Career
She was a sister of Johan Andreas Altenburg, Ibsen"s maternal grandfather, and as such the aunt of Marichen Altenburg and great-aunt of Henrik Ibsen. She died at Venstøp in 1837. Ibsen scholar Oskar Mosfjeld describes her as an eccentric.
The Ibsen children were said to be afraid of her due to her odd behaviour.
Today, it is considered likely that she suffered from dementia due to advanced age. She was portrayed by Cecilie Graasvold in the play Rotte på loftet, and by Wenche Foss in the Norsk Rikskringkasting television miniseries En udødelig mann.
Diderik Altenburg was the manager of a sawmill.