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Saverne | |
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 Coat of arms | |
Location of Saverne  | |
  Saverne  Saverne | |
| Coordinates:48°44′N7°22′E / 48.74°N 7.36°E /48.74; 7.36 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Grand Est |
| Department | Bas-Rhin |
| Arrondissement | Saverne |
| Canton | Saverne |
| Intercommunality | CC du Pays de Saverne |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Stéphane Leyenberger[1] (LR) |
Area 1 | 26.01 km2 (10.04 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 11,323 |
| • Density | 440/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 67437 /67700 |
| Elevation | 177–463 m (581–1,519 ft) (avg. 200 m or 660 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Saverne (French:Saverne,pronounced[savɛʁn]ⓘ;Alsatian:Zàwere[ˈd̥sɐːvəʁə];German:Zabern[ˈtsaːbɐn]ⓘ) is acommune in theBas-Rhindepartment inGrand Est in north-easternFrance. It is situated on theRhine-Marne canal at the foot of apass over theVosges Mountains, and 45 km (27 mi) northwest ofStrasbourg.
In 2018, the commune of Saverne had a population of 11,289, and itsurban area, of 18,740.[3]
Saverne lies on the riverZorn, at the foot of theVosges Mountains. It is crossed by theMarne–Rhine Canal and theParis–Strasbourg railway. TheA4 autoroute (Paris–Strasbourg) passes a few kilometers north of the town.Saverne station has rail connections to Paris, Strasbourg, Metz, Nancy and several regional destinations.
Saverne (Latin:Tres Tabernae Caesaris: Caesar's three taverns, so called because in the older days there were three inns on the way to the Lorraine plateau where they would change oxen due to the steep incline) was an important place in the time of theRoman Empire, and, after being destroyed by theAlemanni, was rebuilt by the emperorJulian.[4]
With the settlement of theAlemanni, the town became part of theGermanosphere. After 870 AD the town belonged toEast Francia, which turned into theHoly Roman Empire. During theGerman Peasants' War the town was occupied, in 1525, by the insurgents, who were driven out in their turn byDuke Anton of Lorraine. It suffered much from the ravages of theThirty Years' War, but the episcopal palace, then destroyed, was subsequently rebuilt.After 1680 the town was annexed by the French. The episcopal palace was in 1852 converted byLouis Napoleon into a place of residence for widows of knights of theLegion of Honour.
Saverne was conquered byImperial Germany after theFranco-Prussian War. It was returned to French control afterWorld War I.
In 1913, the city was the theater of the infamous "Saverne Affair". This event gave rise to the termZabernism (from the German name of the town), meaning abuse of military authority, or unwarranted aggression.[5][6]
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| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 9,682 | — |
| 1975 | 10,170 | +0.70% |
| 1982 | 10,327 | +0.22% |
| 1990 | 10,278 | −0.06% |
| 1999 | 11,201 | +0.96% |
| 2007 | 11,966 | +0.83% |
| 2012 | 11,730 | −0.40% |
| 2017 | 11,239 | −0.85% |
| Source: INSEE[7] | ||
The emblem of the town is a unicorn. Legend has it that a unicorn's horn was found in one of the nearby castles in ruins. It is more likely that anarwhal's tooth was discovered and mistaken for a unicorn's horn.However, it gave its name to the local beer (fr:Bière de la Licorne) and to theKarlsbräu brewery (f:Brasserie la Licorne) making it.
Its principal building, theRohan Castle (Château des Rohan), is the former residence of thebishops of Strasbourg, rebuilt byCardinal de Rohan in 1779, it was used by the Germans as barracks. It now housesthe city museum with its large archeological collection of Roman and Celtic artifacts, a hostel, a small arts and crafts museum as well as the collection of 20th century and ethnological art donated by feminist journalist and politicianLouise Weiss.
Other sights include the 15th century former castle (Château vieux) and the adjacent 15th centuryRoman Catholicparish church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité with finestained glass and sculptures; a Gothic formerFranciscan, thenRécollets, monastery with a church and acloister ornated by 17th-century frescoes; as well as several old houses, among which the heavily decoratedMaison Katz stands out.
In the vicinity are the ruined castles ofHaut-Barr,Grand Geroldseck,Ochsenstein andGreifenstein. Hence a road, immortalized byGoethe inDichtung und Wahrheit, leads across theVosges toPfalzburg. The mountain pass (Col de Saverne) contains a vast botanical garden, theJardin botanique du col de Saverne.
Saverne is also known for its Rose Garden, locally known asLa roseraie. It is also the host of the International Contest of New Roses every year. The Garden itself blesses visitors with over 550 varieties of roses.[1]
An old semaphore tower, from the formerLandau (and laterStrasbourg) toParissemaphore line, can be seen in the vicinity. It was one of the 50 stations built by thefirst French Empire on this line which was the second of this kind in France.
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