Saarland

Saarland is a small state in the southwest of Germany. It covers an area of 2,570 km² and has a population of about 1 million people. Saarbrücken is the capital and largest city, with other important cities including Neunkirchen and Saarlouis.

Saarland is surrounded mostly by France to the west and south, and by the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate to the north and east. It also shares a tiny border with Luxembourg.

For much of its history, Saarland was important because of its rich coal deposits and heavy industry. It became a separate area in 1920 after World War I, governed by France under a League of Nations mandate. Later, it was part of Nazi Germany, then occupied by France after World War II. Finally, in 1957, Saarland joined the Federal Republic of Germany as a state. It even had its own currency and special postage stamps until 1959.

History

Before World War I

The Saarland region was first home to the Celtic tribes of Treveri and Mediomatrici. Later, the Romans took control, making it part of their province of Belgica. This period brought wealth, seen in the ruins of Roman villas and villages.

After the Romans left, the Franks took over. For over a thousand years, the area was split into small territories, sometimes ruled by nearby leaders. The French tried to take control several times, finally bringing the region into the French Republic after the French Revolution. Following Napoleon’s defeat, the area was split again, with parts going to Prussia, Bavaria, and Oldenburg.

Interwar history

Main article: Territory of the Saar Basin

After World War I, the Saarland was occupied by Britain and France under the Treaty of Versailles. It was managed by France. Many people who opposed Nazism fled here because it was not under German control at the time.

When the occupation ended, a vote was held in 1935. Most people chose to rejoin Germany.

Nazi period

Following the vote, the area was fully incorporated into Germany. During World War II, French forces briefly entered the Saarland but withdrew soon after.

History after World War II

Further information: Saar Protectorate

After World War II, the Saarland was occupied by France again and became the Saar Protectorate. France allowed the local German population to stay. In 1954, France and West Germany proposed a plan for the Saarland to become independent, but a vote in 1955 rejected this idea.

In 1956, it was decided that the Saarland would join West Germany, which happened on January 1, 1957. This was called the “little reunification.” The Saar franc was used until it was replaced by the Deutsche Mark in 1959.

Geography

Saarland is a small state in southwest Germany. It borders France, Luxembourg, and Rhineland-Palatinate. The state is named after the Saar River, which flows through it.

Saarland is slightly smaller than Luxembourg, and it is the smallest state in Germany by area, except for three city-states. Much of the land is covered in forests, and the highest point is the Dollberg mountain. Most people live near the capital city, Saarbrücken, close to the French border.

Districts

Saarland has six districts:

1. Merzig-Wadern
2. Neunkirchen
3. Saarbrücken
4. Saarlouis
5. Saarpfalz-Kreis
6. Sankt Wendel

Demographics

Saarland is the most religious state in Germany. Most people there belong to the Catholic Church, with around 56.8% of the population being Catholic. About 17.5% belong to the Protestant Church in Germany. The remaining 25.7% are not part of either of these churches.

Saarland has the highest number of Catholics of any German state, and it is the only state where Catholics make up more than half of the population.

Largest cities

See also: List of cities in Saarland by population

The following table shows the ten largest cities of Saarland:

Religion

Politics

Main article: Politics of Saarland

Mostly, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union has led Saarland since 1957, either by itself or with partners. But between 1985 and 1999, and again starting in 2022, the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has been in charge. After the 2022 state elections, the SPD now runs the government all by itself. This is the only time any German state has had a single-party majority government. It is led by minister-president Anke Rehlinger.

Current government of the Saarland

Main article: 2022 Saarland state election

See also: Constitutional Court of Saarland and List of minister-presidents of the Saarland

Economy

The economy of Saarland contributed €35.4 billion to Germany’s total economy in 2018. This made up about 1.1% of all German economic activity. For each person, the amount of goods and services produced was €32,800, which is a bit more than the average in the European Union.

Important jobs in Saarland come from making cars, steel, ceramics, and computer technology. In the past, digging up coal was a big industry, but the last coal mine closed in 2012 after 250 years. The mines closed because of worries about earthquakes. In October 2018, about 5.8% of people in Saarland did not have jobs, which was more than in all of Germany but less than in the rest of Europe.

Education

Education in Saarland follows the same three-step system as other parts of Germany. After four years of primary school called Grundschule, students choose one of three paths: Gymnasium, Gemeinschaftsschule, or Berufsschulen. The Gymnasium prepares students for university and takes eight years. Gemeinschaftsschule is a school for all students with different levels of learning. Berufsschulen are schools that help students learn jobs through mixing classroom time with real work.

Saarland has important schools that help with learning across borders. Saarland University in Saarbrücken and Homburg is strong in computer science and European law. The University of Applied Sciences focuses on engineering, economics, and social sciences. Saarland University also works closely with schools in France to help students learn many languages.

Transport

The main airport in the region is Saarbrücken Airport. It offers some flights within Germany and to other parts of Europe. The airport is located about 13.7 kilometers east of Saarbrücken. People living in the area also often use Luxembourg Airport and Frankfurt Airport, which have more flights both within Germany and around the world.

Culture

Local dialect

In Saarland, people speak two special dialects. In the southeast, they speak Rhine Franconian, which sounds similar to the dialect spoken in parts of the Palatinate. In the northwest, they speak Moselle Franconian, which sounds like the dialect spoken near the river Moselle and in cities like Trier or even Luxembourg. The main difference between these dialects is how they say certain words.

Both dialects are very important to people in Saarland. In these dialects, girls and women are sometimes talked about using a special word that sounds like "Ähs". For example, "Ähs hat mir's gesaat_" means "it told me so" instead of "she told me so".

The way these dialects change words is also different. They don’t use one special grammar rule that other German dialects use. Instead, they change words in their own way.

French also influences the words used in Saarland. For example, some common words come from French, like "Trottwaa" (from the French word for sidewalk).

French

The French language is important in Saarland because it is close to France. Some people there can speak French, and many schools teach it. Saarbrücken even has a special school where students learn both German and French. The government wants the whole region to be able to speak both languages by 2043.

Sports

The Saar team tried to join the 1954 FIFA World Cup but did not succeed, finishing behind West Germany but ahead of Norway. The Saar also took part in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in field handball world championships in the early 1950s.

Museums

Saarland has many interesting museums to explore. You can visit places like the Airplane exhibition Hermeskeil, the Bergwerk Göttelborn, and the Bergwerk Reden. Other notable spots include the Feinmechanisches Museum Fellenbergmühle, Grube Düppenweiler, and Haus Ludwig.

There are also special museums such as the Hillfort of Otzenhausen, the Historic Museum Saar, and the Kunstforum Baden-Badener Versicherung, which was an art museum from 1992 to 2016. Don’t miss the Roman Villa Borg, the Roman Villa Nennig, and the Römermuseum Schwarzenacker. The Saarlandmuseum, Saarschleife, and the Saarlandish Mining Museum Bexbach are also worth visiting. Other interesting places include the Saarlandish Watchmuseum Püttlingen, the German newspaper museum, the Saarländisches Zweiradmuseum, the Castle-mountain caves Homburg, the Völklingen Ironworks — a UNESCO World Heritage site — the Wolves park Werner Freund, and the Zentrum für Biodokumentation.