Altenburg (DE)

From Stamps of the World
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Altenburg is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district and part of a polycentric old-industrial textile and metal production region between Gera, Zwickau and Chemnitz with more than 1 million inhabitant. Altenburg was first mentioned in 976 and later became one of the first German cities within the former Slavic area east of Saale river (as part of the medieval Ostsiedlung movement). The emperor Frederick Barbarossa visited Altenburg several times between 1165 and 1188, hence the town is named a Barbarossa town today. Since the 17th century. Altenburg was the residence of different Ernestine duchies, of whom the Saxe-Altenburg persisted until the end of monarchy in Germany in 1918. Industrialization reached Altenburg and the region quite early in the first half of the 19th century and flourished until the Great Depression around 1930. Economic malaise set in while Altenburg was in East Germany and continued after German reunification in 1990, evidenced by a decline in population, high unemployment and house vacancy rates.

Postmarks

Meter cancels (all periods)

Meter cancel 1965
Meter cancel 2003
Meter cancel 2004
Meter cancel 2020
Altenburg 1934
Altenburg 1938
Altenburg 1940
Altenburg 1941
Altenburg 1995
Altenburg 1997
Altenburg 1998

Postmark in East-Germany

1969 Altenburg to Kenosha, Wisconsin

Postmarks in German Empire

In 1896.
In 1916.

Postmark in North German Confederation

Since 1 January 1868.

Postmarks in Kingdom of Saxony

An ALTENBURG post office opened in 1692. Postal code 11.

Altenburg (DE) SAX a.jpg


Covers

Blue circle cancel on a 1851 issue.
Lattice 11 cancel in the 1863-1867 period on a Saxony 1/2 Ngr stamp and ALTENBURG DC postmark, sent to RONNEBURG (District of Saxony-Altenburg).