The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the
city-state
A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
s of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
,
Bremen, and
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, and the smallest in population apart from Bremen.
Saarbrücken is the state capital and largest city; other cities include
Neunkirchen and
Saarlouis. Saarland is mainly surrounded by the
department of
Moselle (
Grand Est
Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten;
Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administra ...
) in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
to the west and south and the neighboring
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to the north and east; it also shares a small border about long with the
canton of
Remich
Remich ( lb, Réimech ) is a commune with town status in south-eastern Luxembourg with a population of 3,645 inhabitants . It is the capital of the canton of Remich. Remich lies on the left bank of the river Moselle, which forms part of the borde ...
in
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
to the northwest.
Saarland was established in 1920 after
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
as the
Territory of the Saar Basin
The Territory of the Saar Basin (german: Saarbeckengebiet, ; french: Territoire du bassin de la Sarre) was a region of Germany occupied and governed by the United Kingdom and France from 1920 to 1935 under a League of Nations mandate. It had its ...
, occupied and governed by France under a
League of Nations mandate. The heavily industrialized region was economically valuable, due to the wealth of its coal deposits and location on the border between France and Germany. Saarland was returned to
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in the
1935 Saar status referendum. Following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the French military administration in
Allied-occupied Germany
Germany was already de facto occupied by the Allies from the real fall of Nazi Germany in World War II on 8 May 1945 to the establishment of the East Germany on 7 October 1949. The Allies (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and Franc ...
organized the territory as the
Saar Protectorate
The Saar Protectorate (german: Saarprotektorat ; french: Protectorat de la Sarre) officially Saarland (french: Sarre) was a French protectorate separated from Germany; which was later opposed by the Soviet Union, one side occupying Germany lik ...
on 16 February 1946. After the
1955 Saar Statute referendum
A referendum on the Saar statute was held in the Saar Protectorate on 23 October 1955.[Federal Republic of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...]
as a state on 1 January 1957. Saarland used its own currency, the
Saar franc
The Saar franc was the French franc (german: Franken) used as the official currency of the Saar during the times that the Saar territory was economically split off from Germany, in 1920–1935 as the Territory of the Saar Basin, in 1947–1957 as ...
, and
postage stamps issued specially for the territory until 1959.
History
Before World War I
The region of the Saarland was settled by the
Celtic tribes of
Treveri
The Trēverī ( Gaulish: *''Trēueroi'') were a Celtic tribe of the Belgae group who inhabited the lower valley of the Moselle from around 150 BCE, if not earlier, until their displacement by the Franks. Their domain lay within the southern fri ...
and
Mediomatrici
The Mediomatrici (Gaulish: ''*Medio-māteres'') were according to Caesar a Gaulish tribe at the frontier to the Belgicae dwelling in the present-day regions Lorraine, Upper Moselle during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
Name
They are ment ...
. The most impressive relic of their time is the remains of a fortress of refuge at
Otzenhausen in the north of the Saarland. In the 1st century BC, the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
made the region part of its province of
Belgica. The Celtic population mixed with the Roman immigrants. The region gained wealth, which can still be seen in the remains of Roman villas and villages.
Roman rule ended in the 5th century, when the
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
conquered the territory. For the next 1,300 years the region shared the history of the
Kingdom of the Franks
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks duri ...
, the
Carolingian Empire
The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the ...
and of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
. The region of the Saarland was divided into several small territories, some of which were ruled by sovereigns of adjoining regions. Most important of the local rulers were the
counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
. Within the Holy Roman Empire these territories gained a wide range of independence, threatened, however, by the
French kings
France was ruled by Monarch, monarchs from the establishment of the West Francia, Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions.
Classical French historiography usually regards Cl ...
, who sought, from the 17th century onwards, to incorporate all the territories on the western side of the river
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
and repeatedly invaded the area in 1635, in 1676, in 1679, and in 1734, extending their realm to the river
Saar and establishing the city and stronghold of
Saarlouis in 1680.
