| Description | Saarlouis, as the name implies, is located at the river Saar. It was built as a fortress in 1680 and named after Louis XIV of France. In 1697, with the Treaty of Ryswick, most parts of Lorraine gained independence again, but Saarlouis and the surrounding areas remained a French exclave. With the Treaty of Paris in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars, Saarlouis and the whole region became Prussian. After the First World War, French troops occupied Saarlouis. A plebiscite was held in the territory in 1935 and 90% voted to rejoin Germany. After World War II, the region (then called the Saarland), was again occupied by France. After World War II, it was again occupied by France and returned to Germany in 1957 based on another plebiscite. |
