Homburg (in the local dialect Humborch) is the district town of the Saarpfalz district in Saarland. The university town is the third largest city in Saarland with 41,875 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2019).
1 Hohenburg, Schlossberg-Höhen-Straße 1, 66424 Homburg . In the 12th
century, the Hohenburg was the seat of the Counts of Homburg, who
received city rights for their town at the foot of the Schlossberg from
Louis the Bavarian in 1330. After the death of the last Count of Homburg
in 1449, the castle and town fell to the Counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken.
They built in the second half of the 16th century. converted the castle
into a Renaissance palace. During the Reunion period, the French King
Louis XIV had his fortress builder Vauban expand the castle and town
into a strong fortress between 1679 and 1692. The basic structure of the
old town dates from this time. The fortifications were razed in 1697 and
1714. From 1981, the impressive ruins on the Schlossberg were uncovered
and restored. Price: Viewings are possible free of charge.
2
Karlsberg ruins. Homburg experienced a high point in its history in the
second half of the 18th century. From 1776 to 1786, Duke Charles II
August had his residential palace built in lavish splendor on the then
unforested Buchenberg. In the spacious palace complex, which was more
than a kilometer wide, the stables with a riding arena for a thousand
horses, the orangery with the theater building, cavaliers' houses,
barracks and farm buildings were grouped around the main palace. The
magnificent gardens included a zoo, cascades and ponds, bear kennels and
the Tschifflick Pavilion. In 1779, the Duke moved his residence from
Zweibrücken to Homburg to the Karlsberg Castle, which was then
considered one of the most fantastic castle complexes in Europe.
Unfortunately, the splendor didn't last long. The castle was burned down
by French revolutionary troops in 1793. Further information and a
listening path can be found on the homepage.
3 Merburg ruins (in the
Kirrberg district). The sandstone block of Malafelsen rises from the
Kirrberg valley meadows just 12 meters above the water level of the
Lambsbach: a boulder whose top forms a small and almost triangular
plateau barely more than 30 meters long and wide.
Here, between 1975
and 1980, one of the oldest and certainly smallest castles in Saarland
was excavated and restored to its historical state.
The small
Merburg, located low above the valley floor of the Lambsbach, despite
its small dimensions, proves to be a complex fortification with a strong
octagonal keep, which was at least 10 meters high depending on the wall
thickness, with a solid, certainly two-story house and a wall ring of at
least 75 meters long.
The castle was surrounded on two sides by
swampy meadows, the third side was protected by a moat. The building
material for the castle was obtained on site, namely in the area of the
moat.
Based on excavation finds, it is assumed that a refuge already
existed in the 10th century and that in the 11th century a permanent
one-story house took over the protection of an important road to
Landstuhl.
Access is free
4 Gustavsburg (in the Jägersburg
district)
In 1590, Count Palatine Johann I had the medieval moated
castle in the original Hattweiler, a Franconian settlement founded in
the 8th century, converted into a castle. The settlement and castle were
renamed Hansweiler after him.
In 1622 a tower was built for better
guarding and defense. In place of the castle that burned down during the
Thirty Years' War, a residential building with a barn and stables was
built under Duke Friedrich Ludwig in 1666.
Duke Gustav Samuel Leopold
of Zweibrücken had a chapel built in 1720 and the current residential
building in 1721 and called the castle Gustavsburg. The ducal coat of
arms reminds us of this. After the French Revolution, forester Christian
Lindemann from Neuheisel bought the castle at auction in 1803.
In
1842 it came into the possession of the Bavarian Forestry
Administration.
In 1973 the community of Jägersburg took over
Gustavsburg. The city of Homburg had it restored with state grants from
1978-1981.
Schlossberg caves. Europe's largest red sandstone caves were created
by mining in the 12th century - they are therefore strictly speaking
mine tunnels - and lie below the ruins of the Hohenburg on the
Schlossberg. The mined sand was originally used for glass production in
the 17th century due to its high quartz content. It was later mined as
scouring sand for cleaning and as molding sand for the iron industry. As
part of the Hohenburg Fortress, which gave the city its name, the cave
labyrinth was previously primarily used for defense. When the French
troops left the city in 1714, they filled up the entrances and the caves
were forgotten until they were rediscovered by children playing in the
1930s. During the Second World War, the Homburg population found
protection from air raids in the caves and sometimes also used them as
apartments.
