Altmarkkreis Salzwedel
Encyclopedia
Altmarkkreis Salzwedel is a district in Saxony-Anhalt
, Germany
. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts Gifhorn
, Uelzen
, Lüchow-Dannenberg
in Lower Saxony
, and the districts of Stendal
and Ohrekreis
.
is a historical region that covers the territory of this district as well as parts of the neighbouring district of Stendal
. In the 10th century AD, it was the eastern border province of the Holy Roman Empire
; castles were built here in order to move the borders eastwards. The Altmark was a swampy and heavily contested region for centuries. In the 12th century, many swamps were drained, and the strongholds became small towns. In the Late Middle Ages
, many towns were members of the Hanseatic League
. Due to the Thirty Years' War
the Altmark was completely devastated in the 17th century. It never regained its importance and remained sparsely populated to date.
The district was established in 1994 by merging the former districts of Gardelegen, Klötze, Salzwedel and (partially) Osterburg.
, a large wetland in the southwest, which is a nature park shared with the neighbouring Ohrekreis
.
The largest lake of the district is the Arendsee (5.54 km²); the town of Arendsee
is named after this lake.
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...
, 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 districts Gifhorn
Gifhorn (district)
-Geography:The district is located at the border of Saxony-Anhalt and extends from the southern edge of the Lüneburg Heath in the north to the suburbs of Braunschweig and Wolfsburg in the south. The Aller River enters the district in the southeast, runs through the town of Gifhorn, is joined by...
, Uelzen
Uelzen (district)
Uelzen is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Gifhorn, Celle, Heidekreis, Lüneburg and Lüchow-Dannenberg, and by the state of Saxony-Anhalt...
, Lüchow-Dannenberg
Lüchow-Dannenberg
Lüchow-Dannenberg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany which is usually referred to as Hannoversches Wendland or Wendland. It is bounded by the districts of Uelzen and Lüneburg and the states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt Lüchow-Dannenberg is a district in...
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, and the districts of Stendal
Stendal (district)
Stendal is a district in the north-east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Jerichower Land, Börde, Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, and the districts Prignitz, Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Havelland in Brandenburg.- History :In the...
and Ohrekreis
Ohrekreis
The Ohrekreis was a district in the north-east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Stendal, Jerichower Land, the district-free city Magdeburg, Bördekreis, and the districts Helmstedt and Gifhorn in Lower Saxony...
.
History
The AltmarkAltmark
The Altmark is a historic region in Germany, comprising the northern third of Saxony-Anhalt. As the initial territory of the Brandenburg margraves, it is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Prussia", as by Otto von Bismarck, a native from Schönhausen near Stendal.- Geography :The Altmark is...
is a historical region that covers the territory of this district as well as parts of the neighbouring district of Stendal
Stendal (district)
Stendal is a district in the north-east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Jerichower Land, Börde, Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, and the districts Prignitz, Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Havelland in Brandenburg.- History :In the...
. In the 10th century AD, it was the eastern border province of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
; castles were built here in order to move the borders eastwards. The Altmark was a swampy and heavily contested region for centuries. In the 12th century, many swamps were drained, and the strongholds became small towns. In the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
, many towns were members of the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
. Due to the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
the Altmark was completely devastated in the 17th century. It never regained its importance and remained sparsely populated to date.
The district was established in 1994 by merging the former districts of Gardelegen, Klötze, Salzwedel and (partially) Osterburg.
Geography
The Altmark is a plain countryside, which once was full of fens and ponds. Today it is mainly covered with forests and heaths. It is generally dry, although some swampy regions survived. The largest of those is the DrömlingDrömling
The Drömling is a sparsely populated depression on the border of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt in Germany with an area of about . The larger part belonging to Saxony-Anhalt in the east has been a nature park since 1990. The former swampland was transformed by drainaged from a natural into a...
, a large wetland in the southwest, which is a nature park shared with the neighbouring Ohrekreis
Ohrekreis
The Ohrekreis was a district in the north-east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Stendal, Jerichower Land, the district-free city Magdeburg, Bördekreis, and the districts Helmstedt and Gifhorn in Lower Saxony...
.
The largest lake of the district is the Arendsee (5.54 km²); the town of Arendsee
Arendsee
Arendsee is a municipality in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is named after the lake Arendsee, located north of the town.-Geography:...
is named after this lake.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms displays:
|
Towns and municipalities
The district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel consists of the following subdivisions:| Free towns | Verbandsgemeinde Verbandsgemeinde A Verbandsgemeinde is an administrative unit in the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.-Rhineland-Palatinate:... |
|---|---|
|
Beetzendorf-Diesdorf Beetzendorf-Diesdorf Beetzendorf-Diesdorf is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel , in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 1 January 2010, it was a Verwaltungsgemeinschaft. It is situated southwest of Salzwedel...
|
External links
- Official Website (German)
- Touristical website for the Altmark region (German)
- Drömling Nature Park (German, English)