Altenburger Land is a district in Thuringia

Thuringia

The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the district of Greiz

Greiz (district)

Greiz is a Kreis in the east of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Saale-Holzland, Saale-Orla,district-free city Gera, the Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, Altenburger Land, and the two Saxon districts Zwickauer Land and Vogtlandkreis.- History :Historically the area of the district...

, the Burgenlandkreis

Burgenlandkreis

The Burgenlandkreis was a district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Merseburg-Querfurt, Weißenfels, Leipziger Land, Aschersleben-Staßfurt, Altenburger Land, Greiz, district-free Gera, Saale-Holzland, Weimarer Land, Sömmerda and the Kyffhäuserkreis.- History :The...

 (Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...

), and the districts Leipziger Land

Leipziger Land

Leipziger Land is a former district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It was bounded by the districts of Delitzsch, the district-free city Leipzig, Muldentalkreis, Mittweida, the district Altenburger Land in Thuringia, and the districts Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis in Saxony-Anhalt.- History...

, Mittweida

Mittweida (district)

Mittweida is a former district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It was bounded by the districts Muldentalkreis, Döbeln, Freiberg, the district-free city Chemnitz and the district Chemnitzer Land, the district Altenburger Land in Thuringia and the district Leipziger Land.- History :In 1994...

, Chemnitzer Land

Chemnitzer Land

Chemnitzer Land is a former district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It was bounded by the district of Mittweida, the city of Chemnitz, the districts of Stollberg and Zwickauer Land and the state of Thuringia .- History :The history of the region is largely influenced by the neighbouring...

, Zwickauer Land

Zwickauer Land

Zwickauer Land is a former Kreis in the south-west of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Neighboring districts were Chemnitzer Land, Stollberg, Aue-Schwarzenberg, Vogtlandkreis, and the districts Greiz and Altenburger Land in Thuringia...

 in Saxony

Saxony

The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....

.

History

The region on the Pleiße River was part of a huge forest, which was settled by Slavic peoples

Slavic peoples

The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...

. The castle of Altenburg already existed in the 10th century. In the following centuries German settlers occupied the region. It was part of the margravate of Meißen in the 14th century. At this time most of the forests were cleared.

The city of Altenburg and the surrounding lands were the tiny duchy of Saxe-Altenburg

Saxe-Altenburg

Saxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia.-History:The duchy originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland , a possession of the Wettin Margraves of Meissen since 1243...

 from 1826 to 1918; afterwards it was a state within the Weimar Republic

Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...

 for a short time, before it was dissolved in 1922 in order to join the state of Thuringia.

The district in its present borders was established in 1922 under the name "Altenburg". In 1952 there was an administrative reform splitting the districts into two smaller units, called Altenburg and Schmölln. They were merged again in 1994, but now under the name "Altenburger Land".

Geography

Altenburger Land is the easternmost district of Thuringia. It is a mainly agricultural region. The main river is the Pleiße

Pleiße

The Pleiße is a right tributary of the Weiße Elster in Saxony, Germany. It has its source southwest of Zwickau at Ebersbrunn, then flows through Werdau, Crimmitschau, Altenburg, and other cities in Saxony and Thuringia, before meeting the Weiße Elster in Leipzig.The river naturally had a length of...

, an affluent of the Weiße Elster

Weiße Elster

The White Elster or Weisse Elster is a long river in central Europe, right tributary of the Saale. Its source is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, near Aš. After a few kilometres, it flows into eastern Germany...

, crossing the district from south to north. The hilly Osterland

Osterland

Osterland is a historical region in Germany. It was situated between the Elbe and Saale rivers to the north of Pleissnerland which it later absorbed and it included the city of Leipzig...

 constituting the northernmost foothills of the Ore Mountains slopes gently away to the plains of eastern Saxony-Anhalt.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays: The red rose from the arms of the city of Altenburg The lion, which was the symbol of the reeves of Plauen Plauen Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:... ; they had great power in the region during the 14th and 15th centuries The black and gold stripes with the green ring was the coat of arms of the Saxon Wettin Wettin (dynasty) The House of Wettin is a dynasty of German counts, dukes, prince-electors and kings that once ruled the area of today's German states of Saxony, the Saxon part of Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia for more than 800 years...  dynasty The red acorn symbolises the skat game, which was invented in Altenburg

Towns and municipalities

Verwaltungsgemeinschaft-free towns

and municipalities

Altenburg Altenburg Altenburg is a town in the German federal state of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.-Geography:... Gößnitz Gößnitz Gößnitz is a town in the Altenburger Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Pleiße, 12 km south of Altenburg, and 20 km northwest of Zwickau.... Lucka Lucka -History:The settlement of the area around Lucka occurred in the early Stone Age . Lucka was first mentioned in writing in 1320 as "opidum Luckowe"... Meuselwitz Meuselwitz Meuselwitz is a town in the Altenburger Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 12 km northwest of Altenburg and 11 km east of Zeitz.-History:... Schmölln Schmölln Schmölln is a town in the Thuringian, Germany, landkreis of Altenburger Land, and which lies on the river Sprotte.-Neighboring municipalities:...

