41 articles, 34 authors, a wealth of current and historical images and, at 254 pages, more comprehensive than ever before: these are the key figures that characterise the "Saarpfalz Yearbook 2025", which has now been presented to a large audience in the parliamentary wing of the Homburg Forum. A good 100 guests, employees and interested parties alike, came to get their copies of the almanac hot off the press. The focus of this 21st edition of the yearbook is the Saar Palatinate art scene in all its various facets: artists are presented as well as individual works, but the presentation of the artworks is also in the spotlight.
But the creative potential that the Saarpfalz district has to offer is not the only content of the new yearbook. Nicolaus Rubeck from Rohrbach, for example, looks at the extraordinary life of the inhabitants of the forest around St. Ingbert - for a long time, they were part of everyday life in the region. Brigitte Bäumler (Mandelbachtal) reports on the cruel executions on Ormesheimer Berg in earlier times - the "Schnerrgalgen" was a very special variant. Günther Klahm (St. Ingbert) focuses on the ancient migration routes of red deer through the Saar Palatinate, while Horst Imbsweiler from Niederbexbach recalls the "travelling shepherd" Gustav, who was a familiar sight in the Höcherberg region with his herd for a long time. Texts and poems in the regional dialect are represented in many different ways.
This time, Hans-Joachim Burgardt, who is responsible for the organisation of the HomBuch reading and book festival, was responsible for introducing the work and also spoke about it in more detail. He linked some of the articles in the new Saarpfalz Yearbook to personal memories or experiences. For example, Burgardt took the comments made by former Gersheim mayor Lothar Kruft on the 25th anniversary of the "Bliestal Leisure Trail" as an opportunity to recall the initial traffic chaos on the former railway line. "Unfortunately, my enjoyment was brought to an abrupt end by a very painful encounter with an inline skater," Burgardt recalled. As CFO of FC Homburg, the speaker was delighted with Bernd Luckscheiter's contribution, which dealt with his relationship to Homburg in general and to football in particular. The article by Heinz Weinkauf entitled "Der rote Punkt" (The red dot), which focuses on the Kunststall gallery in Altstadt and its founder Willi Spiess, impressed him greatly and prompted him to visit the cultural centre. The conversation with gallery owner Sybille Spiess-Deckert "left its mark" on him. Looking back on her father, Willi Spiess' daughter reminded him that life as an artist was also a constant struggle for survival.
Martin Baus, who is responsible for the editorial supervision of the publication, reminded the audience of the long tradition of yearbooks in general. Soon after the invention of printing around 1440, such "calendars" were already in circulation and popular. He quoted from the "Krünitz", an old encyclopaedia, according to which the yearbooks soon had the function of "disseminating a variety of useful knowledge". "We are still following this tradition today," Baus emphasised, pointing out that this self-imposed task has also been recognised beyond the region. A year ago, the Saarpfalz Yearbook was honoured by the Saarland Chamber of Crafts with the "Saarland Monument Award" - in the journalism category. The "Monument Oscar" in the form of an "angle element" had a place of honour on the stage of the conference room in the Forum.
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo was delighted with the great response that characterised the presentation in the forum. "The fact that so many of you turned up is proof to us that we are on the right track. The varied spectrum of contributions makes the yearbook a compendium of our district that is well worth reading. The yearbook speaks for itself," outlined Dr Gallo, adding that the presentation, which always brings together so many authors and interested parties, is a good opportunity for mutual exchange, which always generates new ideas. He emphasised that after ten years in the office of district administrator, this would be his last presentation; next year, Frank John, the former mayor of Kirkel, would take over this task in his place. He thanked the many, well over 100 authors who have contributed to the success of the yearbook over the years, as well as Dieter Krämer from the Ottweiler printing company, with whom the co-operation has been uncomplicated and constructive.
The new Saarpfalz Yearbook is now available in bookshops and stationery shops. Price: € 7.50