Saarbrücken is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 296. It is located in southern Saarland, comprising most of the district of Regionalverbrand Saarbrücken district.
Saarbrücken was created for the inaugural 1957 federal election after the accession of Saarland to Germany. Since 2017, it has been represented by Josephine Ortleb of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Geography Saarbrücken is located in southern Saarland. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the municipalities of Großrosseln, Kleinblittersdorf, Püttlingen, Riegelsberg, Saarbrücken, and Völklingen from the Regionalverbrand Saarbrücken district.
History Saarbrücken was created in 1957, then known as Saarbrücken-Stadt. In the 1976 through 1998 elections, it was named Saarbrücken I. It acquired its current name in the 2002 election. In the 1957 and 1961 elections, it was constituency 243 in the numbering system. In the 1965 through 1998 elections, it was number 244. Since the 2002 election, it has been number 296.
Originally, the constituency comprised the independent city of Saarbrücken as well as the municipalities of Dudweiler and the Ämter of Brebach, Kleinblittersdorf, and Riegelsberg from the Landkreis Saarbrücken district. In the 1976 through 1998 elections, it comprised the municipalities of Saarbrücken and Kleinblittersdorf from the Saarbrücken district. It acquired its current borders in the 2002 election.
Election Name Borders 1957 243 Saarbrücken-Stadt Saarbrücken city Landkreis Saarbrücken district (only Dudweiler municipality and Brebach, Kleinblittersdorf, and Riegelsberg Ämter) 1961 1965 244 1969 1972 1976 Saarbrücken I Saarbrücken district (only Saarbrücken and Kleinblittersdorf municipalities) 1980 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 296 Saarbrücken Regionalverbrand Saarbrücken district (only Großrosseln, Kleinblittersdorf, Püttlingen, Riegelsberg, Saarbrücken, and Völklingen municipalities) 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Members The constituency has been held by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during all but four Bundestag terms since its creation. It was first represented by Heinrich Schneider of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) from 1957 to 1961, followed by Eugen Huthmacher of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1961 to 1965. Rudolf Hussong of the SPD won it in 1965 and served one term before being succeeded by Günter Slotta from 1969 to 1976. Hajo Hoffmann was representative from 1976 to 1987, followed by Margit Conrad from 1987 to 1990. Oskar Lafontaine was elected in 1990, but did not accept his mandate at that time; he was re-elected in 1994 and 1998. Elke Ferner was representative from 2002 to 2009, when the constituency was won by Anette Hübinger of the CDU. She was re-elected in 2013. Josephine Ortleb regained the constituency for the SPD in 2017.
Election Member Party % 1957 Heinrich Schneider FDP 32.3 1961 Eugen Huthmacher CDU 38.6 1965 Rudolf Hussong SPD 42.0 1969 Günter Slotta SPD 47.0 1972 54.9 1976 Hajo Hoffmann SPD 48.8 1980 53.4 1983 49.8 1987 Margit Conrad SPD 47.7 1990 Oskar Lafontaine SPD 55.5 1994 51.9 1998 56.4 2002 Elke Ferner SPD 51.8 2005 33.5 2009 Anette Hübinger CDU 31.8 2013 36.9 2017 Josephine Ortleb SPD 32.1 2021 36.9 2025 32.4
Election results
2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
References