The Saarland is one of the sunniest parts of Germany as well as a region with a rich natural environment. Its varied terrain results in a similarly wide variety of landscapes, that were dominated by agriculture until well into the time of industrialisation. The proportion of woodland is very high, not least around the Saarland’s highest mountain, theDollberg, which is almost 700 metres above sea level and located in the far north of the state.
The Saarland has produced important politicians who have earned fame and recognition even beyond the boundaries of Germany. Successful people from the world of economics, which is closely related to politics, likePeter Hartz, also come from here.
Against the backdrop of the Saarland constantly changing hands between two of the great powers of Europe, not only has a typicalSaarland dialect developed, but outsiders may also be surprised by the sensitivities and mentality of the Saarlanders. The roots of East German leader,Erich Honecker, led to a string of inner-German town twinnings even beforeGerman reunification and before other West German towns followed suit.
It is not widely known that the Saarland is the state with the highest proportion ofRoman Catholics. Also interesting are the boundaries of the dioceses and parishes of both Christian denominations that sometimes run through the middle of counties and even individual municipalities. For example, the former Royal Prussian part of the state capital of Saarbrücken belonged to theBishopric of Trier, whilst the Saarbrücken elements ofEnsheim andEschringen, as former Royal Bavarian settlements, belonged to theBishopric of Speyer and theEvangelical Church of the Palatinate.
An effective college system was established in the Saarland earlier than in other states after the Second World War with the assistance of France. For decades there has been a regular exchange with France in the areas of culture and education. The Saarland was the second state to haveAbitur after twelve years.
The smallest non-urban state in Germany by area has undergone enormous structural change since the demise of the coal mines and the massive reduction in the iron and steel industries. That has been reflected in the conversion of transport routes: Until the 1960s, the Saarland had the most railway lines per km². Today it has the most roads per inhabitant of all the non-urban states. It is also notable that in no other state are there so many home-owners as in the Saarland.
As a result of the independence achieved by the Saarland in the 1950s, it made its own Olympia bid for the games in Helsinki 1952. Saarland’s once so successful teams in ball games no longer contend in the top national leagues . But Saarland’s sportsmen and women are well to the fore in some of the minor sports such as Ringen or table tennis.
Saarland’s many sights are often undiscovered. Not until recent years has tourism developed. This has resulted in an extensive network of well-signed cycleways and footpaths. Thepremium footpaths are a particular attraction for first time visitors to the Saarland, as are the cultural monuments and local cuisine.
Working on the Saarland portal Every Wikipedian - and guests too - are invited to develop the portal by writing new articles or improving existing ones.
Stammtisch For all Saarland Wikipedians or those who pass through our state, theStammtisch may be of interest. You can find out more atWikipedia:Saarland.
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