Altenburg


'''Altenburg''' is a town in the German Bundesland of Thuringia. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.

History

The town (civitas Altenburg) is first mentioned in 976 in a deed to the bishop of Zeitz. Remains of a Slavonic castle on the Schloßberg demonstrate that the town was probably a Slavonic 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 location on the imperial road between Halle and Cheb in Bohemia (salt-trade) gave Altenburg some economic importance. The first castle, located under the present day church St. Bartholomäi, was destroyed after the battle of Hohenmölsen between Henry IV and Rudolph of Suevia. It was rebuilt on the Schloßberg outside of the town. An 11th century tower (Mantelturm) is still preserved. The castle later became an imperial palatinate-castel 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 Stauffer emperors promoted Altenburg. It became a market and a mint. Together with the Royal forests Leina, Pahna, Kammerforst and Luckauer Forst, the lands of the Groitzsch-family bought by Friedrich Barbarossa, Altenburg, Colditz, Zwickau and Chemnitz were turned into the Terra Plisniensis. Altenburg andd Chemnitz as Imperial towns were intended to reduce the importance of Leipzig held by the Margrave of Meißen. Under Friedrich Barbarossa a lot of building took place, especially in the market area, and the town grew. A Augustine priory was founded, 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 interregium, the Terra Plisniensis was impounded, but bought back by Rudolph of Hapsburg, who aspired the crown of Thuringia. Together with Zwickau and Chemnitz Altenburg was part of the anti-Missnian Pleiße-city Union of 1290. After the Battle of Lucka 1307 against Friedrich (der Freidige) of Meißen and his brother Diezmann, King Albrecht I lost Altenburg and the Pleiße-lands to the margraves of Meißen. 1455 Altenburg saw the division of the Meißen lands between Electorate Friedrich (the Gentle) and Duke Wilhelm (Altenburger Teilung) 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 Ernst and Albrecht at Leipzig in 1485, Altenburg fell to Ernst, 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 peasant uprising of 1525, the Altenburg Augustine monastery was attacked. In the summer, four insurgent peasants were executed on the marketplace From 1603-1672 Altenburg was the residence of the Ernestine line, after that, it fell to Saxony-Gotha-Altenburg. When the Ernestine lands were re-divided in 1826, Altenburg became the capital of Saxony-Altenburg. The last duke abdicated at the 13. November 1918 after being promised 12 Million Marks and the ownership of numerous castles. The free-state Saxony-Altenburg was merged with Thuringia in 1920. In 1952, Altenburg fell to the Leipzig District. In 1990, it became part of Thuringia again.

Economy

image:Altenburg-Nobitz.jpg
Airfield of Altenburg.Nobitz
Altenburg is called the playing cards town. The game of Skat is said to have originated here, based on the Bavarian tarock. The Airport of Altenburg Nobitz, a former Russian airstrip, is used for cheap commercial flight to London Stanstead and Bratislava.

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. 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 century, a collection of classical antiquities and cast and modern art. de:Altenburg

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