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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox German location
|type              = Town
|image_photo       = LudwigskircheSaarlouis.jpg
|image_caption     = The ''Ludwigskirche'' ([[Louis IX of France|Saint Louis]] Church)
|image_coa         = DEU Saarlouis COA.svg
|image_flag        = Flag of Saarlouis.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|49|19|N|6|45|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan        = Saarlouis in SLS.svg
|state             = Saarland
|district          = Saarlouis
|elevation         = 181
|area              = 43.3
|postal_code       = 66740
|area_code         = 06831
|licence           = SLS
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 10 0 44 115
|divisions         = 8
|website           = [https://www.saarlouis.de/ www.saarlouis.de]
|mayor             = Peter Demmer<ref>[https://www.saarland.de/stat/DE/_downloads/aktuelleTabellen/Wahlen/Direktwahlen/Gew%C3%A4hlte_B%C3%BCrgermeister_und_Landr%C3%A4te_im_Saarland.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=11 Gewählte Ober-/Bürgermeister*innen, Landrät*innen und Regionalverbandsdirektor*in im Saarland], Statistisches Amt des Saarlandes, 27 March 2022.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2017&ndash;27
|party             = SPD
}}

'''Saarlouis''' ({{IPA|de|zaːɐ̯ˈlʊɪ̯|lang|De-Saarlouis.ogg}};<ref>{{cite web |title=OB Peter Demmer: Ja zu maßvoller Erweiterung des Lisdorfer Berges |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7BpPL60bCE&t=72s |website=YouTube |publisher=Europastadt Saarlouis |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> {{langx|fr|link=no|Sarrelouis}}, {{IPA|fr|saʁlwi|}}; formerly '''Sarre-Libre''' and '''Saarlautern''') is a town in the state of [[Saarland]], in western [[Germany]], located on the banks of the [[Saar (river)|Saar]] river. With a population of over 37,000 (2024), it is the fifth-largest city of Saarland and serves as an important regional center. Saarlouis lies near the border with [[France]] and [[Luxembourg]]. The town functions as the administrative seat of the [[Saarlouis (district)|district of Saarlouis]] and is part of the cross-border [[SaarLorLux]] Euroregion.

Saarlouis was founded in 1680 by order of [[Louis XIV]] of France as a fortress town designed by the military engineer [[Vauban]]. The stronghold was intended to secure France’s new frontier after the [[Treaty of Nijmegen]]. The star-shaped fortifications gave the city its characteristic layout, parts of which remain visible today. Saarlouis became part of [[Prussia]] following the [[Treaty of Paris (1815)|Treaty of Paris]] of 1815.

In the 20th century, Saarlouis shared the turbulent history of the Saar region, which changed hands multiple times due to its strategic and economic importance. Following the [[Treaty of Versailles]], the town became part of the [[Territory of the Saar Basin]] administered by the [[League of Nations]], before rejoining Germany in 1935 after a [[Saar status referendum, 1935|plebiscite]]. After World War II, Saarlouis was again included in the French-occupied [[Saar protectorate]] before the [[Saar Treaty]] of 1956 paved the way for its return to Germany in 1957.

Today, Saarlouis is a regional centre of commerce, culture, and industry. It is known for its French-inspired urban layout, historic fortifications, and cultural events such as the annual “Emmes” town festival. Its location close to France and Luxembourg makes it a key part of the SaarLorLux region.

==History==
{{stack|{{Quote box |width=20em |align=right |bgcolor=#B0D4DE
|title=Historical affiliations
|fontsize=85% |quote=<poem>{{flagicon image|Pavillon royal de France.svg}} [[Kingdom of France]] 1680–1792
{{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794-1815).svg}} [[French First Republic|French Republic]] 1792–1804
{{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794-1815).svg}} [[First French Empire|French Empire]] 1804–1815
{{flag|Kingdom of Prussia|1803}} 1815–1871
{{flag|German Empire}} 1871–1918
{{flagicon image|Flag of Saar 1920-1935.svg}} [[Territory of the Saar Basin]] 1920–1935
{{flag|Nazi Germany}} 1935–1945
{{flagdeco|France|1848b}} [[French occupation zone in Germany|French occupation zone]] 1945–1947
{{flagicon image|Flag of Saar (1947–1956).svg}} [[Saar Protectorate]] (France) 1947–1956
{{flag|West Germany}} 1957–1990
{{flag|Germany}} 1990–present</poem>
}}
}}
[[File:LASB K Hellwig 0681.jpg|thumb|Fortress of Saarlouis with staging area 1753]]
With the [[Treaties of Nijmegen|Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen]] in 1678/79, [[Lorraine (province)|Lorraine]] fell to France. In 1680, [[Louis XIV of France]] gave orders to build a fortification (to defend the new French eastern frontier) on the banks of the river Saar which was called ''Sarre-Louis''. Notable French [[military engineer]], [[Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban]], constructed the town, which would serve as the capital of the [[Province de la Sarre]]. The plans were made by Thomas de Choisy, the town's first Gouvenour. In 1683, Louis XIV visited the fortress and granted arms. The coat of arms shows the rising sun and three [[Fleur-de-lis]]. The heraldic motto is ''Dissipat Atque Fovet'': He (the Sun) dispels (the clouds) and heats (the earth).

