About Saarbrücken

Saarbrücken (German pronunciation: [zaːɐ̯ˈbʁʏkn̩] (listen); French: Sarrebruck [saʁbʁyk]; Rhine Franconian: Saarbrigge [zaːˈbʁɪɡə]; Latin: Saravipons) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is Saarland's administrative, commercial and cultural centre and is next to the French border. The modern city of Saarbrücken was created in 1909 by the merger of three towns, Saarbrücken, St. Johann, and Malstatt-Burbach. It was the industrial and transport centre of the Saar coal basin. Products included iron and steel, sugar, beer, pottery, optical instruments, machinery, and construction materials. Historic landmarks in the city include the stone bridge across the Saar (1546), the Gothic church of St. Arnual, the 18th-century Saarbrücken Castle, and the old part of the town, the Sankt Johanner Markt (Market of St. Johann). In the 20th century, Saarbrücken was twice separated from Germany: from 1920–1935 as capital of the Territory of the Saar Basin and from 1947–1956 as capital of the Saar Protectorate.