There are impressive domed halls that have a special
charm due to the yellow, red and yellow-red discoloration of the sand.
In addition to the interesting discolorations, the so-called ripple
marks, which mark ceilings and walls almost everywhere, are
characteristic of the Schlossberg caves.
The caves can be reached
from the old town via a staircase. If you arrive by car, you can park on
the Schlossberg and climb down approx. 130 steps to the entrance to the
right of the hotel, or use an 800m step-free footpath from the hairpin
bend car park. The temperature in the caves throughout the year is
around 10° Celsius with 80-100% humidity, which is why a jacket is
recommended.
Pre-registration for guided tours by telephone at
telephone number. +49 6841 2064 is recommended (also for individual
visitors). The caves can also be visited without a guide. Three floors
of the cave system are accessible to visitors. (As of 2023). Open
April-October 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., November-March 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.,
December and January closed. Entrance fee for adults €5, students and
children aged 4-16 €3, families (2 adults + 1 child) €11 plus €2.50 per
additional family child. There are group rates and a combination ticket
with the Roman Museum. Further information at
http://www.homburg.de/content/pages/hoehlen.htm
Wörschweiler
monastery ruins (From Wörschweiler a path leads through the forest and a
steep staircase up to the ruins.) . A monastery was built on the
mountain very close to Schwarzenacker (Roman Museum) in 1131. It was a
Benedictine monastery under the priory of Hornbach Abbey. As early as
1171, the monastery's founders, the Counts of Saar Werden, replaced the
Benedictines and installed Cistercians. The priory became an abbey. The
Cistercians expanded the modest Benedictine church into a larger
Romanesque church, the remains of which can still be seen today on the
Klosterberg. Access is free. Last changed: Oct. 2020 (information may be
out of date) edit info
Edelhaus, Homburger Str. 38, 66424 Homburg.
Former country estate in the Schwarzenacker district. Today the building
houses the Roman Museum and a gallery (see Museums).
Karlsberger Hof,
Karlsberger Hof 1, 66424 Homburg. The only remaining building of the
former Karlsberg Palace complex, the residence of Charles II Augustus of
Palatinate-Zweibrücken.
Beeder Tower, Turmstrasse, 66424
Homburg-Beeden. The tower ruins in the Homburg district of Beeden are
the former choir tower of one dedicated to St. Church dedicated to
Remigius. This was first mentioned in 1212. The church was destroyed in
the Thirty Years' War.
Freedom Fountain, Eisenbahnstraße 35, 66424 Homburg. The fountain, designed by Bonifatius Stirnberg in 1992, is reminiscent of the freedom fighters Siebenpfeiffer and Wirth, who worked in Homburg, and the Hambach Festival in 1832 that they announced.
Roman Museum Homburg-Schwarzenacker, Homburger Straße 38. This
open-air museum impressively shows the appearance of a Roman stage town
with buildings, outdoor areas, streets and canals and, in the baroque
noble house, important finds from art, crafts and households from the
Roman era. The memorable demonstration of Roman life is a first-rate
tourist attraction. The Roman city in the Celtic region was founded
around 2,000 years ago and destroyed by the Alemanni in 275 AD. Open:
April to October daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. Guided
tour. November, February and March daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed
December and January. Price: Adults EUR 3.00, children EUR 2.00, family
ticket EUR 7.50.
Gallery in the noble house. In the noble house of
the Roman Museum there is a gallery in which around 30 historical
paintings are exhibited under the title “Johann Christian von Mannlich
and Palatinate-Zweibrücken painting from the 18th century”. They come
from Karlsberg Castle, which was set on fire by French revolutionary
troops in 1793. A great achievement of the painter and master builder
Christian von Mannlich lies in saving the castle's inventory, which also
included the already famous collection of paintings. Around 1,260
pictures came to Munich via Mannheim and formed the basis for the
collection of the Alte Pinakothek. The paintings in the gallery of the
noble house are on permanent loan from Munich. Open: same as Roman
Museum. Price: Entrance fee included in the Roman Museum ticket.
Karlsberg Brewery. The brewery offers tours:
Tour of the old
brewhouse, lecture and film, group photo, tour of the bottling plant,
stop at Schalander for a professional beer tasting with sale of
advertising materials. All drinks are free. Food as booked.
