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WallerfangenWallerfangen is a municipality of Saarlouis district, Saarland, Germany. Located west of Saarlouis and along the French border, it is the "over village" of Ittersdorf, Altforweiler, Ihn, Gisinger, Berus and Felsberg. It was established by the Duchy of Lorraine, and belonged to the Duchy until the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th century, at which time it came under French control. In 1815, under the Treaty of Paris, Prussia assumed command and control of the area. For all intents and purposes, it remained in the possession of the German Federation of States until 1919. The Treaty of Versailles created an independent and autonomous territory of Saarland, administered by France and the League of Nations until 1935. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the citizen inhabitants of Saarland voted to become part of Germany, doing so just as Adolf Hitler began his rise to power there. World War II brought much despair and bloodshed for Wallerfangen and its citizens. Being the southern and western border of the German Federation, the villages were all but destroyed and twice the area was evacuated en masse. After being returned to the French by a referendum vote by the population in 1947, it was the source of much political difficulty between France and Germany. On January 1, 1957, despite the wishes of the populace, the area became a member state of the German Federation. It remains so to this day.
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