It was not the king of France but the armies of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
who terminated the independence of the states in the region of the Saarland. After 1792 they conquered the region and made it part of the
French Republic. While a strip in the west belonged to the Département
Moselle, the centre in 1798 became part of the
Département de Sarre, and the east became part of the
Département du Mont-Tonnerre. After the defeat of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
in 1815, the region was divided again. Most of it became part of the Prussian
Rhine Province. Another part in the east, corresponding to the present Saarpfalz district, was allocated to the
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...
. A small part in the northeast was ruled by the
Duke of Oldenburg.
On 31 July 1870, the French Emperor
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
ordered an invasion across the River Saar to seize Saarbrücken. The first shots of the
Franco-Prussian War 1870/71 were fired on the heights of
Spichern, south of
Saarbrücken. The Saar region became part of the
German Empire which came into existence on 18 January 1871, during the course of this war.
Interwar history
In 1920 the
Saargebiet was occupied by Britain and France under the provisions of the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
. The occupied area included portions of the
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
n
Rhine Province and the
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
n
Rhenish Palatinate. In practice the region was administered by France. In 1920 this was formalized by a 15-year
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
mandate.
In 1933, a considerable number of communists and other political opponents of
National Socialism
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Naz ...
fled to the Saar, as it was the only part of Germany that remained outside national administration following the First World War. As a result, anti-Nazi groups agitated for the Saarland to remain under French administration. However, with most of the population being ethnically German, such views were considered suspect or even treasonous, and therefore found little support.
When the original 15-year term was over, a
plebiscite
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of ...
was held in the territory on 13 January 1935: 90.8% of those voting favoured rejoining Germany.
Nazi period
Following the referendum
Josef Bürckel was appointed on 1 March 1935 as the
German Reich
German ''Reich'' (lit. German Realm, German Empire, from german: Deutsches Reich, ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The ''Reich'' became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty ...
's commissioner for reintegration (). When the reincorporation was considered accomplished, his title was changed (after 17 June 1936) to (Reich Commissioner for the Saarland). In September 1939, in response to the German
Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
, French forces
invaded the Saarland in a half-hearted offensive, occupying some villages and meeting little resistance, before withdrawing. A further change was made after 8 April 1940 to (Reich Commissioner for the Saar Palatinate); finally, after 11 March 1941, Bürckel was made (Reich Governor of the Western Borderland). He died on 28 September 1944 and was succeeded by
Willi Stöhr
Wilhelm “Willi” Stöhr (6 November 1903 – after 1994) was a Nazi Party official and politician who served as ''Gauleiter'' of Gau Westmark in the closing months of the war.
Early life
Born in Wuppertal-Elberfeld the son of a writer, Stöh ...
, who remained in office until the region fell to advancing American forces in March 1945.
History after World War II
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the Saarland came under French occupation and administration again, as the
Saar Protectorate
The Saar Protectorate (german: Saarprotektorat ; french: Protectorat de la Sarre) officially Saarland (french: Sarre) was a French protectorate separated from Germany; which was later opposed by the Soviet Union, one side occupying Germany lik ...
. France did not annex the Saar or expel the local German population, as opposed to the fate of
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...
which was annexed by Poland in 1949 in accordance with the peace treaty between Poland and the
GDR/East Germany (see also
Allied-occupied Germany
Germany was already de facto occupied by the Allies from the real fall of Nazi Germany in World War II on 8 May 1945 to the establishment of the East Germany on 7 October 1949. The Allies (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and Franc ...
). In his speech "
Restatement of Policy on Germany", made in Stuttgart on 6 September 1946,
United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
James F. Byrnes
James Francis Byrnes ( ; May 2, 1882 – April 9, 1972) was an American judge and politician from South Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in U.S. Congress and on the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as in the executive branch, ...
stated the U.S. position on detaching the Saar from Germany: "The United States does not feel that it can deny to France, which has been invaded three times by Germany in 70 years,
[In ]1870
Events
January–March
* January 1
** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England.
** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed.
* January 3 – Construction of the ...
, 1914
This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...
, and 1940
A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280.
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* Januar ...
. its claim to the Saar territory".
The Saar and Ruhr areas were historically a central location for coal mining. This attracted the steel industry, which is essential for the production of munitions.
