employer is the hospital Klinikum Meiningen with nearly 1,000 employees. Meiningen is a center of electrical engineering and high-tech manufacturing. Numerous companies in that industry (founded here or that have settled here) form a business cluster. This includes the global high-tech enterprise ADVA Optical Networking (ADVA AG). Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works is the only plant in Western and Central Europe where steam locomotives can be completely repaired and maintained. it also builds new locomotives and repairs historic passenger coaches, diesel locomotives and other railway vehicles. Other companies provide hardware for doors and windows, tools, ovens, electric goods and radiators. In the food industry, there are a wholesale bakery and a meat plant. Outside of manufacturing, the local savings bank (Sparkasse), municipal services, the theater and museums, the railway company Südthüringenbahn and health facilities are important in the local economy. Agriculture plays a minor role in Meiningen as the soil is not very fertile. However, the rural districts Herpf and Dreißigacker account for most of the agricultural area (17.6% of the total municipal territory). Arts and culture Theatre The Staatstheater Meiningen offers musical theatre (opera, operetta, musicals), plays, symphony concerts, puppet shows, ballet and youth theatre. The Meiningen Hoftheater opened on 17 December 1831. It was destroyed in a fire in 1908 and was replaced in 1909 by the current building. The company was called the Meininger. It featured plays and gave concerts, and travelled throughout Germany and Europe. Active support by the Theaterherzog Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1866–1914) helped it to attain international celebrity. Today the theatre is known as "Staatstheater Meiningen" (State Theatre Meiningen). It employs more than 320 people. The Director is Jens Neundorff von Enzberg. Meininger Hofkapelle The Meiningen Court Orchestra is one of the oldest orchestras in Europe. The now 68-member orchestra is part of the Meininger Theatre and performs, in addition to opera accompaniment, regular symphony concerts and youth concerts. Philippe Bach was the music director from 2010 to 2022. His successor will be Killian Farrell (Ireland) from 2023. The court orchestra was founded in 1690 by Duke Bernhard I. In October 1880 the most successful period of the orchestra began and it developed into an elite European orchestra under the direction of Hans von Bülow. During the von Bülow period, Johannes Brahms came to Meiningen to collaborate with the court orchestra and to conduct occasionally. Other notable conductors included Richard Strauss from 1885