In 1697, the [[Treaty of Ryswick]] made most parts of Lorraine independent again, but Saarlouis and the surrounding areas remained a French [[exclave]]. During the [[French Revolution]], the town was renamed Sarre-Libre, but it returned to its original name in 1810. With the [[Treaty of Paris (1815)|Treaty of Paris]] in 1815, Saarlouis (and the whole region later known as the [[Saargebiet]]) became [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]].

[[Marshal of France|Marshal]] [[Michel Ney]], who was born in Saarlouis, was arrested and tried for [[treason]] after the failure of [[Napoleon I]]'s [[Waterloo Campaign]].  Ney's attorney tried to use the Prussian annexation to save his client's life, arguing that Ney was no longer a French citizen and therefore exempt from the court's jurisdiction.  Ney refused to cooperate, declaring himself to be French, and so was convicted and later executed.

After [[World War I]], French troops occupied Saarlouis. The Saargebiet became a protectorate of the [[League of Nations]] for 15 years. In 1933, a considerable number of anti-[[Nazism|Nazi]] [[Germans]] fled to the Saar, as it was the only part of Germany left outside the [[Third Reich]]'s control. As a result, anti-Nazi groups campaigned heavily for the Saarland to remain under control of [[League of Nations]] as long as [[Adolf Hitler]] ruled Germany. However, long-held sentiments against France remained entrenched, and very few sympathized openly with France. When the 15-year-term was over, a [[1935 Saar status referendum|plebiscite]] was held in the territory on 13 January 1935: 90.3% of those voting wished to rejoin Germany.

From 1936 till 1945, Saarlouis was named as Saarlautern (''-lautern'' being a common ending of town and village names in Germany) in an attempt by the Nazis to Germanise the town name.

After [[World War II]], the region (then called the [[Saarland]]), was again occupied by France. In a [[1955 Saar Statute referendum|plebiscite]] in 1955, most of the people in the Saarland opted for the reunification with the [[Federal Republic of Germany]], and on 1 January 1957, it became the 10th federal state of West Germany.

In 1980, Saarlouis celebrated its 300th anniversary.

==Incorporated districts==
Over time, the following districts have been incorporated into Saarlouis:
* [[Beaumarais]] (1936)
* [[Fraulautern]] (1936)
* [[Lisdorf]] (1936)
* [[Neuforweiler]] (1970)
* [[Picard (Saarlouis)|Picard]] (1936)
* [[Roden (Saar)|Roden]] (1907)
* [[Steinrausch (Saarlouis)|Steinrausch]] (1972)

==Fortifications==
Even today, the [[fortification|fortress]] dominates the town's hexagonal floor plan. Beside the buildings made by ''Vauban'', there are also some constructions left from the 19th century when the [[Prussia]]ns got control over the town. After 1887, some parts of the fortress were [[slighting|slighted]], but many buildings and places, e.g. the [[casemates]], some [[barracks]] and the ''Great Market'' with the Commander's Office and the ''Vauban island'', a former [[ravelin]] with a memorial for [[Michel Ney]] can still be seen today.