The
Treaty of Paris (1951)
The Treaty of Paris (formally the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community) was signed on 18 April 1951 between France, Italy, West Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, establishing the European Coal and Steel Co ...
established the
European Coal and Steel Community, which led to the termination of the
International Authority for the Ruhr
The International Authority for the Ruhr (IAR) was an international body established in 1949 by the Western Allies to regulate the coal and steel industries of the Ruhr area in West Germany. Its seat was in Düsseldorf.
The Ruhr Authority was s ...
(whose purpose was to regulate Ruhr coal and steel production and distribution). However, the Treaty sidestepped the issue of the Saar protectorate: an attached protocol stated Germany and France agreed the Treaty would have no bearing on their views of the status of the Saar.
In 1948, the French government established the
Saarland University
Saarland University (german: Universität des Saarlandes, ) is a public research university located in Saarbrücken, the capital of the German state of Saarland. It was founded in 1948 in Homburg in co-operation with France and is organized in s ...
under the auspices of the
University of Nancy
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
. It is the principal university in the ''Bundesland'', the other being .
The
Saar Protectorate
The Saar Protectorate (german: Saarprotektorat ; french: Protectorat de la Sarre) officially Saarland (french: Sarre) was a French protectorate separated from Germany; which was later opposed by the Soviet Union, one side occupying Germany lik ...
was headed by a military governor from 30 August 1945:
Gilbert Yves Edmond Grandval (1904 – 1981), who remained, on 1 January 1948, as
High Commissioner, and January 1952 – June 1955 as the first of two French ambassadors, his successor being Éric de Carbonnel (1910 – 1965) until 1956.
Saarland, however, was allowed a regional administration very early, consecutively headed by:
*a president of the Government:
**31 July 1945 – 8 June 1946: Hans Neureuther, Non-party
*a chairman of the (until 15 December 1947, Provisional) Administration Commission:
** 8 June 1946 – 20 December 1947: Erwin Müller (b. 1906 – d. 1968), non-party
*Minister-presidents (as in any ''Bundesland''):
**20 December 1947 – 29 October 1955
Johannes Hoffmann (b. 1890 – d. 1967), CVP
**29 October 1955 – 10 January 1956 Heinrich Welsch (b. 1888 – d. 1976), Non-party
**10 January 1956 – 4 June 1957 Hubert Ney (b. 1892 – d. 1984),
CDU
In 1954, France and the
Federal Republic of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
(West Germany) developed a detailed plan called the ''Saarstatut'' (Saar Statute) to establish an independent Saarland. It was signed as an agreement between the two countries on 23 October 1954 as one of the
Paris Pacts, but a
plebiscite
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of ...
held on 23 October 1955 rejected it by 67.7%.
On 27 October 1956, the
Saar Treaty
The Saar Treaty, or Treaty of Luxembourg ( German: ''Vertrag von Luxemburg'', French: ''accords de Luxembourg'') is an agreement between West Germany and France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily lo ...
declared that Saarland should be allowed to join the Federal Republic of Germany, which it did on 1 January 1957. This was the last significant international border change in Europe until the
fall of Communism
The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Nat ...
over 30 years later.
The Saarland's unification with the Federal Republic of Germany was sometimes referred to as the ' (little reunification in contrast with the post-Cold War absorption of the GDR (')). After unification, the
Saar franc
The Saar franc was the French franc (german: Franken) used as the official currency of the Saar during the times that the Saar territory was economically split off from Germany, in 1920–1935 as the Territory of the Saar Basin, in 1947–1957 as ...
remained as the territory's currency until West Germany's
Deutsche Mark
The Deutsche Mark (; English: ''German mark''), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later the unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was ...
replaced it on 7 July 1959. The Saar Treaty established that French, not English as in the rest of West Germany, should remain the first foreign language taught in Saarland schools; this provision was still largely followed after it was no longer binding.
Since 1971, Saarland has been a member of
SaarLorLux
SaarLorLux or Saar-Lor-Lux (also ''SarLorLux'' in French), a portmanteau of Saarland, Lorraine and Luxembourg, is a euroregion of five regional authorities located in four European states. The term has also been applied to cooperations of se ...
, a
euroregion created from Saarland,
Lorraine
Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...
,
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
,
Rhineland Palatinate, and
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
.
Geography
The state borders France (''département'' of
Moselle, which forms part of the ''région'' of
Grand Est
Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten;
Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administra ...
