Sarreguemines (French pronunciation: [saʁɡəmin]; German: Saargemünd [zaːɐ̯ɡəˈmʏnt] , Lorraine Franconian: Saargemìnn) is a commune in the Moselle department of the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France.

Sarreguemines
Saargemünd
View of the Saar River and the casino
View of the Saar River and the casino
Flag of Sarreguemines
Coat of arms of Sarreguemines
Location of Sarreguemines
Map
Sarreguemines is located in France
Sarreguemines
Sarreguemines
Sarreguemines is located in Grand Est
Sarreguemines
Sarreguemines
Coordinates: 49°07′N 7°04′E / 49.11°N 7.07°E / 49.11; 7.07
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentMoselle
ArrondissementSarreguemines
CantonSarreguemines
IntercommunalityCA Sarreguemines Confluences
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Marc Zingraff[1] (DVD)
Area
1
29.67 km2 (11.46 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
20,624
 • Density700/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
57631 /57200
Elevation192–293 m (630–961 ft)
Websitesarreguemines.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It is the seat of an arrondissement and a canton. As of 2020, the town's population was 20,555. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Sarregueminois and Sarregueminoises in French.

Geography

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Sarreguemines, whose name is a French spelling of the name in local Lorraine-German dialect "Saargemin", meaning "confluence into the Saar", is located at the confluence of the Blies and the Saar, 79 kilometres (49 mi) east of Metz, 107 kilometres (66 mi) northwest of Strasbourg by rail, and at the junction of the lines to Trier and Sarrebourg.[3] Sarreguemines station has rail connections to Strasbourg, Saarbrücken and Metz. Traditionally Sarreguemines was the head of river navigation on the Saar, its importance being a depot where boats were unloaded.

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 2,402—    
1800 2,529+0.74%
1806 2,972+2.73%
1821 3,608+1.30%
1836 4,113+0.88%
1841 4,243+0.62%
1861 6,075+1.81%
1866 6,802+2.29%
1871 6,863+0.18%
1875 8,466+5.39%
1880 9,573+2.49%
1885 10,719+2.29%
1890 13,076+4.06%
1895 13,888+1.21%
1900 14,685+1.12%
1905 14,919+0.32%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1910 14,253−0.91%
1921 14,197−0.04%
1926 13,812−0.55%
1931 14,371+0.80%
1936 16,001+2.17%
1946 13,375−1.78%
1954 14,947+1.40%
1962 17,866+2.25%
1968 24,284+5.25%
1975 25,684+0.80%
1982 24,763−0.52%
1990 23,117−0.86%
1999 23,202+0.04%
2007 21,835−0.76%
2012 21,605−0.21%
2017 20,783−0.77%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968-2017)[5]

Administration

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Sarreguemines was, from 1985 to 2015, the seat of two cantons:

  • Sarreguemines, consisting of the Sarreguemines commune only.
  • Sarreguemines-Campagne, comprising 21 nearby communes.

Both cantons, minus the communes of Grundviller, Guebenhouse, Loupershouse and Woustviller that were added to the canton of Sarralbe, were merged into one canton of Sarreguemines on 1 January 2015.

History

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Sarreguemines, originally a Roman settlement, obtained civic rights early in the 13th century. In 1297 it was ceded by the count of Saarbrücken to the Duke of Lorraine, and passed with Lorraine in 1766 to France.[3] French Influence: The fortunes of Sarreguemines took another turn in 1766 when it passed from Lorraine to France. This period saw the town further develop its industries, including the production of plush velvet, leather, faience, porcelain, and papier-mâché boxes, primarily utilized for snuffboxes. Sarreguemines became renowned for its artisanal craftsmanship and artistic traditions.

It was transferred to Germany in 1871, with the Treaty of Frankfurt following the Franco-Prussian War. From 1871 to 1918 it formed part of the German imperial province of Alsace-Lorraine and manufactured plush velvet, leather, faience and porcelain, and was a centre for making papier-mâché boxes, mostly used for snuffboxes.[3] It was returned to France after World War I.

On 21–23 December 1944 the 44th Infantry Division (United States) threw back three attempts by the Germans to cross the Blies River. An aggressive defense of the Sarreguemines area was continued throughout February and most of March 1945.

Notable people

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Sarreguemines was the birthplace of :

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 6 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c   One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Saargemünd". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 954.
  4. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Sarreguemines, EHESS (in French).
  5. ^ "Population en historique depuis 1968" (in French). INSEE. 12 September 2020.
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