DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Freistaat Thüringen	Thuringia
Landkreis: Altenburger Land

map →

Altenburg is situated at an elevation of 227 m on the river Pleiße in eastern Thuringia. The first mentioning in a document dates from AD 976. From 1328 on it was in possession of the House of Wettin (Saxony). The rights of a free town were confirmed in 1256 by Margrave Heinrich of Meißen (Heinrich der Erlauchte, 'H. the Illustrous'), Landgrave of Thuringia, and were renewed in 1356 by Margrave Friedrich III of Meißen (Friedrich der Strenge, 'the Austere'). In 1455, Kunz von Kauffungen tried to enforce his demands against Elector Friedrich II of Saxony (Friedrich der Sanftmütige, 'F. the Gentle') by kidnapping the two sons of Friedrich, Ernst and Albrecht ('Sächsischer Prinzenraub'). When Friedrich died in 1464, his countries were jointly ruled by his sons. In 1485 they divided the countries among themselves (see chart of the Wettin dynasty). Altenburg was among the countries received by Elector Ernst. After the War of Schmalkalden Altenburg was in possession of the Albertine line of the family from 1547 until 1554. The Duchy Saxe-Altenburg was founded in 1603. During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) the majority of the population of Altenburg was killed. With the death in 1672 of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm III the line of Saxe-Altenburg became extinct and three quarters of the country became part of the Duchy Saxe-Gotha, the rest became part of the Duchy Saxe-Weimar (later Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach). Saxe-Gotha was divided again in 1680/1681 into Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg (until 1699), Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Römhild (until 1710), Saxe-Eisenberg (until 1707), Saxe-Hildburghausen and Saxe-Saalfeld (1735 Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld). When Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became extinct in 1825, the duchies were rearranged in 1826 by an arbitration of King Friedrich August I of Saxony (see map of the Thuringian states in 1815, 1826, and 1848): the new Duchies were Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Coburg-and-Gotha (a personal union of Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha), and Saxe-Altenburg (which was awarded to Duke Friedrich of Saxe-Hildburghausen in return for his renunciation of Hildburghausen). Saxe-Altenburg joined the German Customs Union in 1833/34, the North German Federation in 1867 and the German Empire in 1871. After World War I the last Duke (Ernst II) abdicated in 1918. Saxe-Altenburg joined the newly-founded state of Thuringia in 1920.

Altenburg castle [left, no. 801, and right, no. 1363] high on a rock dominates the town. The oldest existing parts of the castle date back to the 11th century. During the 12th and 13th century it served as an imperial residence. Later it was a temporary residence of the Saxon Electors. Between 1603 and 1673, and again 1826–1918 it was the residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg. Its present appearance was shaped by the rebuilding in Baroque style 1706–1730. The south façade is marked by the Gothic  castle church [centre right] of the 15th century.

The (New) Ducal Court Theatre [near left, no. 4417] was built in 1869–1871 by the architect Otto Brückwald in the style of Neo-Renaissance. n 1904/05 the theatre was rebuilt: new additions included a sophisticated interior with impressive ceiling paintings, golden ornaments and red upholstered seats in the large auditorium. The addition of the foyer wing in the style of romanticising classicism with a new façade gave the theatre a box office foyer, a main foyer and the installation of additional stairways for the tiers, in addition to the altered grand staircase. The main building has a capacity of 500 seats. Since 1918, the theater is named Landestheater Altenburg.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landestheater_Altenburg]

The popular German card game 'Skat' was invented in Altenburg around 1810/1815. The Bechstein playing card manufacture was founded here in 1832 and became the largest manufacture of playing cards in Germany after 1900. In 1923 a playing-card museum was opened in Altenburg castle.

Other place of the same name that are depicted on a glass in this collection are: Altenburg and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg (both in Lower Austria).