Altmark

The Altmark, 'old march', is a historical region in the north of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, west of the Elbe, with towns such as Stendal, Salzwedel and Tangermünde. It was the remnant of the Northern March held by the margraves after the Slav rising of 983, and from it Albert the Bear began the expansion east of the Elbe that created the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1157. It belonged to Brandenburg and Prussia until 1807.