Saverne

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Coordinates: 48°44′32″N 7°21′46″E / 48.742222, 7.362777

Administration
Commune of Saverne Château des Rohan in Saverne
Location

Country	France
Region	Alsace
Department	Bas-Rhin (sous-préfecture)
Arrondissement	Saverne
Canton	Saverne (chief town)
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes de la région de Saverne
Mayor	Thierry Carbiener (2001-2008)
Statistics
Elevation	177 m–463 m (avg. 200 m)
Land area^¹	26.01 km²
Population^² (1999)	11,201
- Density	430.6/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	67437/ 67700
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.

Saverne (French: Saverne, pronounced [savɛʁn]; Alsatian: Zawere, pronounced [ˈd̥sɐːvəʁə]; German: Zabern) is a town and commune of France in the région of Alsace, situated on the Rhine-Marne canal at the foot of a pass over the Vosges Mountains, and 45 km (27 m.) N.W. of Strasbourg. It is a sous-préfecture of the Bas-Rhin département.

1 Sights
2 History
3 Famous Residents
4 Geography
5 External links

[edit] 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.

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 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, than Récollets monastery with a church and a cloister ornated by 17th century frescoes; as well as several old house, 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.

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.[1]

[edit] 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 Empire, and, after being destroyed by the Alamanni, was rebuilt by the emperor Julian.

During the 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.

[edit] Famous Residents

Venerable Francis Libermann, the son of the Chief Rabbi of Saverne, was born in 1802. He converted to Catholicism in 1826 and later became known as "The Second Founder of The Holy Ghost Fathers.