==Economy and infrastructure==
Saarlouis was famous for its nearby steel and iron ore production and its nearby mining facilities. Today, the [[Ford Motor Company]]'s [[Saarlouis Body & Assembly]] is the town's largest employer, producing the [[Ford Focus (International)|Ford Focus]]. The plant in the Roederberg suburb opened in 1970, but in 2022 is threatened with closure when the Ford Focus production cycle runs out in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Michael |date=22 June 2022 |title=Ford To Close Its German Plant In 2025, Ford Of Europe Chairman Confirms |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltaylor/2022/06/22/ford-to-close-its-german-plant-in-2025-ford-of-europe-chairman-confirms/?sh=39c90fba3e4b |access-date=5 July 2022 |website=Forbes}}</ref>
[[Image:DillingerHafen.jpg|right|thumb|230px|Inland Port Saarlouis/Roden]]
The industrial port in Saarlouis-Roden is Germany's 13th largest [[inland port]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neitzel |first=Dörte |date=3 June 2022 |title=Die größten deutschen Binnenhäfen |trans-title=Germany's largest inland ports |url=https://www.technik-einkauf.de/einkauf/logistik-supply-chain/die-groessten-deutschen-binnenhaefen-188.html |access-date=5 July 2022 |website=Technik + Einkauf}}</ref> Saarlouis is also a manufacturer of chocolate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Saarlouis|title=Saarlouis – Germany}}</ref>

==Politics==
Saarlouis is part of the [[Saarlouis (electoral district)]] in the [[Bundestag]], represented by [[Peter Altmaier]].

==Transport==
Saarlouis has a station on the [[Saar railway]] that provides hourly connections to [[Saarbrücken]] and [[Trier]].

It is connected to Saarbrücken by the [[Bundesautobahn 620|A 620]] and with [[Luxembourg]] by the [[Bundesautobahn 8|A 8]].

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Saarlouis is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Städtepartnerschaften|url=https://www.saarlouis.de/deine-stadt/staedtepartnerschaften/|website=saarlouis.de|publisher=Saarlouis|language=de|access-date=2021-03-18|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806011052/https://www.saarlouis.de/deine-stadt/staedtepartnerschaften/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Saint-Nazaire]], France (1969)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Eisenhüttenstadt]], Germany (1986; the first West and East German town twinning)
*{{flagicon|NIC}} [[Matiguás]], Nicaragua (1986)

==Notable people==
*[[Michel Ney]] (1769–1815), [[Marshal of France]]
*[[Heinrich Marx]] (1777–1838), lawyer and father of [[Karl Marx]]
*[[Martin de Bervanger]] (1795–1865), priest
*[[Charles-Nicolas Peaucellier]] (1832–1913), general and inventor of the [[Peaucellier–Lipkin linkage]]
*[[Eduard von Knorr]] (1840–1920), admiral of the Imperial German Navy and chief of the [[East Asia Squadron]]s
*[[Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck]] (1870–1964), colonial general and politician
*[[Karl Marx (journalist)|Karl Marx]] (1887-1966), German journalist
*[[Alois Spaniol]] (1904–1959), [[Nazi Party]] leader of the Saar
*[[Esther Béjarano]] (1924–2021), survivor of the [[Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz]]
*[[Oskar Lafontaine]] (born 1943), politician (SPD, The Left)
*[[Rainer Rupp]] (born 1945), spy
*[[Gabriel Clemens]] (born 1983), darts player
*[[Ralf Altmeyer]] (born 1966), virologist
*[[Heiko Maas]] (born 1966), politician (SPD)

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Saarlouis01.jpg|The ''Deutsches Tor'' (German Gate)
Saarlouis02.jpg|The ''Kasematten'' (The [[Casemates]])
Saarlouis03.jpg|The Commander's Office and the ''Großer Markt'' (Great Market)
Saarlouis05.jpg|The ''Vauban Island'' and the memorial of [[Michel Ney]]
RathausSaarlouis.jpg|The town hall
Saarlouis04.jpg|The ''Kaserne No. VI'' (Barracks No. VI, now home of a museum and a public library)
Saarlouisfußizone.jpg|The ''Französische Straße'' (French Street), now a pedestrian zone
Marschall_ney_geburtshaus_saarlouis.jpg|Birthplace of [[Michel Ney]], now a French Restaurant
SaarlouisEvangelischeKirche.jpg|The Protestant church
SaarlouisMittelpunkt.jpg|The geographic centre
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of places named after people]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikivoyage|Saarlouis}}
{{commons category-inline}}
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
*[http://www.feuerwehr.saarlouis.de/ Fire Brigade of Saarlouis] (Saarlouis has one of the oldest [[Volunteer fire department]]s of Germany)
*[http://saarlautern2.rodena.de/ History of Saarlouis 1 and Saarlouis 2 (renamed to Saarlautern) 1936–1945]
*[http://donnerbraeu.rodena.de/ History of one of the most famous companies in Saarlouis: Donnerbräu]

{{Cities and towns in Saarlouis (district)}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Saarland]]
[[Category:Saarlouis (district)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1680]]
[[Category:Vauban fortifications]]
[[Category:Three Bishoprics]]