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{{Expand French|date=December 2008|Saverne|topic=geo}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Saverne
|commune status     = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image              = Chateau Rohan Saverne 01.jpg
|caption            = [[Rohan Castle|Château des Rohan]]
|image coat of arms = Blason Saverne 67.svg
|arrondissement     = Saverne
|canton             = Saverne
|INSEE              = 67437
|postal code        = 67700
|mayor              = Stéphane Leyenberger<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=6 June 2023|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|party              = [[The Republicans (France)|LR]]
|intercommunality   = [[Communauté de communes|CC]] du Pays de Saverne
|coordinates        = {{coord|48.74|7.36|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 200
|elevation min m    = 177
|elevation max m    = 463
|area km2           = 26.01
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''Saverne''' ({{langx|fr|Saverne}}, {{IPA|fr|savɛʁn|pron|LL-Q150 (fra)-Mathieu Kappler-Saverne.wav}}; [[Alsatian language|Alsatian]]: {{lang|gsw|Zàwere}} {{IPA|gsw|ˈd̥sɐːvəʁə|}}; {{langx|de|Zabern}} {{IPA|de|ˈtsaːbɐn||De-Zabern2.ogg}}) is a [[communes of France|commune]] in the [[Bas-Rhin]] [[departments of France|department]] in [[Grand Est]] in north-eastern [[France]]. It is situated on the [[Rhine-Marne canal]] at the foot of a [[mountain pass|pass]] over the [[Vosges Mountains]], and 45&nbsp;km (27&nbsp;mi) northwest of [[Strasbourg]].

As of 2023, the population of the commune was 11,460.<ref name="pophist" /> Saverne is the centre of an [[urban unit|urban area]] with about 19,000 inhabitants.<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=UU2020-67306 Comparateur de territoire], INSEE</ref>

==Geography==

Saverne lies on the river [[Zorn (river)|Zorn]], at the foot of the [[Vosges Mountains]]. It is crossed by the [[Marne–Rhine Canal]] and the [[Paris-Est–Strasbourg-Ville railway|Paris–Strasbourg railway]]. The [[A4 autoroute]] (Paris–Strasbourg) passes a few kilometers north of the town. [[Saverne station]] has rail connections to Paris, Strasbourg, Metz, Nancy and several regional destinations.

==History==
Saverne ({{langx|la|Tres Tabernae Caesaris}}: Caesar's three taverns, so called because in the older days there were three inns on the way to the Lorraine plateau where they would change oxen due to the steep incline) was an important place in the time of the [[Roman Empire]], and, after being destroyed by the [[Alemanni]], was rebuilt by the emperor [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]].<ref>[[Ammianus Marcellinus]], ''[[Ammianus Marcellinus#Work|Res Gestae]]'' XVI.11.11</ref>

With the settlement of the [[Alemanni]], the town became part of the [[Germanosphere]]. After 870 AD the town belonged to [[East Francia]], which turned into the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. During the [[German Peasants' War]] the town was occupied, in 1525, by the insurgents, who were driven out in their turn by [[Antoine, Duke of Lorraine|Duke Anton of Lorraine]]. It suffered much from the ravages of the [[Thirty Years' War]], but the episcopal palace, then destroyed, was subsequently rebuilt.
After 1680 the town was annexed by the French. The episcopal palace was in 1852 converted by [[Louis Napoleon]] into a place of residence for widows of knights of the [[Légion d'honneur|Legion of Honour]].

Saverne was conquered by [[Imperial Germany]] after the [[Franco-Prussian War]]. It was returned to  French control after [[World War I]].

In 1913, the city was the theater of the infamous "[[Saverne Affair]]".  This event gave rise to the term ''Zabernism'' (from the German name of the town), meaning abuse of military authority, or unwarranted aggression.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Paul Anthony |date=2020-07-23 |title=Zabernism {{!}} Haggard Hawks |url=https://www.haggardhawks.com/post/zabernism |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=haggardhawks |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Saverne - Parution. Pourquoi « zabernism » est-il un mot anglais ? |url=https://www.dna.fr/edition-de-saverne/2018/03/10/pourquoi-zabernism-est-il-un-mot-anglais |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=www.dna.fr |language=FR-fr}}</ref>

==Population==
{{Historical populations
|source = INSEE<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8643952?geo=COM-67437#tableau-POPREF_G1 Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023], INSEE</ref>
|percentages = pagr
|align = none
|graph-pos = right
|1968 |9682
|1975 |10170
|1982 |10327
|1990 |10278
|1999 |11201
|2007 |11966
|2012 |11730
|2017 |11239
|2023 |11460
}}

==Sights==
The emblem of the town is a unicorn. Legend has it that a unicorn's horn was found in one of the nearby castles in ruins. It is more likely that a [[narwhal]]'s tooth was discovered and mistaken for a unicorn's horn.
However, it gave its name to the local beer (fr: ''Bière de la Licorne'') and to the [[Karlsbräu]] brewery (f: ''Brasserie la Licorne'') making it.

