Geography of Saarbrucken
Saarbrücken, Germany, the capital of the Saarland. It lies on the Saar River near the French border, about 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Frankfurt am Main. Saarbrücken is the commercial, industrial, and transportation center for the coal-rich Saar Basin and produces iron and steel. Among the few buildings that survived the bombings of World War II are several 18th-century Baroque-style churches. The University of the Saarland is here.
Saarbrücken was chartered in 1321 and from 1381 until 1793 was the seat of the House of Nassau-Saarbrücken. The French captured the city in 1793 and held it until 1815, when it was given to Prussia. As part of the Saar, the city has changed hands several times.
Population: 192,000.