Gardelegen

Gardelegen grew below a castle in the Altmark and was first recorded as a town and fortress in 1196. Its position at a crossroads favoured trade, and in 1358 it was invited to the Hanseatic assembly at Lübeck. Brewing became a source of wealth, but a beer tax imposed by Elector John Cicero in 1488 provoked resistance. Three of its leaders were executed, and Gardelegen was forbidden to remain in town alliances. From around 1500 its brewers exported Garley, a strong herbal drink, to distant markets. The export tax helped finance buildings including the town hall and Salzwedel Gate. Brewing declined in the early eighteenth century, and Gardelegen became a garrison town in 1725.