(Germ. Sachsen-Altenburg),** a small duchy of Germany, consisting of two separate parts, divided from one another by portions of Reuss and Saxe-Weimar, and lying between N. Lat. 50° 43' and 51° 10'; E. Long. 10° 50' and 11° 53'; the eastern part being bounded on the N.E. and S. by the kingdom of Saxony, W. by Reuss and Saxe-Weimar; and the western, W. and N. by Saxe-Weimar and Prussia; E. and S. by Reuss, Saxe-Weimar, Saxe-Meiningen, and Schwartburg. These two portions form the two circles of the duchy; the former that of Altenburg, and the latter that of Saal-Eisenberg; and their area and population are as follows:

| | Sq. miles | Pop. (1827) | |----------------|-----------|-------------| | Altenburg | 244 | 87,991 | | Saal-Eisenberg | 278 | 40,202 | | **Total** | **522** | **133,593** |

The eastern portion, lying on the northern slope of the Saxon mountains, has a smooth or gently undulating surface, and a very fertile soil; the western portion is less fertile, but abounds in mountains and forests, lying partly among the Saxon and partly among the Thuringian hills. Dollenstein, near Kahla, the loftiest point in the country, does not exceed 1000 feet in height. The principal river in this part is the Saale, an affluent of the Elbe, which receives here the Orla and the Roda; the eastern part of the duchy being watered by the Pleise, which afterwards unites with the Saale. The climate is temperate, pleasant, and healthy. There are mineral springs at Ronneburg and other places. With the exception of minerals, which are few, Saxe-Altenburg has all the ordinary natural productions. Agriculture is, especially in the eastern part, carried on with diligence and success. The quantity of arable land in the country is 213,982 acres; of wood, 66,838; of meadows, 24,200; of gardens, 10,822; and of pasture land, 7030. The quantity of corn raised is more than sufficient for domestic consumption. Pulse, potatoes, and other vegetables, are also grown. Cattle are raised in large numbers, and of a good breed; the horses and sheep are also excellent. The duchy contains 6200 horses; 56,000 horned cattle; 75,000 sheep; and 25,000 pigs. Deer and wild boars are found in the woods, and fish in the streams. Coal, building-stone, and porcelain-clay, are the most important minerals. Manufactures are not very extensively carried on in Altenburg: woollen, cotton, and linen cloth; wooden articles; beer, brandy, and vinegar, are among the articles produced; and there are also tanneries and dye-works. The trade is of some importance, and is facilitated by the good roads and railways. Corn, cattle, butter, cheese, wool, and timber, are among the principal exports. The educational establishments of the duchy include a gymnasium at Altenburg, with 10 teachers and 140 scholars, in 1854–5; a lyceum; normal seminary; a school of art and industry; 192 elementary schools, &c. The government is a limited monarchy; the dukedom is hereditary. in the male line. The legislature consists of the estates of the land (Landständen), who assemble in one chamber. This chamber is composed of 24 deputies; 8 from the owners of manors, 8 from the cities, and 8 from the peasantry. A diet must be held every three years; and it is called, adjourned, and dissolved by the duke. The highest judicial tribunal for Saxe-Altenburg is the upper court of appeal, at Jena, in Saxe-Weimar; below this is the court of appeal at Altenburg; and in the third rank a court of justice in that town; and eight others in other parts of the duchy. The established church is the evangelical Protestant. Most of the inhabitants are Lutherans; and there are about 800 Roman Catholics and 1400 Jews. The military force consists of an infantry regiment, 1474 strong, which also forms the contingent to the federal army of Germany. The public revenue for 1856–8 amounted to L.107,943, and the expenditure to L.107,218. Altenburg belonged originally to the Osterland, which included all the country between the Saale and the Mulde; and it was governed by the margraves of Meissen, whose lands were purchased by the Elector of Saxony in 1428. It fell to the Albertine, or younger line of Saxony, by the compact of Leipzig in 1485, and remained in this branch of the family till 1554, when it was transferred to the descendants of John Frederick, the deposed elector of the elder or Ernestine line. But it was not till 1603 that Altenburg became a separate state, under the sons of Frederick William I., a grandson of the deposed elector; but this line becoming extinct in 1672, the most of their possessions fell to Ernest of Gotha; and from that time till 1826, formed a part of the duchy of Gotha. In the latter year, Frederick, previously Duke of Hildburghausen, obtained this duchy in exchange for his own, and founded the new Altenburg line. Some revolutionary disturbances took place here in 1830, but these were only transient; and in the following year a reform in the constitution was effected, which prepared the way for further improvements in various departments of the state. Another outbreak took place in 1848, when the revolutionary party attempted, but without success, to make Altenburg a republic.