Deutschherrenkapelle Saarbrücken

The Kommende St. Elisabeth in Saarbrücken is a former estate of the Teutonic Knights, founded around 1227 by Count Simon III after his return from the Fifth Crusade. It once belonged to the Teutonic Bailiwick of Lorraine, based in Trier, and was one of the smallest units in the order’s organisation. The site includes several protected buildings: the 13th-century chapel, the Deutschhaus (the commander’s residence rebuilt in the 16th century), and a granary from 1738. The estate’s history reflects broader changes in Europe. After the French Revolution it was dissolved in 1793, its lands sold off, and later used as a poorhouse and youth centre by the city. The chapel, Saarbrücken’s oldest surviving building, served as a hospital and place of worship for the order. Inside, a famous altarpiece by Jost Haller once stood, though its panels are now scattered in museums. Since the 1930s the chapel has hosted services for different faiths and private events. Today the chapel houses a historic organ from Windsor Castle, installed in 2007. The Deutschhaus and granary remain part of the city’s care, with the granary now a kindergarten. Paths and street names around Alt-Saarbrücken still recall the estate’s former lands. The whole ensemble offers quiet walks through a place where medieval knights once lived and worked.