Altena 183126 225278396 2008-07-12T21:13:13Z Weissmann 2388252 /* Persons of interest */ Image castle <div style="float: right; width: 310px; margin-left: 1em;"> {{Infobox German Location |Art = Stadt |Name = Altena |image_photo = Castle.altena.jpg |imagesize = 300px |image_caption = Castle Altena |Wappen = Stadtwappen der Stadt Altena.png |lat_deg = 51 |lat_min = 18 | lat_sec=0 |lon_deg = 07 |lon_min = 40 | lon_sec=0 |Lageplan = |Bundesland = Nordrhein-Westfalen |Regierungsbezirk = Arnsberg |Kreis = Märkischer Kreis |Höhe = 145 - 511 |Fläche = 44.29 |Einwohner = 20244 |Stand = 2006-06-30 |PLZ = 58741–58762 |Vorwahl = 02352 |Kfz = MK |Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 9 62 004 |Gliederung = 7 |Adresse = Lüdenscheider Straße 22<br />58762 Altena |Website = [http://www.altena.de/ www.altena.de] |Bürgermeister = Dr Andreas Hollstein |Partei = CDU }} {{Infobox Former Country |native_name = ''Grafschaft (Herzogtum) Altena'' |conventional_long_name = County (Duchy) of Altena |common_name = Altena | |continent = Europe |region = Central Europe |country = Germany |era = Middle Ages |status = Vassal |empire = Holy Roman Empire |government_type = Principality | |year_start = 10th century |year_end = 1609 | |event_start = <!--- Default: "Established" ---> |date_start = <!--- Optional: Date of establishment, enter dates in this format [[1 January]], [[1801]]---> |event1 = Merged with parts of [[County of Berg|Berg]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;to form [[Altena-Berg]] |date_event1 = &nbsp;<br>[[1160]]–[[1180|80]] |event2 = Merged with [[County of Berg|Berg]] |date_event2 = [[1249]] |event3 = Raised to [[duchy]] |date_event3 = [[1308]] |event4 = Granted [[German town law|city rights]] |date_event4 = [[20 December]] [[1367]] |event_end = Annexed by [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] |date_end = <!--- Optional: Date of disestablishment ---> |event_post = Brandenburg-Prussia |date_post = [[August 27]], [[1618]] | |p1 = Duchy of Saxony |image_p1 = [[Image:Coat of arms of Saxony.svg|20px|Saxony]] |s1 = Margraviate of Brandenburg |image_s1 = [[Image:Wappen Mark Brandenburg.png|20px|Margraviate of Brandenburg]] | |capital = Altena | |footnotes = <!--- Accepts wikilinks ---> }} </div> {{otheruses1|the town Altena in Germany}} '''Altena''' is a town in the district [[Märkischer Kreis]], in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], [[Germany]]. It is situated on the [[Lenne]] river valley, north of the [[Sauerland]]. == History == The history of Altena starts with the construction of the castle in the [[12th century]], which was the original seat of the [[Mark (county)|Counts of the Mark]]. In [[1198]] the Count of Altena bought the Oberhof Mark near [[Hamm]]. This became the family's main seat and thus also their title. The castle in Altena was only rarely used from that time. <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[image:Schloss_Altena.jpg|frame|Schloss Altena]] --> In [[1308]] the County was elevated to the status of a Duchy. In [[1367]] the settlement below the castle received the right to become a free trade zone. In [[1609]] the whole Duchy became part of [[Brandenburg]], and later of [[Prussia]]. Even though Altena never officially acquired city rights, it was then nevertheless the capital of the district Altena. In [[1968]] Altena was merged with the municipality [[Dahle]], most parts of Evingsen (formerly part of [[Hemer, Germany|Hemer]]), the Rahmede valley and part of [[Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde]] to form the present city. The districts of Altena and [[Lüdenscheid]] were merged into one district, which in [[1975]] became the [[Märkischer Kreis]]. == Points of interest == [[Image:Burg Altena Tower.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Burg Altena]] The town's biggest attraction is the castle ''Burg Altena''. After being unused for centuries it was in ruins, although part of the buildings was used as a hospital. A complete reconstruction was undertaken, finished mostly by [[1914]], to celebrate the 300th anniversary in [[1909]] of the merging of [[Mark (county)|Mark]] with Prussia (Brandenburg). In [[1912]] the first [[youth hostel]] was created by [[Richard Schirrmann]] inside the castle. The old rooms are still on display, and new rooms inside the castle area are still part of the hostel now. The dominant industry in Altena was wire production, and thus it has a museum dedicated to this industry only, the ''Drahtmuseum''. '''See also:''' [[Burgrock]] == Coat of arms == The coat of arms shows [[die Heilige Katharina]], the patron saint of the church built in [[1310]]. She is depicted with a sword and a wheel, as she was killed in [[307]] by these two items. The choice of patron saint goes back to a vow made by Count [[Engelbert III of the Mark]] made at the burial place of Catherine in Jerusalem. The red and white checked [[fess]] refers to the coat of arms of the Counts of the Mark. The coat of arms is quite old: a seal from the [[15th century]] already depicts the same elements. In its current design it was created by [[Otto Hupp]] in 1938. == Twin Towns == Altena is twinned with: * {{flagicon|France}} [[Péronne]], [[France]] (since [[1967]]) * {{flagicon|England}} [[Blackburn]], [[Lancashire]], [[England]] (since [[1972]]) * {{flagicon|Belarus}} [[Pinsk]], [[Belarus]] (since [[1990]]) ==Persons of interest== [[Image:Burg Altena 20080215.JPG|thumb|right|Castle in Altena]] *[[Ralf Linke]], musician == External links == {{commons|Altena}} * [http://www.altena.de Official site] {{de icon}} * [http://www.burg-altena.de Official website of Burg Altena] {{de icon}} {{Cities and towns in Märkischer Kreis (district)}} [[Category:Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia]] [[da:Altena]] [[de:Altena]] [[es:Altena]] [[eo:Altena]] [[fa:آلتنا]] [[it:Altena]] [[nl:Altena (Westfalen)]] [[nds:Altenoa]] [[pl:Altena]] [[pt:Altena]] [[ro:Altena]] [[ru:Альтена]] [[fi:Altena]] [[vo:Altena]]