Altona (ˈaltona) is the westernmost urban borough (Bezirk) of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was a independent city until 1937. In 2006 the population was 243,972.

History

It was founded in 1535 as a village of fishermen. In 1664 it received city rights from Danish King Frederik III. Until 1864 Altona was one of the Danish monarchy's most important harbour towns. The railroad from Altona to Kiel, the Christian VIII Baltic Sea Rail Line (Christian VIII Østersø Jernbane), was opened in 1844.

Because of the severe restrictions on the number of Jews allowed to live in Hamburg (with the exception of the period of 1811-15,) until 1864, a major Jewish community developed in Altona. Members did business both in Hamburg and in Altona itself. All that remains is the Jewish cemetery, but in the seventeenth , eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries it was a major center of Jewish life and scholarship.

The wars between Denmark and the Kingdom of Prussia like the First Schleswig War (1848–1851) and the Second War of Schleswig (Feb 1864 - Oct 1864) followed by the Gastein Convention (1864) led to Denmark's cession of the Duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg to Prussian and Austrian administration, respectively. In 1867 Altona became part of the Kingdom of Prussia.

In 1871 Altona and the near city Hamburg were hit by the cholera with a minimum of 16 casualties.

Alter the first world war in the Weimar Republic the city of Altona was disturbed by major worker strikes and street disorders. The inflation in Germany was a major problem. In 1923 Max Brauer the mayor of Altona, ordered to give coins for the gas meters as part of the salary for city personnel, because these coins were independent to the inflation. The most notable event at this time is the bloody Sunday of Altona (German: Altonaer Blutsonntag) on July 7, 1932 were several persons were shot by the police force during a demonstration of Nazi groups. After police raids and a special court, on August 1, 1933 among others Bruno Tesch was found guilty and beheaded.

The Greater Hamburg Act took it away from the Free State of Prussia in 1937 and merged it (and several surrounding cities) with the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in 1938.

On February 1, 2007 the Ortsämter (Precincts) in Hamburg were dissolved. In Altona were the precincts Blankenese, Lurup and Osdorf with local offices. Ob March 1, 2008 the neighborhood Schanzenviertel in the boroughs Altona, Eimsbüttel and Hamburg-Mitte became the quarter Sternschanze in the borough Altona.

Geography

The border of Altona to the south is the River Elbe, and across the river the state Lower Saxony and the boroughs Harburg and Hamburg-Mitte. To the east is the borough Hamburg-Mitte and to the north is the borough Eimsbüttel. The western border is to the state of Schleswig-Holstein. According to the statistical office Hamburg the area of Altona was in 2006 77.5 km² or 29.9 sq mi.

Quarters

Politically, the following quarters (German Stadtteile) are subject to the Altona borough:

1. Altona-Altstadt
2. Altona-Nord
3. Bahrenfeld
4. Ottensen
5. Othmarschen (including parts of Klein Flottbek)
6. Groß Flottbek
7. Osdorf
8. Lurup
9. Nienstedten (including parts of Klein Flottbek)
10. Blankenese
11. Iserbrook
12. Sülldorf
13. Rissen
14. Sternschanze

Demographics

In 2006 in the borough Altona were living 243,972 people. 16.4% were children under the age of 18, and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. 15.3% were immigrants. 12,545 people were registered as unemployed. In 1999 48% of all households were made up of individuals .

There were 37 elementary schools and 30 secondary schools in Altona and 635 physicians in private practice and 67 pharmacies.

Diet of the borough

Simultaneously with elections to the state parliament (Bürgerschaft), the Bezirksversammlung is elected as representatives of the citizens. It consists of 51 representatives.

Elections

Elections were held in Hamburg on 24 February 2008. The five parties having more than 5 percent in recent polls (minimum to qualify) are the conservative CDU, the social-democratic SPD, the ecologist Green Party (GAL), the left-wing Die Linke and the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). The voter participation were 65.2%.

Party	Percent	Seats
CDU	34.6	18
SPD	29.8	16
GAL	18.3	9
Die Linke	9.2	5
FDP	5.9	3

Transportation

Altona is the location of a major railway station, Hamburg-Altona, connecting the local rapid transit with the regional railways and local bus lines.

The Bundesautobahn 7 leads through Altona borough.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), in Altona were 87,131 private cars registered ((359 cars/1000 people).

Gallery

See also

• Jonathan Eybeschutz

Notes

References

External links