Saale-Holzland District

Saale-Holzland District (Saale-Holzland-Kreis) is a Kreis (district) in the east of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) the district Burgenland in Saxony-Anhalt, the district-free city Gera, the districts Greiz, Saale-Orla, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, District and the district-free city Jena.

History
The district was created in 1994 by merging the previous districts Eisenberg, Jena and Stadtroda. When the district Roda (later Stadtroda) was originally created in 1922 it already covered nearly the area of the current district. In 1952 together with the abolishment of the federal states (Bundesländer) the district was split into the three parts, which were put together again in 1994.

Geography
The main river in the district is the Saale, which also gave it its name. The highest elevation with 475 m above sea level is in the south of the district, the lowest with 118 m is in the Saale valley at the boundary to the district Weimarer Land.