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{{Infobox German location
|type               = Stadt
|image_photo       = Merzig Rathaus.jpg
|image_caption     = Town hall in Merzig
|image_coa            = DEU Merzig COA.svg
|image_flag=flag of Merzig.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|49|27|N|6|37|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan = Merzig in MZG.svg
|state        = Saarland
|district         = Merzig-Wadern
|elevation              = 172
|area            = 108.79
|postal_code               = 66651–66663
|area_code           = 06861, 06869
|licence               = MZG
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 10 0 42 113
|divisions         = 17
|website           = {{url|http://www.merzig.de/}}
|mayor             = Marcus Hoffeld<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       = 2019&ndash;29
|party             = CDU
}}

'''Merzig''' ({{IPA|de|ˈmɛʁtsɪç|lang|De-Merzig.ogg}}, {{langx|fr|Mercy}}, [[Moselle Franconian language|''Moselle Franconian:'']] ''Meerzisch''/''Miërzësch'') is a town in [[Saarland]], [[Germany]]. It is the capital of the district [[Merzig-Wadern]], with about 30,000 inhabitants in 17 municipalities on 108&nbsp;km². It is situated on the river [[Saar (river)|Saar]], approx. 35&nbsp;km south of [[Trier]], and 35&nbsp;km northwest of [[Saarbrücken]].

==History==
{{Quote box |width=36em |align=left |bgcolor=#B0D4DE
|title=Historical affiliations
|fontsize=85% |quote=<poem>{{flagicon image|Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg}} [[Roman Empire]] 369–5th century
''[[Franks]]'' 5th century
[[Francia]]->[[Carolingian Empire]] 481–888
{{flagicon image|Red St George's Cross.svg}} Bishopric->Prince-Bishopric->[[Electorate of Trier]] 888–1333
{{flagicon image|Flag of Lorraine.svg}} [[Duchy of Lorraine]]/{{flagicon image|Red St George's Cross.svg}} [[Electorate of Trier]] 1333–1766 (''[[Condominium (international law)|condominium]]'')
{{flagicon image|Pavillon royal de France.svg}} [[Kingdom of France]]/{{flagicon image|Red St George's Cross.svg}} [[Electorate of Trier]] 1766–1778 (''[[Condominium (international law)|condominium]]'')
{{flagicon image|Red St George's Cross.svg}} [[Electorate of Trier]] 1778–1794
{{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794-1815).svg}} [[French First Republic|French Republic]]->[[First French Empire|French Empire]] 1794–1815
{{flag|Kingdom of Prussia}} 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
{{flagicon image|Flag of Saar (1947–1956).svg}} [[Saar Protectorate]] 1947–1956
{{flag|West Germany}} 1957–1990
{{flag|Germany}} 1990–present</poem>
}}

===Evolution of the name===
[[File:DBPSL_1957_401_Merzig.jpg|link=https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DBPSL_1957_401_Merzig.jpg|thumb|Stamp of the [[Deutsche Bundespost]] commemorating the 1957 centennial of Merzig receiving [[city rights]].]]
{|
| width="40" |&nbsp;&nbsp;369
|Martiaticum
|-
|&nbsp;&nbsp;870
|Martia
|-
|1338
|Mertzige
|-
|1478
|Mertzych
|-
|1497
|Mertzig
|-
|1499
|Mertzigh, Mertzych
|}
In addition to the above, the city was known under French rule as ''Mercy''.
{{clear|left}}

==Subdivisions==
[[File:Merzig StPeter4.jpg|thumb|[[Romanesque art|Romanesque]] St. Peter's Church]]
[[File:Merzig Marienkapelle.jpg|thumb|[[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] St. Mary's Chapel]]
Merzig was created in 1974 as part of the territorial reform in Saarland. The present-day town consists of the previous town of Merzig and 16 surrounding former municipalities. The population of the present town, including all outlying districts (as of June 30, 2011):

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- class="hintergrundfarbe5"
! District!!Population
|-
|Merzig||style="text-align:right"|10,934
|-
|[[Ballern]]||style="text-align:right"|1,189
|-
|[[Besseringen]]||style="text-align:right"|2,979
|-
|[[Bietzen]]||style="text-align:right"|968
|-
|[[Brotdorf]]||style="text-align:right"|3,733
|-
|[[Büdingen, Saarland|Büdingen]]||style="text-align:right"|310
|-
|[[Fitten]]||style="text-align:right"|706
|-
|[[Harlingen, Saarland|Harlingen]]||style="text-align:right"|565
|-
|[[Hilbringen]]||style="text-align:right"|2,569
|-
|[[Mechern]]||style="text-align:right"|834
|-
|[[Menningen, Saarland|Menningen]]||style="text-align:right"|635
|-
|[[Merchingen]]||style="text-align:right"|939
|-
|[[Mondorf, Saarland|Mondorf]]||style="text-align:right"|768
|-
|[[Schwemlingen]]||style="text-align:right"|2,186
|-
|[[Silwingen]]||style="text-align:right"|387
|-
|[[Weiler (Merzig)|Weiler]]||style="text-align:right"|350
|-
|[[Wellingen]]||style="text-align:right"|291
|-
| Total||style="text-align:right"|30,343
|}

