Saarburg

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.

This article is about the town in Germany. For the town in France, see Sarrebourg.

Saarburg
Town
Coat of arms
Location of Saarburg within Trier-Saarburg district
Saarburg Show map of Germany Saarburg Show map of Rhineland-Palatinate
Coordinates: 49°37′N 6°33′E
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Trier-Saarburg
Municipal assoc.	Saarburg-Kell
Subdivisions	4
Government
• Mayor (2019–24)	Jürgen Dixius[1] (CDU)
Area
• Total	20.63 km2 (7.97 sq mi)
Elevation	159 m (522 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	7,597
• Density	370/km2 (950/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	54439
Dialling codes	06581
Vehicle registration	TR, SAB
Website	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

City and castle of Saarburg 1830

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
• Alexander von Warsberg (1836–1889), Austrian government official and travel writer