Saarburg

Saarburg
Saarburg
Town
	Coat of arms
	Location of Saarburg within Trier-Saarburg district
	Saarburg Saarburg
	Coordinates: 49°37′N 6°33′E / 49.617°N 6.550°E
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Trier-Saarburg
Municipal assoc.	Saarburg-Kell
Subdivisions	4
Government
• Mayor (2019–24)	Jürgen Dixius (CDU)
Area
• Total	20.63 km2 (7.97 sq mi)
Elevation	159 m (522 ft)
Population (2022-12-31)
• 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 (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.