Its principal building, the [[Rohan Castle]] (''Château des Rohan''), is the former residence of the [[bishop of Strasbourg|bishops of Strasbourg]], rebuilt by [[Louis René Édouard, cardinal de Rohan|Cardinal de Rohan]] in 1779, it was used by the Germans as barracks. It now houses [[Municipal Museum (Saverne)|the city museum]] with its large archeological collection of Roman and Celtic artifacts, a hostel, a small arts and crafts museum as well as the collection of 20th century and ethnological art donated by feminist journalist and politician [[Louise Weiss]].

Other sights include the 15th century former castle (''Château vieux'') and the adjacent 15th century [[Roman Catholic]] [[Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité (Saverne)|parish church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité]] with fine [[stained glass]] and sculptures; a Gothic former [[Franciscan]], then [[Récollets]], monastery with a church and a [[cloister]] ornated by 17th-century frescoes; as well as several old houses, among which the heavily decorated ''Maison Katz'' stands out.

In the vicinity are the ruined castles of [[Haut-Barr]], [[Grand Geroldseck]], [[Ochsenstein]] and [[Greifenstein (Saverne)|Greifenstein]]. Hence a road, immortalized by [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|Goethe]] in ''Dichtung und Wahrheit'', leads across the [[Vosges mountains|Vosges]] to [[Pfalzburg]]. The mountain pass ([[Col de Saverne]]) contains a vast botanical garden, the [[Jardin botanique du col de Saverne]].

Saverne is also known for its Rose Garden, locally known as ''La roseraie''. It is also the host of the  International Contest of New Roses every year. The Garden itself blesses visitors with over 550 varieties of roses.[http://www.ot-saverne.fr/ot_saverne/default.asp?rub=1&ssrub=2&nf=221001653]

[[File:Tour du telegraphe Chappe Saverne 02.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Claude Chappe|Chappe]] semaphore tower near Saverne, [[France]]]]
An old semaphore tower, from the former [[Landau]] (and later [[Strasbourg]]) to [[Paris]] [[semaphore line]], can be seen in the vicinity. It was one of the 50 stations built by the [[first French Empire]] on this line which was the second of this kind in France.

==Notable people==

* [[Paul Acker]] (1874–1916), writer, author of popular novels
* [[Émile Blessig]] (born 1947), politician
* [[Jacques Frédéric Français|Jacques-Frédéric]] (1775–1833) and [[François Joseph Français]] (1768–1810), engineers and mathematicians of the revolutionary era
* [[Venerable]] [[Francis Libermann]] (1802–1852), the son of the [[Chief Rabbi]] of Saverne. He converted to [[Catholicism]] in 1826 and later became known as "The Second Founder of The [[Holy Ghost Fathers]]".
* [[Franz Xaver Murschhauser]] (1663–1738), composer and organist
* [[Gérard Oberlé]] (born 1945), writer and bibliographer
* [[Georges Reeb]] (1920–1993), mathematician
* [[Adrien Zeller]] (1940–2009), French politician (UMP)

==See also==
* [[Communes of the Bas-Rhin department]]
* [[Oppidum du Fossé des Pandours]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Saverne}}
*[http://www.saverne.fr/ Official website] {{in lang|fr}}

{{Adjacent communities
|NW=[[Ottersthal]]
|N=Ottersthal / Monswiller
|NE=[[Monswiller]]
|W=[[Phalsbourg]] / [[Danne-et-Quatre-Vents]]
|Centre=''Saverne''
|E=Monswiller / [[Waldolwisheim]]
|SW=[[Haegen]] / [[Gottenhouse]]
|S=[[Otterswiller]]
|SE=[[Schwenheim]] / [[Furchhausen]]}}

{{Bas-Rhin communes}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Communes of Bas-Rhin]]
[[Category:Mediomatrici]]
[[Category:Bas-Rhin communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Subprefectures in France]]