The tours
take place every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30
p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Groups of 25 to 30 people are
ideal. Smaller groups or inquiries from individuals are of course also
welcome. You may be run with other nice people.
Costs: 7.50 EUR (tour
with subsequent beer tasting and spent grain sandwich), 11.50 EUR (tour
with subsequent beer tasting and juicy grilled brew burgers with crispy
bacon, hearty sauce and braised cabbage in dark beer), 15.50 EUR (tour
with followed by a beer tasting and delicious roast pork in dark beer
sauce with spaetzle and coleslaw).
Hiking trail over the Schlossberg. With the Schlossberg tour, which
begins behind the Hohenburg ruins and leads through the Schloss
Karlsberg forest park, Homburg has its first premium hiking trail. This
path first leads to the Schlossberg caves and from there to the mystical
Blunt Peak, which probably served as a place of sacrifice for our
ancestors. On this extremely scenic path are, among other things, the
Karlsbergweiher, which is also a relic of the sunken fairytale castle on
the Karlsberg, the Karlsberg spring and the remains of the former
orangery, the bear stables and the swan pond. A balanced hike through a
varied forest in the area of tension between nature and culture, past
idyllic ponds and moors as well as traces of days gone by that inspire
the imagination. Starting point: Large cross on the Schlossberg. Length:
13km, marking: yellow tower symbol.
Homburg after-work tour. Take a
special kind of foray through the diversity of Homburg's eating and
drinking culture. The guided tour starts in Homburg's center,
Talstrasse. At the beginning you will explore the culinary delights of
fine Italian cuisine over a snack and you will get a snapshot as a
souvenir of this evening. Freshly strengthened, we continue to an El
Dorado for coffee lovers and coffee connoisseurs. You will get an
insight into how coffee is made and then taste a delicious mocha at the
end. After a walk through Homburg's old town, the excursion ends in a
relaxed atmosphere in one of the quaint inns far and wide. Redeem your
beer voucher and enjoy the famous Karlsberg beer in a cozy atmosphere.
Meeting point: H&M, Talstrasse entrance. Duration: approx. 1.5 hours,
ticket sales: city bus office. Price: €8.00 per person (The price
includes: snack, mocha, souvenir photo, beer voucher from the Karlsberg
brewery).
Homburg music summer. Every summer, in the beautiful period
from May to mid-September, the Homburg Music Summer is held in the heart
of Homburg's old town. Under the motto “Querbeat”, there are concerts of
various styles of music almost every Friday evening on a stage on the
historic market square. Every Saturday morning, jazz fans get their
money's worth, because from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., first-class bands play as
part of the “Jazz Frühschoppen” and transform the old town into an
entertaining music stage. Admission to these special concerts is always
free. The restaurants located on the market square offer food and drinks
for every taste to match the music. Period: May to early September every
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., from June to August every Friday from 7
p.m. to 10 p.m.
Climbing park in Jägersburg (AbenteuerPark Homburg),
Kleinottweilerstraße 148. Tel.: +49 (0)6841 7030257, email:
office@jagdpark-homburg.de. On an area of two hectares, more than 90
trees and 120 platforms are connected to each other by around 10,000 m
of steel cable in the adventure climbing park in Homburg-Jägersburg.
With a helmet and harness, secured as if for mountaineering, visitors
can walk through the park at a height of two to 15 m without touching
the ground. A total of six different courses with different levels of
difficulty are available to visitors. There is also a course for
children aged six and over. Open: April-October, varying from
10/11/12:00 - 18/19:00.
The first settlements existed as early as Roman times
in what is now the Schwarzenacker district as an important stop on
two intersecting highways (Metz - Mainz and Trier - Strasbourg). In
the same place there was also a settlement of the Mediomatriker.
However, this reading is controversial today, especially after coin
finds in the area.
In the 12th century Hohenburg was the seat
of the Counts of Homburg. In 1330 they received city rights from
Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian for their city at the foot of the
Schlossberg, making it the second oldest city in Saarland after
Saarbrücken, which received city rights nine years earlier (1321).
After the death of the last Count of Homburg in 1449, the castle and
town fell to the Counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken. In the second half of
the 16th century they converted the castle into a renaissance
castle.
