of Orlamünde were finally settled in Leutenberg. Since then, the castle became known as "Friedensburg" ('peace castle'), first documented in c. 1564. After the death of the last male heir of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg, the possessions were inherited by the counts (1710 princes) of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Since 1918 part of Thuringia, it was part of the district Saalfeld and since 1994 is part of the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt.

The history of Friedensburg castle [background] goes back to the 9th century when a Slavic stronghold was founded on a hill above the settlement. A medieval castle is documented since the 14th century. From 1362 until 1564 the castle was the residence of the counts of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg. The name Friedensburg appears for the first time in 1718. The present castle was mainly shaped by the constructions built between 1491 and 1525. The cstle was damaged repeatedly by fires, such as in 1567, 1695, 1726, 1800 and 1934. After the last fire, which destroyed most of the interior decorations ncluding the chapel, the castle in 1935 was obtained by the state of Thuringia. It was at first used as a holiday home and later as a house for the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic. Renovated in 1991–1993 it is now used as a dermatological specialist hospital.

The town church Sankt Maria Magdalena [centre] was built in 1811–1815 in Classicist style.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leutenberg; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Friedensburg; https://www.thueringen-entdecken.de/urlaub-hotel-reisen/stadtkirche-leutenberg-104263.html, http://www.kirchbau.de/php/300_datenblatt.php?id=12925&name=keiner]