Personalities who have rendered outstanding services to a municipality can be honored by the latter with awards. The achievements to be honored can be very different, for example economic, communal political or artistic merits.

Honorary citizenship: The award of honorary citizenship is one way in which the municipality can honor a person within the framework of the Thuringian Municipal Code (ThürKO). Since the right of honorary citizenship is a personal right, it can only be awarded to natural persons. An award of the honorary citizenship to an already deceased person is not possible. The bestowal of honorary citizenship has no close legal significance; it does not entail any special rights or obligations or even privileges.

Other honors: The municipality can determine further possibilities for occasion-related honors in a statute and, for example, award specially made medals, lapel pins, coat of arms plates or honorary rings. The bylaws may also regulate the procedure for honoring (e.g., proposals about persons to be honored must be submitted in writing to the municipal council/town council).

State awards: These include:

• the Thuringian Order of Merit,
• the letter of honor of the Free State of Thuringia,
• the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and
• the Citizen's Award.