Heyersdorf Heyersdorf -Geography:Heyersdorf is located near the municipalities of Ponitz, the city of Schmölln, and Thonhausen in the district of Altenburger Land; as well as near the city of Crimmitschau in the Saxon district of Zwickauer Land.-References:... Nobitz Nobitz Nobitz is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Ponitz Ponitz Ponitz is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.It is particularly famous for its Baroque organ by Gottfried Silbermann and for its spectacularly-eccentric Renaissance manor house... Saara Saara Saara is a German municipality in the Thuringian district of Altenburger Land.-History:The municipality of Saara was established on January 1, 1996, through the consolidation of Lehndorf, Mockern, Podelwitz, Taupadel, and Zehma.-References:...

Verwaltungsgemeinschaften
1. Altenburger Land Altenburger Land (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) Altenburger Land is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Mehna.... Altkirchen Altkirchen Altkirchen is a German municipality in the Thuringian district of Altenburger Land and belongs to the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of the same name.-Neighboring municipalities:... Dobitschen Dobitschen Dobitschen is a municipality in the Altenburger Land district, in the far eastern part of Thuringia, Germany.-Geography:The bounding municipalities are Altkirchen, Drogen, Göllnitz, Lumpzig, Mehna und Naundorf in Altenberger Land.-Historical population:... Drogen Drogen Drogen is a municipality in the Thuringian landkreis of Altenburger Land and belongs to the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of the same name.-Neighboring municipalities:... Göhren Göhren, Thuringia Göhren is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Göllnitz Göllnitz Göllnitz is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Großröda Großröda Großröda is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Lumpzig Lumpzig Lumpzig is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Mehna Mehna Mehna is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... 1 Starkenberg Starkenberg Starkenberg is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. On 1 December 2008, it incorporated the former municipalities Naundorf and Tegkwitz....	2. Oberes Sprottental Oberes Sprottental Oberes Sprottental is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Nöbdenitz.... Heukewalde Heukewalde Heukewalde is a German municipality in the Thuringian Landkreis of Altenburger Land. It belongs to the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Oberes Sprottental.-Neighboring Municipalities:... Jonaswalde Jonaswalde Jonaswalde is a municipality in the Thuringian district of Altenburger Land. It belongs to the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Oberes Sprottental.-Neighboring municipalities:... Löbichau Löbichau Löbichau is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Nöbdenitz Nöbdenitz Nöbdenitz is a German municipality in the Thuringian district of Altenburger Land.-Neighboring municipalities:Municipalities near Nöbdenitz are Drogen, Löbichau, Posterstein, the City of Schmölln, Vollmershain, and Wildenbörten.-Municipal arrangement:... 1 Posterstein Posterstein Posterstein is a German municipality in the Thuringian Landkreis of Altenburger Land.-Neighboring municipalities:Municipalities near Posterstein are Heukewalde, Löbichau, Nöbdenitz, and Vollmershain in the district of Altenburger Land; as well as Paitzdorf and the city of Ronneburg in the district... Thonhausen Thonhausen Thonhausen is a German municipality in the Thuringian district of Altenburger Land. It belongs to the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Oberes Sprottental.-Neighboring municipalities:... Vollmershain Vollmershain Vollmershain is a town in the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Oberes Sprottental in the Thuringian landkreis of Altenburger Land in Germany.-The town's site:The village of Vollmershain is located along 4 km of the Sprotte... Wildenbörten Wildenbörten Wildenbörten a German municipality in the Thuringian district of Altenburger Land. It belongs to the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Oberes Sprottental.-Neighboring municipalities:... 3. Pleißenaue Pleißenaue Pleißenaue is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Treben.... Fockendorf Fockendorf Fockendorf is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Gerstenberg Gerstenberg Gerstenberg is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Haselbach Haselbach, Thuringia Haselbach is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Treben Treben Treben is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... 1 Windischleuba Windischleuba Windischleuba is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany....	4. Rositz Rositz (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft) Rositz is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Rositz.... Kriebitzsch Kriebitzsch Kriebitzsch is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Lödla Lödla Lödla is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Monstab Monstab Monstab is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Rositz Rositz Rositz is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. An RAF raid bombed the oil refinery in Rositz on February 14/15, 1945 as part of Operation Thunderclap.... 1 5. Wieratal Wieratal Wieratal is a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft is in Langenleuba-Niederhain.... Frohnsdorf Frohnsdorf Frohnsdorf is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Göpfersdorf Göpfersdorf Göpfersdorf is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Jückelberg Jückelberg Jückelberg is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... Langenleuba-Niederhain Langenleuba-Niederhain Langenleuba-Niederhain is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany.... 1 Ziegelheim Ziegelheim Ziegelheim is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany....
1seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft

External links

• Official website (German, English, French)