[2] Altenburg was born in Schneidemühl, Posen-West Prussia (today Piła, Poland) and was conscripted as a Marinehelfer (Navy aide) in 1944 serving at Heligoland.

After the end of World War II he completed a professional training in hotel business and volunteered for the Bundeswehr in 1956 at the Artillerytroops.

1970–71 he was Public Affairs Officer and Personal Assistant of the Chief of Staff German Army (Inspekteur des Heeres), General lieutenant Albert Schnez.

He returned to the German Department of Defense in 1973 as an Oberst and Branch Chief Military Policy Affäirs, commanded in 1975–76 the Panzer grenadier brigade 7 (Hamburg).

In April 1978 Altenburg became the Director of the Executive Staff of the Federal Forces and in 1979 the German Representative at the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels.