Saarburg

Town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

(2019–24) Jürgen Dixius^[1] (CDU)Area • Total20.63 km² (7.97 sq mi)Elevation159 m (522 ft)Population • Total7,597 • Density370/km² (950/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)Postal codesDialling codes06581Vehicle registrationTR, SABWebsitesaarburg.de

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

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^[update] the only one in Germany that produces 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 cathedrals.

Gallery

• 
  Saarburg, castle, Ober- und Unterstadt
• 
  Catholic church (Pfarrkirche Sankt Laurentius)
• 
  Reformed church and the river Saar
• 
  Stained glass by Werner Persy in the Protestant Church Saarburg

Twin towns — sister cities

Saarburg is twinned with:

• Sarrebourg, France (1952)
• Soulac-sur-Mer, France (1972)

Born in Saarburg

• Marianne Baum (1912–1942), resistance fighter against Nazism
• Erwin Menny (1893–1949), lieutenant general in the Second World War
• Alexander von Warsberg (1836–1889), Austrian government official and travel writer

References

External links

• Saarburg homepage
• Account of a Saarburg visit, with much detail
• Websites in Saarburg