Saarburg

Saarburg is a city of the Trier-Saarburg district in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany, on the banks of the Saar River in the hilly country a few kilometers upstream from the Saar's junction with the Moselle. Now known as a tourist attraction, the Leuk River flows into the town center and makes a spectacular drop of some 60 feet before joining the larger Saar River that bisects the town. The waterfall is the result of a 13th-century project to redirect the Leuk through the city center.

This article is about the town in Germany. For the town in France, see Sarrebourg.
Saarburg
Coat of arms
Location of Saarburg within Trier-Saarburg district
Saarburg
Saarburg
Coordinates: 49°37′N 6°33′E
CountryGermany
StateRhineland-Palatinate
DistrictTrier-Saarburg
Municipal assoc.Saarburg-Kell
Subdivisions4
Government
 • MayorJürgen Dixius (CDU)
Area
 • Total20.36 km2 (7.86 sq mi)
Elevation
159 m (522 ft)
Population
 (2018-12-31)[1]
 • Total7,427
 • Density360/km2 (940/sq mi)
Time zoneCET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes
54439
Dialling codes06581
Vehicle registrationTR, SAB
Websitewww.saarburg.de

Saarburg is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") Saarburg-Kell. The area around Saarburg is noted for the cultivation of Riesling grapes.

History

The history of the city begins with the construction of the now-ruined castle by Graf Siegfried of Luxembourg in 964. It received its town charter in 1291. The city has a bell foundry, the Glockengießerei Mabilion, which has been in operation since the 1770s, and as of 2003 the only one in Germany that makes bronze bells.

From 1945 to 1948 Saarburg was occupied by troops from Luxembourg. From 18 July 1946 to 6 June 1947 Onsdorf, in its then municipal boundary, formed part of the Saar Protectorate. French troops complemented the occupation until 1955.

Saarburg has a proud history with bells, being the producers of bells for many German cathedreals.

Twin towns — sister cities

Saarburg is twinned with:

Stained glass by Werner Persy in the Protestant Church Saarburg

Born in Saarburg
  • Erwin Menny (1893-1949), lieutenant general in the Second World War
  • Marianne Baum (1912-1942), resistance fighter against Nazism

References
  1. "Bevölkerungsstand 2018 - Gemeindeebene". Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz (in German). 2019.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.