Gotha, the venerable ducal seat on the northern edge of the Thuringian Forest, owes its position as an economic and administrative centre to the fact that it is a major city that forms an administrative part of the district of the same name. Gotha can trace its city-charter back to the 12th century and has become an important location of business, art and culture since then.

At the present time, Gotha is home to 49,000 citizens. A wide -range of child-care facilities, primary and secondary schools as well as various technical colleges, numerous social facilities for various needs, a range of recreation facilities – such as Seeberg, Krahnberg or Boxberg with its horse-racing facilities so rich in tradition, various sports centres and not least Friedenstein Castle, known well beyond the German borders, with its unique art collection give Gotha a high quality of life for both young and old.