The partnership between Henrico County in the state of Virginia / USA and the Saarpfalz district has existed for 27 years. The city of Yorktown (Virginia), which has significant historical links to the Saarpfalz, is just over an hour's drive from Henrico County. Yorktown, Zweibrücken's twin town, was the scene of the last battle in the American War of Independence in 1781, which the colonies on the American continent fought against the British mother country.
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo recalls the events, which are a recurring topic of discussion at the mutual meetings of the partner districts, out of historical solidarity.
"I also fondly remember the visit of the former US Consul General James W. Herman and the retired US Lt. Gen. D. Benjamin Hodges with students from the Parliamentary Sponsorship Programme (PPP) on the initiative of the German-American Institute in Homburg. The involvement of men from our region in the 'Régiment Royal Deux-Ponts' in the conquest of Redoute 9 in 1781 and Yorktown Day, which goes back to the commemoration of the 'Daugthers of the American Revolution 1922', were important symbols for Hodges, as Commander-in-Chief of the US Army in Europe, to raise awareness of our shared history. At that time, the German-American Institute and the German-American Circle of Friends were specially invited to celebrate Yorktown Day at the U.S. Army Europe Headquarters in Wiesbaden," explains District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo.
Yorktown Day dates back to 19 October, the day 243 years ago when the allied American and French troops were victorious over the British and Germans. The independence of the 13 colonies was achieved with the significant participation of soldiers from the Saar-Palatinate region - the "Régiment Royal Deux-Ponts".
Stationed in and around Homburg and Zweibrücken, the "Régiment Royal Deux-Ponts" was shipped via detours to the American continent to support the colonies there in their fight for independence against the British. Under the command of Christian Freiherr von Zweybrücken, the Count of Forbach, and with the participation of his brother Wilhelm "von Zweybrücken" as deputy commander, the régiment captured "Redoute No. 9" on the night of 14 to 15 October. This "Redoute" (fortress) was a central British defence position. Just a few days later, British General Charles Cornwallis was forced to surrender.
"At that time, it was common practice - as one would say today - for German princes to put together regiments and make them available to other nations for a fee and as a worthwhile source of income. The 'Régiment Royal Deux-Ponts' was raised and financed by Christian IV, the father of the brothers Christian and Wilhelm. As a result, soldiers from Homburg and Zweibrücken played a major role in the end of this war and in America's independence," recalls District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo.
However, German soldiers did not only fight on the American side. For example, Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Kassel had concluded a subsidy agreement with his brother-in-law King George III in 1776. Based on this, he recruited men who eventually fought in a German mercenary army alongside the colonial power England in the American War of Independence. Peter Lauer's article in the new Saarpfalz Yearbook 2025 tells the story of the young Johannes Kiefer, a native of Bliesmengen-Bolchen, who was part of a Hessian troop that marched to North America to put down the American rebellion. Peter Lauer's intensive research revealed that Kiefer's first war deployment was in Yorktown. It is possible that men from what is now the Saarpfalz district pointed their weapons directly at each other on the battlefield there ...
The fact that prominent chapters of US-American history are reflected in the local and regional history of the district is particularly evident along the themed tour "American Traces in Homburg" regularly organised by the German-American Circle of Friends Saar-Palatinate. For Zweibrücken, the bronze plaque in honour of the Regiment Royal Deux-Ponts, which was donated by the "Daugthers of the American Revolution Germany-Palatinate" and inaugurated at the Zweibrücken State Stud in October 2022, is worth mentioning.