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ALTONA

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 765 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ALTONA , a See also:

town of See also:Germany, in the Prussian See also:province of See also:Schleswig-See also:Holstein, on the right See also:bank of the See also:Elbe immediately See also:west of See also:Hamburg. Though administratively distinct, the two cities so closely adjoin as virtually to See also:form one whole. Lying higher than Hamburg, Altona enjoys a purer and healthier See also:atmosphere. It has spacious squares and streets, among the latter the Palmaille, a stately See also:avenue ending on a See also:terrace about See also:ioo ft. above the Elbe, whence a See also:fine view is obtained of the See also:river and the lowlands beyond. Of the six Evangelical churches, the Hauptkirche (See also:parish See also:church), with a lofty See also:steeple, is See also:note-worthy. The See also:main thoroughfares are embellished by several striking monuments, notably the memorials of the See also:wars of 1864 and 1870, See also:bronze statues of the See also:emperor See also:William I. and See also:Bismarck and the See also:column of Victory (Siegessaule). The museum (19o1) is an imposing See also:building in the See also:German See also:Renaissance See also:style and contains, in addition to a valuable library, ethnographical and natural See also:history collections. Its site is that formerly occupied by the See also:terminus of the Schleswig-Holstein See also:railways, but a See also:hand-some central station lying somewhat farther to the N., connected with Hamburg by an elevated railway, now accommodates all the See also:traffic and provides through communication with the main Prussian railway systems. There are also fine municipal and judicial buildings, a See also:theatre (under the same management as the Stadttheater in Hamburg), a gymnasium, technical See also:schools, a school of See also:navigation and a See also:hospital. In respect of its See also:local See also:industries Altona has manufactures of See also:tobacco and cigars, of machinery, woollens, cottons and chemicals.. There are also extensive breweries, tanneries and See also:soap and oil See also:works. Altona carries on an extensive maritime See also:trade with See also:Great See also:Britain, See also:France and See also:America, but it has by no means succeeded in depriving Hamburg of its commercial superiority—indeed, so dependent is it upon its See also:rival that most of its business is trans-acted on the Hamburg See also:exchange, while the magnificent See also:ware-houses on the Altona river bank are to a large extent occupied by the goods of Hamburg merchants.

Since 1888, when Altona joined the imperial See also:

Zollverein, approximately See also:half a million See also:sterling has been spent upon See also:harbour improvement works. The exports and imports resemble those of Hamburg. In the ten years 1871-188o, the See also:port was entered on an See also:average annually by 737 vessels of 67,735 tons, in 1881–1890 by 6o8 vessels of 154,713 tons, and in 1891–1898 by 839 vessels of 253,384 tons. In 1890 the populous suburbs of Ottensen to the W., where the poet Gottlieb See also:Klopstock lies buried,Bahrenfeld, Othmarschen and Ovelgonne were incorporated. Without these suburbs the growth of the town may be seen from the following figures: (1864, when it ceased to be Danish) 53,039; (188o) 91,049; (1885) 104,717; (1890) together with the four suburbs, 143,249; (1895) 148,944; (1900) 161,508; (1905) 168,301. Altona is the headquarters of the IX. German See also:army See also:corps. The name Altona is said to be derived from allzu-nah (" all too near "), the Hamburgers' designation for an See also:inn which in the See also:middle of the 16th See also:century See also:lay too See also:close to their territory. For a See also:long See also:time this was the only See also:house in the locality. When in 164o Altona passed to See also:Denmark it was a small fishing See also:village. Its rise to its See also:present position is mainly due to the fostering care of the Danish See also:kings who conferred certain customs privileges and exemptions upon it with a view to making it a formidable rival to Hamburg. In 1713 it was burnt by the Swedes, but rapidly recovered from this disaster, and despite the trials of the See also:Napoleonic wars, gradually increased in prosperity.

In 1853, owing to the withdrawal by Denmark of its customs privileges, its trade waned. In 1864 Altona was occupied in the name of the German See also:

Confederation, passed to See also:Prussia after the See also:war of 1866, and 1888 together with Hamburg joined the Zollverein, while retaining certain See also:free trade rights over the Freihafengebiet which it shares with Hamburg and See also:Wandsbek. See Wichmann, Geschichte Altonas (2 vols., Alt., 1896) ; See also:Ehrenberg & See also:Stahl, Altonas topographische Entwickelung (Alt., 1894).

End of Article: ALTONA

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