Bitburg

Geography and location

Bitburg would be considered a small city with a population of approximately 14,000 citizens.  The city is in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and is located approximately 250 km, or 154 mi, southwest of Frankfurt am Main.  The rivers Sauer, Prum, Nims and Kyll provide Bitburg with a beautiful and varied countryside.

Photographs, circa 1997, courtesy of Dr. Peter Neu

Liebfrauenkirche - Most of the early Sartor ancestors were parishioners of this church

Baptistgasse - In 1825 there were five different Sartor families living on this street

Hauptstrasse - A "pedestrian only" street in the northern district of the city

Economics and industry

In addition to tourism, the economic base of the city is formed by a range of industrial companies including tool and machine manufacturing, steel girder construction, and sectors of clothing and glass manufacturing. The most well-known enterprise and landmark of the city is the Bitburger Braueri (brewery) which was established in 1817and today employs about 1000 people.  The Bitburger brand name and slogan "Bitte ein Bit" is very popular throughout Germany and is distributed in 56 countries, including the United States.

Historical details

The city, which we know as Bitburg today, has actually been in existence for over 2000 years.  In Celtic times the settlement was known as Beda and was a Roman protectorate until 400 A.D..  In the eighth century the city was taken over by the Franconians and in 1262 it was given its own charter.  In the early Middleages Bitburg was part of Luxembourg and in 1443 it was part of Burgundy.  In 1792 the city came under French administration and in 1815 Bitburg was transferred to the Kingdom of Prussia.

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