) to the south and west, Luxembourg (
Grevenmacher District
The District of Grevenmacher (1843 – 3 Oct 2015) was one of three districts of Luxembourg. It contained three cantons divided into 25 communes:
#Echternach
#*Beaufort
#*Bech
#*Berdorf
#*Consdorf
#*Echternach
#*Rosport-Mompach
#*Waldbillig
# Gr ...
) to the west and
Rheinland-Pfalz
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
to the north and the east.
It is named after the river
Saar, a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
of the
Moselle (itself a tributary of the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
), which runs through the state from the south to the northwest. One third of the land area of the Saarland is covered by forest, one of the highest percentages in Germany. The state is generally hilly; the highest mountain is the Dollberg with a height of 695.4 m (2281 feet).
Most inhabitants live in a city agglomeration on the French border, surrounding the capital of Saarbrücken.
See also
List of places in Saarland.
*
Saar-Warndt coal mining basin
Saar-Warndt coal mining basin is an area of Germany and France. It has been shaped by two centuries of coal extraction from the start of the 19th century to the start of 21st century; and it represents a significant period in the history of Euro ...
Districts
Saarland is divided into six districts ("Landkreise" in German):
#
Merzig-Wadern
Merzig-Wadern is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the northwest of the Saarland, Germany. Neighboring districts are Trier-Saarburg, Sankt Wendel, Saarlouis, the French ''département'' Moselle, and Luxembourg.
History
The district was created in 1816 ...
#
Neunkirchen
#
Saarbrücken
#
Saarlouis
#
Saarpfalz-Kreis
Saarpfalz (''Saar-Palatinate'') is a Kreis (district) in the south-east of the Saarland, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from west clockwise) Saarbrücken, Neunkirchen, Kusel, Kaiserslautern, Südwestpfalz, district-free Zweibrücken, and th ...
#
Sankt Wendel
Sankt Wendel is a town in northeastern Saarland. It is situated on the river Blies 36 km northeast of Saarbrücken, the capital of Saarland, and is named after Saint Wendelin of Trier. According to a survey by the German Association for Ho ...
Demographics
Largest cities
The following table shows the ten largest cities of Saarland:
Vital statistics
*Births from January–June 2016 = 3,880
*Births from January–June 2017 = 4,023
*Deaths from January–June 2016 = 6,434
*Deaths from January–June 2017 = 6,942
*Natural growth from January–June 2016 = -2,554
*Natural growth from January–June 2017 = -2,919
Religion
Saarland is the most religious state in Germany. The adherents of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
comprise 56.8% of the population, organised in the two dioceses of
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
(comprising the formerly Prussian part of Saarland) and
Speyer
Speyer (, older spelling ''Speier'', French: ''Spire,'' historical English: ''Spires''; pfl, Schbaija) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer li ...
(for the smaller eastern formerly Palatine part). 17.5% of the Saarlandic population adhere to the
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany (german: Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, abbreviated EKD) is a federation of twenty Lutheran, Reformed (Calvinist) and United (e.g. Prussian Union) Protestant regional churches and denominations in German ...
(EKD), organised in the two
Landeskirchen named
Evangelical Church in the Rhineland
Protestant Church in the Rhineland (german: Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland; EKiR) is a United Protestant church body in parts of the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Hesse (Wetzlar). This is actually th ...
and
Evangelical Church of the Palatinate
Evangelical Church of the Palatinate (german: Evangelische Kirche der Pfalz (Protestantische Landeskirche)) is a United Protestant church in parts of the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, endorsing both Lutheran and Calvinist o ...
, both following the same former territorial partition. 25.7% are not affiliated with one of these churches.
Saarland has the highest concentration of
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
s of any German state, and is the only state in which Catholics form an absolute majority (over 50%).
Politics
Except for the periods between 1985 and 1999, as well as since 2022 – when the centre-left
Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has held a majority of seats in the
Landtag
A Landtag (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence in non ...
(state diet) – the centre-right
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has governed the Saarland, either alone or in
coalition, since the accession of the state to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957.
After
the 2022 state elections the previous Grand Coalition between the CDU and SPD, the two largest parties in the Landtag, was replaced by an SPD majority government, the only single-party majority government of any German state, led by
minister-president
A minister-president or minister president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments with a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government where they preside over the council of ministers. I ...
