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Altenburg
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Altenburg is a town in the German federal state (Bundesland) of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.
History
The town (civitas Altenburg) was first mentioned in a deed to the bishop of Zeitz in 976. Remains of a Slavic castle on the Schloßberg demonstrate that the town was probably a Slavic foundation, the capital of the shire of Plisni, taken over during the conquest of Meißen by Henry I.
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Encyclopedia
Altenburg is a town in the German federal state (Bundesland) of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.
Geography
Altenburg is bounded by Windischleuba, Nobitz, Saara, Altkirchen, Göhren, Lödla, Rositz, Wintersdorf and Gerstenberg.
History
The town (civitas Altenburg) was first mentioned in a deed to the bishop of Zeitz in 976. Remains of a Slavic castle on the Schloßberg demonstrate that the town was probably a Slavic foundation, the capital of the shire of Plisni, taken over during the conquest of Meißen by Henry I. As shown by place names, the surrounding area (Osterland) was mainly settled by Slavs.
The town's location on the imperial road between Halle and Cheb in Bohemia gave Altenburg economic importance in the salt trade.
The first castle, located under the present day church St. Bartholomäi, was destroyed after the Battle of Hohenmölsen between Henry IV and Rudolph of Swabia. It was rebuilt on the Schloßberg outside of the town. The 11th century Mantelturm tower is still preserved. The castle later became an imperial palatinate and played an important part in the German takeover and settlement of the area between the Harz-mountains and the Elbe.
In the middle of the 12th century, the Hohenstaufen emperors patronized Altenburg, allowing the town to become a market and a mint. Together with the Royal forests Leina, Pahna, Kammerforst and Luckauer Forst, lands of the Groitzsch family bought by Frederick Barbarossa, Altenburg, Colditz, Zwickau and Chemnitz were turned into the Terra Plisniensis. Altenburg and Chemnitz as Imperial towns were intended to reduce the importance of Leipzig held by the Margrave of Meißen.
Under Frederick Barbarossa much building took place, especially in the market area, and the town grew rapidly. An Augustine priory was founded and the church was finished in 1172. The twin towers (Rote Spitzen) are still preserved. A town wall was constructed at the end of the 12th century.
During the Interregnum, the Terra Plisniensis was impounded, but bought back by Rudolph I of Germany, who desired the crown of Thuringia. Together with Zwickau and Chemnitz, Altenburg was part of the anti-Meißen Pleiße-city Union of 1290. After the Battle of Lucka in 1307 against Friedrich (der Freidige) of Meißen and his brother Diezmann, King Albert I lost Altenburg and the Pleiße-lands to the margraves of Meißen.
In 1455 Altenburg saw the division (Altenburger Teilung) of the Meißen lands between Elector Frederick II (the Gentle) and Duke Wilhelm that led, after a failed attempt at reconciliation (Hallescher Machtspruch) to a war (1446-1451) between the two brothers (Bruderkrieg).
In the second division of the Wettin lands between Ernest and Albert at Leipzig in 1485, Altenburg fell to Erenst, together with the Electorate (Kurland), Grimma, the Mutschener Pflege, Leisnig, Thuringia and the Vogtland. From this time on, Altenburg was historically connected with Thuringia.
During the Peasants' War of 1525, the Altenburg Augustine monastery was attacked. In the summer, four peasant rebels were executed at the marketplace.
From 1603-1672 Altenburg was the residence of the Ernestine line, after that, it fell to Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. During the Napoleonic wars it was a scene of a brief Allied raid by the Saxon General Johann von Thielmann. When the Ernestine lands were re-divided in 1826, Altenburg became the capital of Saxe-Altenburg. The last duke abdicated on 13 November 1918 after being promised 12 million Marks and the ownership of numerous castles. The free-state Saxe-Altenburg was merged with Thuringia in 1920.
During World War II, several subcamps of the Buchenwald concentration camp were located here. They provided slave labour for HASAG, the third largest Germany company to use concentration camp labour.
In 1952, Altenburg fell to the Leipzig District, but became part of Thuringia again in 1990.
Historical population
| 1831 - 1939 | 1946 - 1996 | 1997 - 2004 |
- 1831 - 12.629
- 1880 - 26.241
- 1885 - 29.110
- 1890 - 31.439
- 1900 - 37.110
- 1925 - 42.570
- 1933 - 43.736
- 1939 - 45.851
| 1946 - 51.805 1 1950 - 49.413 2 1960 - 46.791 1981 - 55.827 1984 - 54.755 1994 - 46.291 1995 - 45.472 1996 - 44.854 | 1997 - 44.060 1998 - 43.032 1999 - 42.005 2000 - 41.290 2001 - 40.559 2002 - 39.810 2003 - 39.189 2004 - 38.417 |
- Source (since 1994): Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik
- 1 29. October
- 2 31. August
Sights
Altenburg's town hall is one of the most important Renaissance buildings in Germany. It was built between 1562 and 1564 by the architect Nikolaus Grohmann. The Schenkendorffsches Palais (1724) and the Alte Amtshaus (1725) are remarkable Baroque structure. There is also a castle, which is the scene of the famous "Prinzenraub", related by Carlyle in his "Miscellanies". The Western main wing (1706-1732) contains an exhibition on the history of playing cards and card games and a historical museum.
The Lindenau Museum in the palace of Bernhard August von Lindenau (1799-1854), built in 1875 houses Italian paintings of the 13th-15th centuries, a collection of classical antiquities and cast and modern art.
Culture
Altenburg is called the playing cards town. The game of skat is said to have originated here, based on the Bavarian tarock. Because of the influence Emperor Frederick Barbarossa had on the town, it is nicknamed a "Barbarossa town".
Economy
Altenburg is noted for produced playing cards. The Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik was founded in the year 1831. Today it is a subsidiary company of Cartamundi and market leader in Germany.
In Altenburg is the headquarters of the Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur. Since 2005 the supercar Gumpert Apollo is produced by Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur.
Transport
In the vicinity of the city are two airports.
The Leipzig-Altenburg Airport, a former Russian military airport, is used for cheap commercial flights to London Stansted, Barcelona-Girona and Edinburgh.
Leipzig/Halle is an international airport 50 km northwest of Altenburg.
Sister cities
Offenburg, Germany
Olten, Switzerland
Zlín, Czech Republic
Hickory, North Carolina (school partnership.)
Notable natives
*Gerhard Altenbourg
See also
External links
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