Coordinates: 49°27′N 6°37′E / 49.450°N 6.617°E / 49.450; 6.617

Merzig

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Merzig
Town
Town hall in Merzig
Town hall in Merzig
Flag of Merzig
Flag
Coat of arms of Merzig
Coat of arms
Location of Merzig within Merzig-Wadern district
Lua error in Module:Infobox_mapframe at line 197: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 411: Malformed coordinates value.
Coordinates: Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
CountryGermany
StateSaarland
DistrictMerzig-Wadern
Subdivisions17
Government
 • Mayor (2019–29) Marcus Hoffeld[1] (CDU)
Area
 • Total
108.98 km2 (42.08 sq mi)
Elevation
172 m (564 ft)
Population
 (Lua error in Module:Settlement_Wikidata at line 197: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).)Lua error in Module:Settlement_Wikidata at line 197: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
 • Total
Lua error in Module:Settlement_Wikidata at line 197: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
66651–66663
Dialling codes06861, 06869
Vehicle registrationMZG
Websitewww.merzig.de

Merzig (German: [ˈmɛʁtsɪç] Audio file "De-Merzig.ogg" not found, French: Mercy, Moselle Franconian: Meerzisch/Miërzësch) is a town in Saarland, Germany. It is the capital of the district Merzig-Wadern, with about 30,000 inhabitants in 17 municipalities on 108 km². It is situated on the river Saar, approx. 35 km south of Trier, and 35 km northwest of Saarbrücken.

History

[edit | edit source]
Historical affiliations

File:Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg Roman Empire 369–5th century
Franks 5th century
Francia->Carolingian Empire 481–888
File:Red St George's Cross.svg Bishopric->Prince-Bishopric->Electorate of Trier 888–1333
File:Flag of Lorraine.svg Duchy of Lorraine/File:Red St George's Cross.svg Electorate of Trier 1333–1766 (condominium)
File:Pavillon royal de France.svg Kingdom of France/File:Red St George's Cross.svg Electorate of Trier 1766–1778 (condominium)
File:Red St George's Cross.svg Electorate of Trier 1778–1794
File:Flag of France (1794-1815).svg French Republic->French Empire 1794–1815
File:Flag of Prussia (1892-1918).svg Kingdom of Prussia 1815–1871
File:Flag of the German Empire.svg German Empire 1871–1918
File:Flag of Saar 1920-1935.svg Territory of the Saar Basin 1920–1935
File:Flag of Germany (1935–1945).svg Nazi Germany 1935–1945
File:Flag of Saar (1947–1956).svg Saar Protectorate 1947–1956
File:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany 1957–1990
File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany 1990–present

Evolution of the name

[edit | edit source]
File:DBPSL 1957 401 Merzig.jpg
Stamp of the Deutsche Bundespost commemorating the 1957 centennial of Merzig receiving city rights.
  369 Martiaticum
  870 Martia
1338 Mertzige
1478 Mertzych
1497 Mertzig
1499 Mertzigh, Mertzych

In addition to the above, the city was known under French rule as Mercy.

Subdivisions

[edit | edit source]
File:Merzig StPeter4.jpg
Romanesque St. Peter's Church
File:Merzig Marienkapelle.jpg
Neoclassical St. Mary's Chapel

Merzig was created in 1974 as part of the territorial reform in Saarland. The present-day town consists of the previous town of Merzig and 16 surrounding former municipalities. The population of the present town, including all outlying districts (as of June 30, 2011):

District Population
Merzig 10,934
Ballern 1,189
Besseringen 2,979
Bietzen 968
Brotdorf 3,733
Büdingen 310
Fitten 706
Harlingen 565
Hilbringen 2,569
Mechern 834
Menningen 635
Merchingen 939
Mondorf 768
Schwemlingen 2,186
Silwingen 387
Weiler 350
Wellingen 291
Total 30,343

Culture and sights

[edit | edit source]

Museums

[edit | edit source]
  • Expeditionary Museum Werner Freund
  • Fine mechanical museum in the Fellenbergmühle
  • Museum of Local History in Fellenberg Castle
  • B-Werk Besseringen
  • Saarland Psychiatric Museum[2]

Buildings

[edit | edit source]
  • Church of St. Peter
  • Historic townhouse („Altes Rathaus“)
  • Diverse baroque buildings such as Halfenhaus, Staadt-Marx's Bürgerhaus, Hilbringer Schlösschen, Abteihof Besseringen ("Zehnt-Haus"), former residence of Christian Kretzschmar in Trierer Straße (all 18th century)
  • Various interesting buildings of the 19th and early 20th centuries such as Villa Fuchs, Protestant church, churches in Hilbringen (St. Peter in chains) and Besseringen (Sacred Heart Church), Lothringer Hof, station, main building of the former state hospital, Art Nouveau buildings in Trierer Straße, former jam factory (previous monastery)
  • Various chapels worth seeing, such as St. Mary's Chapel, St. Cross Chapel, Kreuzberg Chapel, Josef Chapel, Harlinger Chapel, Old Wellinger Chapel, St. Clement Chapel (Menningen)
  • Seffersbach Bridge, 1901, last preserved suspension belt bridge "System Möller" in Saarland
  • Catholic parish church of St. Agatha (Merchingen)
  • Catholic parish church of St. Mary Magdalene (Brotdorf)
  • Catholic parish church of St. Martin (Bietzen)
  • Catholic parish church of St. Josef

Parks

[edit | edit source]
  • Bürgerpark Besseringen
  • Garden of the Senses on the Kreuzberg
  • Orchids on the Nackberg at Hilbringen
  • Town park

Other attractions

[edit | edit source]
  • B-Werk Besseringen (Westwall Bunkeranlage), on the B 51 between Merzig and Besseringen
  • Public indoor swimming pool „Das Bad“
  • Bietzener healing spring on the B 51 in the direction of Beckingen
  • Public natural swimming pool Heilborn
  • Sculptor symposium stones at the border
  • Monastery St. Gangolf, between Besseringen and Mettlach
  • Museum railway (to Losheim)
  • Animal enclosure at Blättelbornweiher
  • Wolf enclosure in the Kammerforst
  • Kreuzbergkapelle with views over almost the entire city and the Merzig basin
  • Kletterhafen - Europe's largest free-standing climbing park

Sport

[edit | edit source]

Merzig is the birthplace of footballer Kevin Trapp and tennis player Benjamin Becker.

Musical theatre

[edit | edit source]

Since 2012 Merzig stages musicals for two months each year, starring famous German musical actors like Uwe Kröger. The venue is a huge marquee, called 'Zeltpalast' (marquee palace).

Twin towns – sister cities

[edit | edit source]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Merzig is twinned with:[3]

Notable people

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ^ Gewählte Ober-/Bürgermeister*innen, Landrät*innen und Regionalverbandsdirektor*in im Saarland, Statistisches Amt des Saarlandes, 27 March 2022.
  2. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
[edit | edit source]
  • Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
  • File:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg Merzig travel guide from Wikivoyage

Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 153: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Retrieved from "http://70.231.62.181/index.php?title=Merzig&oldid=13322631"