Saarbrücker Kasematten

Useful Information

Location:	Saarbrücken. (49°13'48.92"N, 6°59'28.26"E)
Open:	All year Tue-Wed 10-18, Thu 10-20, Fri 10-18, Sat 12-18, Sun 10-18. Guided tours through the casemates: Sun 13, 14, 15, 16. [2007]
Fee:	Adults EUR 4, Reduced EUR 2. [2007]
Classification:	Casemates
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Historisches Museum Saar, Schlossplatz 15, 66119 Saarbrücken, Tel: +49-681-506-4501, Fax: +49-681-506-4590. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

08-JAN-1981	decision to renovate the Saarbrücker Schloß.
MAR-1982	start of works.
1988	Historisches Museum Saar inaugurated.
07-APR-1989	Saarbrücker Schloß inaugurated.
2003	remains of the southeastern castle and the moat excavated.
2005	medieval foundations and renaissance casemates excavated.
2006	excavated remains renovated.
2007	casemates opened for the public.

Description

The Historische Museum Saar (Historic Museum of the Saar) offers an Exhibition about the younger history of the Saarland. Important topics are the relation to the neighbour Lothringen (Lorraine), and the German-French border inbetween. There is an exhibition about the daily life in the Saar area. Most important topics in the 20th century are the time of the third Reich and the special status of the country between 1945 and 1959.

The museum is located at the Schloßplatz in the Baroque Castel built by Stengel. In the year 1981 the Stadtverbandstag, the local government, decided to renovate the castle for their own use. But the basement vaults should be prepared for public use and offered to cultural institutions. So it was used by the new historic museum. During the years several times medieval remains below the castle were discovered. In 2003 excavations revealed the remains of the southeast corner of the medieval castle and the moat. The next excavation in 2005 revealed more medieval buildings and the casemates from the Renaissance. They were renovated and integrated into the historic museum, since 2007 they are open to the public.

Today the museum has a huge underground branch, consisting of the southeast bastion with the Roter Turm (red tower) and the southwest bastion with the casemates, the cellars and the jailhouse. And one the other side of the castle are is another underground tunnel.

A staircase hewn into the sandstone leads down to the casemates. They were built about 500 years ago on top of the castle rock, have a high vaulted ceiling and arrow slits. The casemates have two levels, the lower is today 12 m below ground.