SCHLEIZ, a town of Germany, second capital of the principality of Reuss, Younger Line, situated in a fertile district on the river Wiesenthal, 20 m. by rail N.W. of Plauen. Pop. (1905) 5577. It has a palace, with a chapel and a library, three churches, one of them containing the burial vaults of the princes, several educational establishments, and various small industries such as the manufacture of hosiery, toys, sweetmeats and lamps. It has a market for cattle and pigs.
Schleiz was originally a Slav settlement, but received civic privileges in 1359. There was a settlement of the Teutonic Order here, and for some years previous to 1848 the town was the capital of the small principality of Reuss-Schleiz. In the vicinity a battle was fought, on the 9th of October 1806, between the French and the Prussians.
See Alberti, Aus vergangenen Tagen des Reussenlandes und der Stadt Schleiz (Schleiz, 1896).