Editing Altmarkkreis Salzwedel (section)

== History ==
The [[Altmark]] is a historical region that covers the territory of this district as well as parts of the neighbouring district of [[Stendal (district)|Stendal]]. In the 10th century [[AD]], it was the eastern border province of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]; castles were built here in order to move the borders eastwards. The Altmark was a swampy and heavily contested region for centuries. In the 12th century, many swamps were drained, and the strongholds became small towns. In the [[Late Middle Ages]], many towns were members of the [[Hanseatic League]]. Due to the [[Thirty Years' War]] the Altmark was completely devastated in the 17th century. It never regained its importance and remains sparsely populated to date.

The district was established in 1994 by merging the former districts of Gardelegen, Klötze, Salzwedel and (partially) Osterburg.