German Gate (Saarlouis)
The German Gate in Saarlouis forms the transition from the city center to the city's defenses and the lock bridge. It is located by the preserved casemates at the intersection of Deutsche Straße / Anton-Merziger-Ring.
Originally, the German Gate, which was named in French times, actually consisted of a gate building. However, this was demolished in 1886 as it was a traffic obstacle on the main axis of the city. Only later did the city begin to be officially de-fortified. In Prussian times, the provisions building was built opposite the German Gate on the side facing the city center. This magazine, today divided into two, originally formed a structural unit with a gate passage. Both the German Gate and the two parts of the provisions building have the status of a single monument today.
When the Anton-Merziger-Ring was expanded in the 1970s, the casemate heads at the German Gate were also restored. A casemate axis to the right and left of the roadway was created as a pedestrian passage. The rest of the casemates were renovated in the following years on a private initiative and converted for gastronomic purposes. The restaurants lined up in the casemates are sometimes referred to as the "longest bar in Saarland".
As part of the renovation, cannons from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 were set up on the outside of the German Gate . One of them had been found in the mud when the Saaraltarm recreation area was being created, the other gun was bought in addition. Both cannons were made by Krupp . On the inside of the gate you can still see the Prussian coat of arms and the Prussian royal crown, which are reminiscent of the period after 1815.
The counterpart of the German Gate, the French Gate at the end of the Französische Straße, no longer exists. It was demolished in the 1890s. The traces of the defenses on this side of the city have also been erased. A reconstruction of the French Gate was considered, especially in the course of the redesign of the Small Market in 2007 and 2008, but was not implemented for cost reasons.
Provision building 2007
View from the Großer Markt in the Deutsche Strasse, in the background the passage of the provision building 1890
View from Französische Straße towards the Great Market and the German Gate 2007
Renovation work on the Kleiner Markt in 2007
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 19 ′ 0.4 " N , 6 ° 44 ′ 55.7" E