Altenbrak

Altenbrak
Ortsteil of Thale
Church in Altenbrak
Coat of arms
Altenbrak
Coordinates: 51°44′N 10°56′E / 51.733°N 10.933°E / 51.733; 10.933Coordinates: 51°44′N 10°56′E / 51.733°N 10.933°E / 51.733; 10.933
Country	Germany
State	Saxony-Anhalt
District	Harz
Town	Thale
Area
• Total	19.43 km2 (7.50 sq mi)
Elevation	340 m (1,120 ft)
Population (2007-12-31)
• Total	374
• Density	19/km2 (50/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	06502
Dialling codes	039456
Vehicle registration	HZ

Altenbrak is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

The village is strung out for about 1.6 kilometres along the River Bode in an east-west valley. It is 3 kilometres from the Wendefurth Reservoir, which is part of the Rappbode Reservoir. From its shape and nature, Altenbrak is very much a Straßendorf or ribbon development.

In front of the dam is the hamlet of Wendefurth that used to belong to this parish. Altenbrak's neighbouring communities are Allrode, Blankenburg (Harz), Cattenstedt, Friedrichsbrunn, Hasselfelde, Treseburg, Wendefurth and Wienrode. Within the local area are the forest inn of Todtenrode (Gasthaus Todtenrode) and the Jagdschloss Windenhütte which are also checkpoints 65 and 59 in the Harzer Wandernadel hiking network.

Altenbrak was first mentioned in 1448 as a smelting site. The establishment of the village probably goes back further to 1227. After the last ironworks was closed in 1867 the population became poverty-stricken. Later, tourism developed, encouraged by the sheltered situation of the village.

There has been a private post office (Postagentur) in Altenbrak since 1891. Its post agents were Heinrich Fessel (1891–1902); Adolf Schomburg (1907); Fritz Steffen (1908–09); and Georg Hoffmann (1910–16).

In 1884 Theodor Fontane spent some time in Altenbrak. The Gasthaus zum Rodenstein and other places he visited during his excursion into the Bode Gorge are mentioned in his novel, Cécile. Since 1949 Altenbrak has been a climatic spa (Luftkurort).