# Altena

> town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

**Wikidata**: [Q5276](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5276)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altena)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/altena

## Summary
Altena is a town in the Märkischer Kreis district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, situated at an elevation of 190 meters above sea level. Covering an area of approximately 44.42 square kilometers, it has a population of 16,315 as of December 31, 2023. The town serves as a local administrative center with a history documented in major encyclopedias and maintains twin-town relationships with Péronne, Blackburn, and Pinsk.

## Key Facts
*   **Location**: Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (Coordinates: 51.3°N, 7.666°E).
*   **Population**: 16,315 (as of Dec 31, 2023); 16,430 (2022); 26,753 (1975).
*   **Area**: 44.42 square kilometers (as of Dec 31, 2017).
*   **Elevation**: 190 meters above sea level.
*   **Postal Codes**: 58741–58762.
*   **Dialing Code**: 02352.
*   **UN/LOCODE**: DEALT.
*   **Municipality Key**: 05962004.
*   **Timezone**: UTC+01:00 (Standard) / UTC+02:00 (Daylight Saving).
*   **Website**: http://www.altena.de/
*   **Administrative Status**: Classified as a town, city, and urban municipality; historically the capital of the County of Altena.
*   **Gender Demographics (2023)**: 8,234 male, 8,081 female.

## FAQs
**What international partnerships does Altena maintain?**
Altena is twinned with three administrative bodies: Péronne (France), Blackburn (United Kingdom), and Pinsk (Belarus). These partnerships are documented on the town's official website.

**What are the demographic trends in Altena?**
The town has experienced a population decline over several decades. Records show a population of 26,753 in 1975, which decreased to 17,270 by 2014. As of December 31, 2023, the population stood at 16,315.

**Which neighboring municipalities share a border with Altena?**
Altena shares borders with four municipalities: Hemer, Neuenrade, Iserlohn, and Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde.

**What is the administrative role of Altena?**
Altena is a member of the Städte- und Gemeindebund Nordrhein-Westphalen (Association of Towns and Municipalities). It is classified administratively as an urban municipality within the Märkischer Kreis.

## Why It Matters
Altena holds significance as a historical administrative center within the Märkischer Kreis, evidenced by its former status as the capital of the County of Altena. Its continued relevance is supported by its distinct civic infrastructure, including a dedicated UN/LOCODE (DEALT) for trade and logistics. Culturally, the town is recognized globally through extensive Wikipedia coverage in over 50 languages and inclusion in historical academic sources such as the *Encyclopædia Britannica* and *Meyers Konversations-Lexikon*. The town's visual identity, defined by the Burg Altena (castle) and specific heraldic symbols, anchors it as a notable point of interest in the North Rhine-Westphalian region.

## Notable For
*   **Hanseatic Association**: Officially classified as a "Hanseatic city," linking it to the historical Hanseatic League network.
*   **Historical Documentation**: One of the few towns of its size profiled in the *Encyclopædia Britannica* 11th Edition and *Otto's Encyclopedia*.
*   **Digital Presence**: Maintains a unique identifier across diverse platforms, including MusicBrainz, OpenStreetMap, and Quora, reflecting high data richness.
*   **Visual Heritage**: Associated with specific imagery of "Château d'Altena" (Burg Altena), which serves as a defining landmark.
*   **Linguistic Reach**: Content about the town exists in approximately 54 different language editions of Wikipedia, including less common languages like Church Slavonic and Kashmiri.

## Body

### Geography and Location
Altena is geographically positioned in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It resides within the Märkischer Kreis district at coordinates 51.3° latitude and 7.666° longitude. The town covers a total area of 44.42 square kilometers as of the end of 2017. It sits at an elevation of 190 meters above sea level. The municipality is integrated into the national grid with the German regional key `059620004004` and the GADM ID `DEU.10.28.1_1`.

### Demographics
The population of Altena has seen significant shifts over the last half-century.
*   **1975**: 26,753 residents.
*   **2014**: 17,270 residents.
*   **2017**: 17,081 residents.
*   **2023**: 16,315 residents (Preferred value).

The 2023 data provides a gender breakdown of 8,234 males and 8,081 females. Population statistics are maintained via statistical updating methods by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis).

### Governance and Administration
Altena functions as an urban municipality. It is a member of the "Städte- und Gemeindebund Nordrhein-Westphalen," an association representing municipal interests. The local government operates under the official short name "Altena/Westfalen." The town's administration can be reached via the official portal `altena.de`.

### Transport and Infrastructure
The town is accessible via the local dialing code `02352` and serves a postal area spanning `58741` to `58762`. For international shipping and trade logistics, Altena is assigned the UN/LOCODE `DEALT`. It is tracked in navigation systems via the OpenStreetMap relation ID `168547`.

### Cultural and Historical Records
Altena is extensively cataloged in international library and knowledge systems.
*   **Library Identifiers**: It holds a Library of Congress Authority ID (`n92020254`) and a National Library of Israel J9U ID (`987007545648405171`).
*   **Encyclopedic Entries**: The town is a subject in the 11th edition of the *Encyclopædia Britannica*, *Otto's Encyclopedia*, and the 4th edition of *Meyers Konversations-Lexikon* (1885–1890).
*   **Images**: The town is visually represented by its coat of arms (`DEU_Altena_COA.svg`), a flag, and images of the local castle (`Altena-Burg1-Asio.JPG`).

### Unique Identifiers and Data Traces
Altena possesses a wide array of digital and database identifiers, reflecting its integration into global datasets.
*   **Wikidata & Wikipedia**: Known as the "Knowledge Base" entity with 54 site links across languages including Arabic, German, English, and Russian.
*   **GeoNames**: ID `6557676`.
*   **MusicBrainz**: Area ID `7b9d3126-910c-4b10-a710-8d3c97bb385c`.
*   **Social Media**: A subreddit exists under the name `altena` (Dutch language context noted).
*   **Climate Data**: Tracked by `klimadashboard.de` with region ID `36d8a321-9d7f-4eda-9f9a-d9fb6f8efcf7`.
*   **Miscellaneous**: The town has a Quora topic dedicated to it and is listed in the OpenWeatherMap database with city ID `2957886`. Note: In some external datasets, a "Snarc ID" points to "Zamboanga City" and a "FactGrid Item ID" points to "Saint-Privat-la-Montagne," indicating potential data ambiguities in linked open data clouds.

## References

1. archINFORM
2. [Source](http://www.altena.de/Partnerstaedte-Patenschaften.65.0.html)
3. [Source](https://www.kommunen.nrw/der-verband/mitglieder-des-stgb-nrw.html)
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. MusicBrainz
6. [Alle politisch selbständigen Gemeinden mit ausgewählten Merkmalen am 31.12.2018 (4. Quartal). Federal Statistical Office of Germany](https://www.destatis.de/DE/ZahlenFakten/LaenderRegionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Administrativ/Archiv/GVAuszugQ/AuszugGV4QAktuell.html)
7. DESTATIS 1975
8. [Federal Statistical Office of Germany](https://www.statistikportal.de/de/produkte/gemeindeverzeichnis)
9. register of German municipalities (4th quarter 2022)
10. register of German municipalities (2022)
11. register of German municipalities (2023)
12. directory of German Library Codes
13. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/de.htm)
14. Quora
15. Reddit
16. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
17. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
18. museum-digital