Anke Rehlinger
Anke Gabriele Rehlinger (''né'' Moos; born 6 April 1976) is a German lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has served as the Minister-President of Saarland since 25 April 2022. After her party won the 2022 state elect ...
.
Current government of the Saarland
Economy
The
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is oft ...
(GDP) of the state was 35.4 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 1.1% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 32,800 euros or 109% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 93% of the EU average. The GDP per capita was the second lowest of all states in West Germany.
Important income sources are the automobile industry, steel industry, ceramic industry and computer science and information systems industry. In the past, coal mining was an important branch of industry. However, the last coal mine in Saarland closed in 2012, ending 250 years of coal mining history in the region. The decision to close the mines was motivated by safety concerns about earthquakes in the region.
The unemployment rate stood at 5.8% in October 2018 and was higher than the national average but below the EU28 average.
Education
Saarland is home to the
Saarland University
Saarland University (german: Universität des Saarlandes, ) is a public research university located in Saarbrücken, the capital of the German state of Saarland. It was founded in 1948 in Homburg in co-operation with France and is organized in s ...
and the administrative headquarters of the
Franco-German University
The Franco-German University (FGU, french: Université franco-allemande (UFA), german: Deutsch-Französische Hochschule (DFH)) is an international organisation of universities from Germany and France with the purpose of facilitating internatio ...
.
Culture
Local dialect
People in the Saarland speak
Rhine Franconian
__NOTOC__
Rhenish Franconian or Rhine Franconian (german: Rheinfränkisch ) is a dialect chain of West Central German. It comprises the varieties of German spoken across the western regions of the states of Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, nor ...
(in the southeast, very similar to that dialect spoken in the western part of the Palatinate) and
Moselle Franconian
__NOTOC__
Moselle Franconian (german: Moselfränkisch, lb, Muselfränkesch) is a West Central German language, part of the Central Franconian languages area, that includes Luxembourgish.
It is spoken in the southern Rhineland and along the ...
(in the northwest, very similar to that dialect spoken along the river
Moselle and the cities of
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
or even in Luxembourg). Outside of the Saarland, specifically the Rhine-Franconian variant spoken in the state capital
Saarbrücken is generally considered to be ''the'' Saarland dialect. The two dialect regions are mainly separated by the ''das / dat'' isogloss; in the northwestern portion of the state, including cities such as Saarlouis, standard German ''das'' is pronounced with a final
instead of an
In general, both dialects are an integral part of Saarland identity.
Both dialects, particularly in their respective Saarland flavour, share many characteristic features, some of which will be explained below.
Women and girls are often referred to using the neuter pronoun ''es'', with the pronunciation being something like ''Ähs'': ''Ähs hat mir's gesaat'' (it told me so', instead of she told me so'; vs. High German: ''Sie hat es mir gesagt''). This stems from the word ''Mädchen'' (girl) being neuter in German (''es'' is correct in German when referring to words like ''Mädchen'' but would not be used by itself in reference to a woman).
The
conjunctive in Rhine Franconian is normally composed with the words ''dääd'' (High German ''tät'' = “would do”) or ''gäng'' (“would go”) as auxiliary verbs: ''Isch dääd saan, dass...'' (“I would say that...”) instead of the High German ''Ich würde sagen, dass...''.
Declension
In linguistics, declension (verb: ''to decline'') is the changing of the form of a word, generally to express its syntactic function in the sentence, by way of some inflection. Declensions may apply to nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and ...
is rather different:
*The
genitive case does not exist at all and is entirely replaced by constructs with the
dative case
In grammar, the dative case (abbreviated , or sometimes when it is a core argument) is a grammatical case used in some languages to indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, as in "Maria Jacobo potum dedit", Latin for "Maria gave Jacob a ...
.
*In most instances, words are not altered when in the dative case. Exceptions are mostly
pronoun
In linguistics and grammar, a pronoun (abbreviated ) is a word or a group of words that one may substitute for a noun or noun phrase.
Pronouns have traditionally been regarded as one of the parts of speech, but some modern theorists would not c ...
s.
