A guide to the main and residence city of Altenburg from 1900. Altenburg is an ancient residence city over a thousand years old, located in the heart of the Central German metropolitan region. The city became known for the card game Skat, invented here after 1810, which is explored in detail at the Castle and Playing Card Museum. Altenburg was first documented in the year 976. By 1836, there were 26 factories in Altenburg, including the playing card factory founded by the Bechstein brothers in 1832. The economy received a significant boost with the city's connection to the railway network by the Saxon-Bavarian Railway, making it the first city in the Thuringian states to do so. After 1850, metal, chemical, and printing industries dominated, replacing textiles and leather trades. Altenburg was a leader in sewing machine production. This is a reprint of the original edition from 1900.