Duke Georg II – The Legacy We Continue to Honor in Meiningen to This Day

Topic: Duke Georg II – The legacy we continue to honour in Meiningen to this day

Speaker: Joanna Izdebski, Chair of Meininger TheaterFreunde e. V.

Time: Friday, 18 September 2026, 3.00 pm

Venue: TU Ilmenau, Faraday Lecture Theatre, Weimarer Straße 32, entrance via Prof. Schmidt-Straße

Admission: 5 euros

Are you familiar with Duke Georg II of Saxe-Meiningen? This year we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of his birth. Georg II, who lived from 1826 to 1914, was a progressive, creative ruler whose influence extended far beyond the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. Whilst he was regarded throughout his life as a visionary who strove for something new and more modern, he was also known as the ‘Theatre Duke’ due to his passionate support for the theatre. 

In her lecture on Duke Georg II at the TU Ilmenau Bürgercampus, Joanna Izdebski, chair of the Meininger TheaterFreunde association, examines Georg II of Saxe-Meiningen from various perspectives: She offers historical insights, recounts personal experiences and reflects on modern leadership principles – and she asks what we can learn today from George II’s extraordinary life’s work. Joanna Izdebski is not only committed to the Meiningen Theatre and the cultural life of the region; she also has many years’ experience at the interface between business, research and entrepreneurship.

Ursula Nirsberger
TU Ilmenau, Citizens' Campus
03677 69-4794
buergercampus@tu-ilmenau.de