Saverne
Encyclopedia
Saverne is a commune
in the Bas-Rhin
department in Alsace
in north-eastern France
. It is situated on the Rhine-Marne canal at the foot of a pass
over the Vosges Mountains
, and 45 km (27 mi) N.W. of Strasbourg
.
In 2006, Saverne had a total population of 11,907, and its metropolitan area, of 17,482.
, and, after being destroyed by the Alamanni
, was rebuilt by the emperor Julian
.
During the German Peasants' War
the town was occupied, in 1525, by the insurgents, who were driven out in their turn by Duke Anton of Lorraine
. It suffered much from the ravages of the Thirty Years' War
, but the episcopal palace, then destroyed, was subsequently rebuilt, and in 1852 was converted by Louis Napoleon into a place of residence for widows of knights of the Legion of Honour
.
Saverne was conquered by Imperial Germany after the Franco-Prussian War
. It was returned to French control after World War I
.
In 1913, the city was the theater of the infamous "Saverne Affair
". This event gave rise to the term Zabernism (from the German name of the town), meaning abuse of military authority, or unwarranted aggression.
However, it gave its name to the local beer (fr: Bière de la Licorne) and to the Karlsbräu brewery (f: Brasserie la Licorne) making it.
Its principal building, the Rohan Castle
(Château des Rohan), is the former residence of the bishops of Strasbourg, rebuilt by Cardinal de Rohan
in 1779, it was used by the Germans as barracks. It now houses the 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 politician Louise Weiss
.
Other sights include the 15th century former castle (Château vieux) and the adjacent 15th century Roman Catholic church with fine stained glass
and sculptures; a gothic former Franciscan
, then Récollets
, monastery with a church and a cloister
ornated by 17th century frescoes; as well as several old houses, among which the heavily decorated Maison Katz stands out.
In the vicinity are the ruined castles of Haut-Barr, Grand Geroldseck, Ochsenstein and Greifenstein. Hence a beautiful road, immortalized by Goethe
in Dichtung und Wahrheit, leads across the Vosges
to Pfalzburg. The mountain pass (Col de Saverne
) contains a vast botanical garden, the Jardin botanique du col de Saverne
.
Saverne is also known for its famous Rose Garden, locally known as La 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.http://www.ot-saverne.fr/ot_saverne/default.asp?rub=1&ssrub=2&nf=221001653
An old semaphore tower, relief of the former Landau
(and later Strasbourg
) to Paris
semaphore line, can be seen in the vicinity. It was one of the 50 stations built by the first French Empire
on this line which was the second of this kind in France.
- Dettwiller
- Eckartswiller
- Ernolsheim-lès-Saverne
- Friedolsheim
– Furchhausen
– Gottenhouse
– Gottesheim
– Haegen
– Hattmatt
– Landersheim
– Lupstein
– Maennolsheim
– Monswiller
– Ottersthal
– Otterswiller
– Printzheim
– Reinhardsmunster
– Saessolsheim
– Saint-Jean-Saverne
– Steinbourg
– Thal-Marmoutier
– Waldolwisheim
– Westhouse-Marmoutier
– Wolschheim
- Marmoutier
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
department in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
in north-eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is situated on the Rhine-Marne canal at the foot of a pass
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
over the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
, and 45 km (27 mi) N.W. of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
.
In 2006, Saverne had a total population of 11,907, and its metropolitan area, of 17,482.
History
Saverne (Tres Tabernae Cesaris (Caesar's three taverns, so called because in the older days there were three taverns 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 the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, and, after being destroyed by the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
, was rebuilt by the emperor Julian
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
.
During the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
the town was occupied, in 1525, by the insurgents, who were driven out in their turn by Duke Anton of Lorraine
Antoine, Duke of Lorraine
Antoine , known as the Good, was Duke of Lorraine from 1508 until his death in 1544.-Biography:Antoine was born at Bar-le-Duc, the son of René II, Duke of Lorraine and Philippa of Guelders...
. It suffered much from the ravages of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, but the episcopal palace, then destroyed, was subsequently rebuilt, and in 1852 was converted by Louis Napoleon into a place of residence for widows of knights of the Legion of Honour
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
Saverne was conquered by Imperial Germany after the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. It was returned to French control after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
In 1913, the city was the theater of the infamous "Saverne Affair
Saverne Affair
The Saverne Affair was a crisis of domestic policy which occurred in the German Empire at the end of 1913. It was caused by political unrest in Saverne in Alsace, where two battalions of Prussian Infantry Regiment 99 were garrisoned, after a second lieutenant insulted the Alsatian population...
". This event gave rise to the term Zabernism (from the German name of the town), meaning abuse of military authority, or unwarranted aggression.
Sights
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 a narwhal'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 the Karlsbräu brewery (f: Brasserie la Licorne) making it.
Its principal building, the Rohan Castle
Rohan Castle
Rohan Castle , also known as Château Neuf , is a Neoclassicist monumental building in the city of Saverne in Alsace, France...
(Château des Rohan), is the former residence of the bishops of Strasbourg, rebuilt by Cardinal de Rohan
Louis René Édouard, cardinal de Rohan
Louis René Édouard de Rohan known as the Cardinal de Rohan , prince de Rohan-Guéméné, was a French bishop of Strasbourg , politician, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and cadet of the Rohan family...
in 1779, it was used by the Germans as barracks. It now houses the 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 politician Louise Weiss
Louise Weiss
Louise Weiss was a French author, journalist, feminist and European politician.- Life :Louise Weiss came from a cosmopolitan family of Alsace. The ancestors of her Jewish mother, Jeanne Javal, originated from the small Alsatian town of Seppois-le-Bas...