During the reunification period, the French King
Louis XIV had his fortress builder Vauban expand the castle and town
into a strong fortress between 1679 and 1692. The basic structure of
the old town dates from this time. The fortifications were finally
razed in 1697 and after a reconstruction from 1705 in 1714. From
1981 the impressive ruins on the Schlossberg were uncovered and
restored. Today they are a sight on the Baroque Street
Saar-Palatinate.
In 1755 Homburg came from the county of
Nassau-Saarbrücken to the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken by
swapping territory. Between 1778 and 1788, Duke Karl II August von
Pfalz-Zweibrücken had Karlsberg Castle (hist. Spelling Carlsberg)
built on Buchenberg (today's Karlsberg) near Homburg. In 1779 he
moved his residence to the Karlsberg. On July 28, 1793, this castle
was destroyed by French revolutionary troops.
As a result,
Homburg was occupied by French troops as part of the Left Bank of
the Rhine. In the Peace of Campo Formio (1797), Emperor Franz II had
provisionally recognized the Rhine as the future border between
France and the German Empire in a secret treaty. The assignment
under international law took place in the Peace of Lunéville (1801).
Independently of this, the area was annexed by France and
administratively incorporated into the French state in 1798.
After the regional division, which was reorganized according to the
French model, Homburg became the capital of the canton of the same
name in the arrondissement (sub-prefecture) of Zweibrücken in the
Donnersberg department (department du Mont-Tonnerre).
In 1816
Homburg fell to the Rhine district under the Bavarian King
Maximilian I Joseph, the younger brother of Duke Karl II August.
After the subdivision of the districts into land commissariats
(1818) Homburg became the capital of the land commissariat of the
same name. Since the cantons remained from the French territorial
division in the Palatinate until 1852, Homburg was still a canton
town of the canton Homburg.
At the end of 1831 the journalist
and editor of the liberal-democratic newspaper Deutsche Tribüne
Johann Georg August Wirth (1798–1848) moved from Munich to Homburg
at the invitation of the former Homburg provincial commissioner
Philipp Jakob Siebenpfeiffer (1789–1845), as there was a freer
spirit there . The region around Homburg and the neighboring
Zweibrücken was able to develop into a center of the democratic
movement after the Congress of Vienna, since the Kingdom of Bavaria
left the Rhine District its freedom rights introduced by the French
Revolution of 1789, so u a. also benefit from tax laws that are
advantageous for the state. Wirth and Siebenpfeiffer were the
initiators of the Hambach Festival; the "Freedom Fountain" in
Homburg has been a reminder of this since 1992.
The
freedom fountain commemorates the Hambach Festival in 1832 and its
initiators Johann Georg August Wirth and Philipp Jakob
Siebenpfeiffer, who worked in Homburg.
The Palatinate in
1844. Homburg is at the bottom left of the map. The administrative
structure is also recognizable.
In 1849 the Ludwigshafen-Homburg
(1848) -Bexbach (Ludwigsbahn) railway was completed.
Due to
the territorial provisions of the Versailles Treaty (1919), Homburg
belonged to the Saar area from 1920 to 1935, which was placed under
French administration for 15 years with a mandate from the League of
Nations.
During the Second World War, Homburg suffered severe
damage from air raids in 1944/45. In March 1945 one of the few
refineries for the production of synthetic fuels was still operating
in Homburg; In addition, there were a relatively large number of
German troops around the Western Wall. The Western Allies fought
their way to reach the Rhine.
On March 14, 1945, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States
Army Air Forces (USAAF) carried out the heaviest air raid on
Homburg. 220 people died. The Schlossberg caves served as an air
raid shelter. After the conquest of Homburg there was looting.
After the war, the city of Homburg was initially in the French
zone of occupation; from 1946 to the end of 1956 it became part of
the Saar Protectorate.
On March 8, 1947, an Institut d’Études
Supérieures de Hombourg was opened under the patronage of the
University of Nancy, from which the Saarland University emerged in
1948. Today the Medical Faculty and the University Hospital of the
Saarland University are located in Homburg.
In 1978 the old
town renovation and inner city renewal began with the creation of
pedestrian zones, squares and fountains.
In
1913 the previously independent municipality of Beeden-Schwarzenbach
was incorporated. On April 1, 1936, the Erbach-Reiskirchen community
was added, and on April 1, 1938, the Bruchhof-Sanddorf community. In
the course of the regional and administrative reform, the
communities Einöd, Jägersburg, Kirrberg and Wörschweiler were
incorporated on January 1, 1974.