Kaiserslautern American
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STATE OF THE ART: Saarland by Gina Hutchins-Inman 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Many members of the Kaiserslautern Military Community have found temporary or even permanent homes in one of the many villages and towns surrounding Kaiserslautern in the heart of Rheinland-Pfalz. You may already be familiar with your immediate vicinity, but there is much more to explore and experience at your “home away from home.” State of the Art is a series introducing Germany as a whole, but also highlighting an individual state or “Bundesland” every month. The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was established May 23, 1949, with Bonn being the provisional capital. The states of Rheinland-Pfalz, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, the City States of Bremen, Hamburg as well as West Berlin, in its geographically isolated location, belonged to the federal republic. The small state of Saarland remained under French government until 1957. The foundation of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) followed on Oct. 7, 1949, including the states of Brandenburg, Thüringen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Sachsen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and East Berlin as its capital. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, both countries were reunited in 1990 to make up the current nation with 16 individual
“Bundesländer” and Berlin again became the capital. Germany is a democratic, federal parliamentary republic, where federal legislative power is vested in the Bundestag (parliament in Berlin) and the Bundesrat (representative body of the states in Berlin). The current government is comprised of a coalition of three parties, Olaf Scholz of the SPD as the majority party is the elected Federal Chancellor. Based on the party colors, it is often referred to as “AmpelKoaltion” (traffic light coalition). The SPD (Social Democratic Party – is represented in red), the FDP (Free Democratic Party - yellow) and the Grüne/Bündnis 90 (Greens/Alliance 90) – green). Each month we will feature a different state and provide facts about its history, heritage, industry and commerce, places of interest as well as experiences it offers. This month will feature both the states of Saarland and Hessen. Saarland — a small gem Let us begin with our closest neighbor, Saarland, located just 20 km southwest of Ramstein Air Base. It is the smallest federal state “Bundesland” in Germany and has a unique history. Saarland is 2.569 km² (992 sqm) in size and has a population of 990,000. It borders France to the south and Luxembourg to the west. Based on wars and conflicts throughout centuries, Saarland belonged to France, then Germany and again France, and the citizens developed strong Francophile ties. Up
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Saarpoligon, Saarlouis
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February 3, 2023
and Hessen until around the year 2000, children learned French as their second language in school, rather than English. After World War II the region was occupied by French forces and in the Paris Agreement of Oct. 23, 1954, France offered to establish an independent “Saarland.” In a public referendum held in October 1955 this plan was rejected by 67 percent and this was interpreted as support for the Saar to join the Federal Republic of Germany instead. The Saar then joined West Germany Jan. 1, 1957, but the Franc remained legal tender until July 1959. After 13 years of separation, the “Kleine Wiedervereinigung” (little reunification) was completed. Mining through the Ages The state is mainly characterized by coal mining and heavy steel industry. Mining in the Saar region dates back to Celtic times but was first officially documented in 1429. Mining mainly concentrated on hard (black) coal and industrialization beginning in the 1850s brought with it a high demand for coal to produce steel and irons products, such as steam engines. There was a total of twelve mines in the region and, at peak times, up to 60,000 people made a living as miners underground. Mining activities near Schwalbach led to multiple heavy eruptions in 2007 and 2008 and an earthquake near Saarwellingen in 2008 accounted for the heaviest quake caused by mining ever recorded. In addition, various sinkholes were detected in the region. As a consequence, the government
determined that all mines would cease operations by mid-2012. However, Saarland continues to be a leading producer and exporter of heavy steel and iron parts, also for the automobile industry in the USA. A large automobile manufacturer is located in Dillingen, near Saarlouis. While mining has been terminated, coal is still required and long barges on the Saar River carry the “black gold,” imported from as far as South America to the various steel works. Saarbrücken and its historical treasures Saarbrücken is the capital and is located about 56 km southwest of Ramstein along the banks of the Saar River. It is also the largest city with a population of 180,000 and is just 5 km north of France. The Landtag (State Parliament) is located there with Anke Rehlinger being the head of the SPD (Social Democratic Party) as Minister President and has been in office since April 2022. The city has a lot to offer when it comes to culture and sightseeing. The Palace, a Baroque structure, and its gardens is a UNECO Cultural Heritage Site. St. Johanner Markt in the heart of the city offers cafés and restaurants, evening entertainment as well as a shopping district. Ludwigskirche (church) and its square are well worth a visit. You can stroll, relax or picknick at the Deutsch-Französischer Garten (German-French Garden) or try your luck at Casino Saarbrücken. A boat ride on the Saar River or a lei-
sure walk along the banks can be a delight. The bridge “Alte Brücke” was built in 1546 and is one of the oldest structures in the city. The Völklinger Hütte, formerly the largest ironworks, has been developed into a modern museum that not only displays mining equipment and the lives and times of miners. It is also a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site with varying displays throughout the year, such as an Ancient Egyptian Exhibition, and offers interactive activities for young and older visitors as well as spectacular events. https:// voelklinger-huette.org/en/ Saarlouis and the Sun King Saarland’s third largest city Saarlouis with a population of 35,000 was founded by French King Louis XIV, known as the “sun king,” in 1680. Remains of the French and later Prussian times can be seen almost anywhere in the city. A part of a fortress welcomes guests when driving into town and the lively market square, a former parade ground, with its old town hall, church and main shopping area is also venue for a number of fests and activities throughout the year. Enjoying a café au lait or a tarte flambée in the neighboring and very picturesque historic district will “catapult” you right into France. American traces in Homburg Homburg is the second largest city in Saarland with 41,000 inhabitants and it is just a “skip and a hop” away from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Did you know that Homburg is not only famous