*The same holds for the
accusative
The accusative case (abbreviated ) of a noun is the grammatical case used to mark the direct object of a transitive verb.
In the English language, the only words that occur in the accusative case are pronouns: 'me,' 'him,' 'her,' 'us,' and ‘th ...
case. It is accepted practice to use the
nominative case instead of the accusative.
Diphthongs
A diphthong ( ; , ), also known as a gliding vowel, is a combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: that is, the tongue (and/or other parts of the speech ...
are less common than in Standard German. This is because the Standard German diphthongs ''ei'' and ''au'' are each the result of a
merger of two
Middle High German
Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. Hig ...
vowels – however, these mergers did not take place in the Saarland, and only one of the two merged vowels is pronounced as a diphthong. The
front rounded vowel
A front rounded vowel is a particular type of vowel that is both front and rounded.
The front rounded vowels defined by the IPA include:
* , a close front rounded vowel (or "high front rounded vowel")
* , a near-close front rounded vowel (or " ...
s ''ö'', ''ü'', and ''eu'' are replaced by ''e'', ''i'', and ''ei'' respectively.
Both the Rhine Franconian and Moselle Franconian dialects (and Luxemburgish) have merged the
palatal fricative
A palatal fricative is a type of fricative consonant that is also a palatal consonant. The two main types of palatal fricatives are:
* voiceless palatal fricative ()
* voiced palatal fricative ()
They are produced with the friction of the dorsum ...
sound as in ''ich'' with the
post-alveolar fricative as in ''frisch'' 'fresh', causing minimal pairs such as ''Kirche'' 'church' and ''Kirsche'' 'cherry' to be pronounced in the same way.
French has had a considerable influence on the vocabulary, although the pronunciation of imported French words is usually quite different from their originals. Popular examples include ''Trottwaa'' (from ''trottoir''), ''Fissääl'' (from ''ficelle''), and the imperative or greeting ''aalleh!'' (from ''allez!'').
The English sentence 'My house is green' is pronounced almost the same in the Rhine Franconian variant: ''Mei Haus is grien''. The main difference lies in the pronunciation of the ''r'' sound.
Regional beer brewer
Karlsberg has taken advantage of the Saarlandish dialect to create clever advertising for its staple product, UrPils. Examples include a trio of men enjoying a beer, flanked by baby carriages, the slogan reading ''"Mutter schafft"'' (meaning "Mum's at work" in Saarlandish, but plays on the High German word "Mutterschaft", or "motherhood"); another depicts a trio of men at a bar, with one realizing his beer has been drunk by one of the others, the slogan reading ''"Kenner war's"'' (meaning "It was no one"
'Keiner war es''in Saarlandish, but playing on the High German word ''"Kenner"'', or "connoisseur", translating to "It was a connoisseur"); a third shows an empty beer crate in the middle of outer space, the text reading ''"All"'' (meaning "empty" in Saarlandish, but playing on the same High German word meaning "outer space").
French
The
French language has a special standing in Saarland due to its geographical proximity to France. Today, a large part of the population is able to speak French, and it is compulsory at many schools. Saarbrücken is also home to a bilingual "Deutsch-Französisches Gymnasium (school), Gymnasium" (German-French high school). In January 2014 the Saarland state government announced its aim of making the region fully bilingual in German and French by 2043.
Sports
The Saarland national football team, Saar competed in the qualifying section of the 1954 FIFA World Cup, but failed after coming second to Germany national football team, West Germany but ahead of Norway national football team, Norway. It also competed as Saar at the 1952 Summer Olympics, Saar in the 1952 Summer Olympics and the field handball world championships in the beginning of the 1950s.
See also
*Zentrum für Biodokumentation
Notes
References
Further reading
* Long, Bronson. ''No Easy Occupation: French Control of the German Saar, 1944-1957'' (Boydell & Brewer, 2015).
* Wiskemann, Elizabeth. "The Saar" ''History Today'' (Aug 1953) 3$8 pp 553–560.
External links
Official governmental portalStatistics office* Describes the contest for the Saar over the centuries.
*
{{Authority control
Saarland,
NUTS 1 statistical regions of the European Union
States and territories established in 1957
1957 establishments in West Germany
States of Germany