.
Other sights include the 15th century former castle (Château vieux) and the adjacent 15th century Roman Catholic church with fine stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and sculptures; a gothic former Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
, then Récollets
Recollets
The Récollets were a French branch of the Roman Catholic order, the Franciscans , which developed out of a reform movement that began in the 15th century in Spain and established itself in France in Tulle in 1585, at Nevers in 1592, at Limoges in 1596 and in Paris in 1603...
, monastery with a church and a cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
ornated by 17th century frescoes; as well as several old houses, among which the heavily decorated Maison Katz stands out.
In the vicinity are the ruined castles of Haut-Barr, Grand Geroldseck, Ochsenstein and Greifenstein. Hence a beautiful road, immortalized by Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
in Dichtung und Wahrheit, leads across the Vosges
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
to Pfalzburg. The mountain pass (Col de Saverne
Col de Saverne
The Col de Saverne is a natural pass in the north of the Vosges mountains, near Saverne, which permits travel between the département of Bas-Rhin, région Alsace and the département of Moselle, région Lorraine.Lines of communication that traverse the Saverne Pass include national highway RN 4 and...
) contains a vast botanical garden, the Jardin botanique du col de Saverne
Jardin botanique du col de Saverne
The Jardin botanique du col de Saverne , also known as the Jardin botanique de Saverne, is a botanical garden and arboretum located along the Col de Saverne near Saverne, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France...
.
Saverne is also known for its famous Rose Garden, locally known as La 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.http://www.ot-saverne.fr/ot_saverne/default.asp?rub=1&ssrub=2&nf=221001653
Landau
Landau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the...
(and later Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
) to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
semaphore line, can be seen in the vicinity. It was one of the 50 stations built by the first French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
on this line which was the second of this kind in France.
Notable people
- VenerableVenerableThe Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
Francis LibermannFrancis LibermannFrancis Mary Paul Libermann was a 19th-century Jewish convert to Catholicism who was a member of the Spiritan order. He is best known for founding the Congregation of the Sacred Heart, which later merged with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. He is often referred to as "The Second Founder of the...
, the son of the Chief RabbiChief RabbiChief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of Saverne, was born in 1802. He converted to CatholicismCatholicismCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
in 1826 and later became known as "The Second Founder of The Holy Ghost FathersHoly Ghost FathersThe Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates...
.
Geography
Neighboring communes: AltenheimAltenheim
Altenheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Dettwiller
Dettwiller
Dettwiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Eckartswiller
Eckartswiller
Eckartswiller is a commune, in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Ernolsheim-lès-Saverne
Ernolsheim-lès-Saverne
Ernolsheim-lès-Saverne is a commune, in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Friedolsheim
Friedolsheim
Friedolsheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-History:The village's origins stretch back into antiquity. Many gallo-Roman remains have been found along with the remains of a road dating back to the second century. The first written reference to Friedolsheim...
– Furchhausen
Furchhausen
Furchhausen is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Gottenhouse
Gottenhouse
Gottenhouse is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The current name dates from February 21, 1948. The previous name was Gottenhausen.-Geography:...
– Gottesheim
Gottesheim
Gottesheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The economy is based on agriculture.-References:*...
– Haegen
Haegen
Haegen is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-Geography:Haegen is a mountain village located on the western frontier of Alsace which at this point coincides with the western frontier of the Alemanish dialect area...
– Hattmatt
Hattmatt
Hattmatt is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village is located a few kilometres to the northeast of Saverne on the departmental road RD6.-References:*...
– Landersheim
Landersheim
Landersheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-Geography:Surrounding communes are Saessolsheim and Rohr to the north-west, Willgottheim in the south-east, Zeinheim and Westhouse-Marmoutier to the south-west with Maennolsheim and Friedolsheim in the...
– Lupstein
Lupstein
Lupstein is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-People:* Alois Kayser, Catholic pastor who was active in Nauru, was born in Lupstein.-References:* -External links:*...
– Maennolsheim
Maennolsheim
Maennolsheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Monswiller
Monswiller
Monswiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Ottersthal
Ottersthal
Ottersthal is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Otterswiller
Otterswiller
Otterswiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Printzheim
Printzheim
Printzheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Reinhardsmunster
Reinhardsmunster
Reinhardsmunster is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Saessolsheim
Saessolsheim
Saessolsheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Saint-Jean-Saverne
Saint-Jean-Saverne
Saint-Jean-Saverne is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-Population:-References:*...
– Steinbourg
Steinbourg
Steinbourg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Thal-Marmoutier
Thal-Marmoutier
Thal-Marmoutier is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Waldolwisheim
Waldolwisheim
Waldolwisheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Westhouse-Marmoutier
Westhouse-Marmoutier
Westhouse-Marmoutier is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
– Wolschheim
Wolschheim
Wolschheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Marmoutier
Marmoutier
Marmoutier is a commune in the Bas-Rhin département in Alsace in north-eastern France. The origin of the place is the former Marmoutier Abbey, of which the abbey church still serves as the parish church. It is a commune in the Bas-Rhin département in Alsace in north-eastern France.-History:In 590 St...