The Saar Plebiscite Territory, also known
over the years as Saargebiet (1920-1935)
and Saarland (1947-1957), did not exist as an independent entity before
1919. Its location on the border between France and Germany has given
Saar a unique history.
The region, originally settled by Celtic
tribes, was part of the Roman Imperial Province of Belgica. In the 5th
Century, the region was conquered by the Franks, and for the next 1,300
years, it was successively part of the Kingdom of the Franks, the
Carolingian Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire. After the defeat of
Napoleon in 1815, the region, with a majority ethnic German population,
was divided between the Prussian Empire and the Kingdom of Bavaria.
In 1870, the French seized
the region, beginning the Franco-Prussian War. After the French loss in
the war, the Saar region became part of the new German Empire.
At
the end of World War I, Saar was occupied by Britain and France, under
the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. The occupied area included
the Prussian Rhine Province, along with the Bavarian Rhine Palatinate.
In 1920, the Saar region was created as the Territory of the Saar Basin
by the League of Nations, with its capital at Saarbrücken. The highly
industrialized territory and its coal fields were awarded to France.
The Saar
Plebiscite Territory, or Saargebiet, was administered by France, under a
League of Nations mandate, to be continued for a period of 15 years,
after which a plebiscite would be held to determine the fate of the
territory. The postage stamps of Saargebiet are included in this category of the website, under Saar.
A
plebiscite was finally held on January 13, 1935, and 91% of the
population, essentially ethnic German, voted for reunification with Germany. The vote was approved
by the League of Nations, and Saar became part of the Third Reich on
January 17, 1935. After the reunification of Saar with Germany, German
postage stamps and currency replaced that of the former Saar Plebiscite
Territory.
After World War II, Saar, once again, became a protectorate under French control. The new protectorate, known as Saarland, resumed the issue of its own postage stamps and currency in 1947. The postage stamp issues of Saarland, formerly included in the Germany - Allied [Occupation] category of this website, are now included in the Saar category. A coin of Saarland is shown at the left.
On October 27, 1956, a treaty between France and the Federal Republic of Germany declared that Saarland should be allowed to become part of Germany, which it did on January 1, 1957.
The
Saarland Franc remained in use until July 7, 1959, when it was replaced
by the Deutsche Mark. Since then, the postage stamps and currency of
the Federal Republic of Germany have been used in Saarland.
Return to Saar from
Saar Plebiscite Territory - A Brief History