==Culture and sights==

===Museums===
* Expeditionary Museum Werner Freund
* Fine mechanical museum in the Fellenbergmühle
* Museum of Local History in Fellenberg Castle
* B-Werk Besseringen
* Saarland Psychiatric Museum<ref>{{Cite book|title=Besuchen Sie Ihren Arzt oder Apotheker Eine Tour durch Deutschlands Museen für Medizin und Pharmazie|last=Eckart.|first=Roloff|others=Henke-Wendt, Karin., S. Hirzel Verlag GmbH & Co.|isbn=9783777625096|edition=1. Aufl|location=Stuttgart|oclc=932022285}}</ref>

===Buildings===
* Church of St. Peter
* Historic townhouse („Altes Rathaus“)
* Diverse baroque buildings such as Halfenhaus, Staadt-Marx's Bürgerhaus, Hilbringer Schlösschen, Abteihof Besseringen ("Zehnt-Haus"), former residence of Christian Kretzschmar in Trierer Straße (all 18th century)
* Various interesting buildings of the 19th and early 20th centuries such as Villa Fuchs, Protestant church, churches in Hilbringen (St. Peter in chains) and Besseringen (Sacred Heart Church), Lothringer Hof, station, main building of the former state hospital, Art Nouveau buildings in Trierer Straße, former jam factory (previous monastery)
* Various chapels worth seeing, such as St. Mary's Chapel, St. Cross Chapel, Kreuzberg Chapel, Josef Chapel, Harlinger Chapel, Old Wellinger Chapel, St. Clement Chapel (Menningen)
* Seffersbach Bridge, 1901, last preserved suspension belt bridge "System Möller" in Saarland
* Catholic parish church of St. Agatha (Merchingen)
* Catholic parish church of St. Mary Magdalene (Brotdorf)
* Catholic parish church of St. Martin (Bietzen)
* Catholic parish church of St. Josef

===Parks===
* Bürgerpark Besseringen
* Garden of the Senses on the Kreuzberg
* Orchids on the Nackberg at Hilbringen
* Town park

===Other attractions===
* B-Werk Besseringen (Westwall Bunkeranlage), on the B 51 between Merzig and Besseringen
* Public indoor swimming pool „Das Bad“
* Bietzener healing spring on the B 51 in the direction of Beckingen
* Public natural swimming pool Heilborn
* Sculptor symposium stones at the border
* Monastery St. Gangolf, between Besseringen and Mettlach
* Museum railway (to Losheim)
* Animal enclosure at Blättelbornweiher
* Wolf enclosure in the Kammerforst
* Kreuzbergkapelle with views over almost the entire city and the Merzig basin
* Kletterhafen - Europe's largest free-standing climbing park

===Sport===
Merzig is the birthplace of [[Association football|footballer]] [[Kevin Trapp]] and [[tennis player]] [[Benjamin Becker]].

===Musical theatre===
Since 2012 Merzig stages musicals for two months each year, starring famous German musical actors like [[Uwe Kröger]]. The venue is a huge marquee, called 'Zeltpalast' (marquee palace).

* 2012: ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]''
* 2013: ''[[Burlesque]]''
* 2014: ''[[The Addams Family (musical)|The Addams Family]]'', German debut 
* 2015: ''[[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|La Cage aux Folles]]''
* 2016: ''[[The Addams Family (musical)|The Addams Family]]'' (off season production in February)
* 2016: ''[[9 to 5 (musical)|9 to 5]]'', German debut

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Merzig is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Städtepartnerschaften|url=https://www.merzig.de/rathaus-buergerservice/staedtepartnerschaften/|website=merzig.de|publisher=Merzig|language=de|access-date=2021-02-25}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Luckau]], Germany
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Saint-Médard-en-Jalles]], France

==Notable people==
*[[Franz-Josef Röder]] (1909–1979), politician (CDU)
*[[Susanne Fontaine]] (born 1961), musicologist
*[[Kevin Trapp]] (born 1990), footballer
*[[Sahra Wagenknecht]] (born 1969), politician ([[Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht]])

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Merzig}}
*{{wikivoyage-inline|Merzig}}

{{Cities and towns in Merzig-Wadern (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Merzig-Wadern]]
[[Category:Districts of the Rhine Province]]