Altena

Altena lies in the Sauerland beneath the castle from which a branch of the counts of Mark took its early name. The stronghold remained important after the family established other seats. During a feud in 1323, the bishop of Münster was captured and held here for ransom. Count Engelbert III of Mark granted the settlement below the castle limited town rights in 1367. By 1392 Altena was the seat of a local bailiff, and the castle also housed the county's archives. After the succession disputes of 1609, the County of Mark passed to Brandenburg.