its re-integration into the Bundesrepublik Deutschland in 1957, which began an economic downturn as the largest employer of St. Wendel, the Marschall Tobacco Company, had to close down in 1960. Despite all the wars, there were still some historic buildings left in the town centre of St. Wendel until 1960, but under mayors Franz Gräff (1956–1974) and Jakob Feller (1974–1982), a lack of historic interest and economically oriented sanitation destroyed a lot of them. Parts of the medieval town are still to be recognized near the Wendelsdom (the basilica). St. Wendel nowadays has about 26,000 residents due to a district reform in 1974 in which several surrounding villages were united with the town area. A French garrison stayed in St. Wendel from 1951 to July 1999. Their buildings are used by different companies today, and some have been removed. In their place, a golf course, a skating park and a new public swimming have been built. Religion While the upper Blies Valley (which contains St. Wendel) is mostly Catholic, the rest of the Blies Valley has about as many Catholics as Protestants. The Ostertal ('Oster Valley') is mostly Protestant. In the town centre there are two Catholic churches (St. Wendelin and St. Anna) plus the Evangelical congregation. Town divisions / surrounding villages 1859: Alsfassen and Breiten 1974: Niederlinxweiler, Oberlinxweiler, Remmesweiler, Winterbach, Bliesen and Urweiler in the valley Bliestal plus Leitersweiler, Osterbrücken, Hoof, Marth, Niederkirchen, Saal, Bubach, Werschweiler and Dörrenbach in the Ostertal valley. Politics Town council The communal elections on May 25, 2014 produced these results: CDU: 62.8% (26 seats) SPD: 26.1% (10 seats) Die Grünen: 4.1% (1 seat) Traditionally the CDU has been the strongest power in town, governing in each period with an absolute majority. Mayors Carl Wilhelm Rechlin, 1835–1869 Carl August Theodor Müller, 1869–1893 Karl Alfred Friedrich, 1894–1918 Heinrich Mettlich, 1919–1920 Dr. Emil Flory, 1921–1935 Kurt August Eichner, 1. December 1935 - 19. March 1945 (NSDAP) Jakob Fuchs, Christian party of the people of the Saarland (CVP), 1946–1956 Franz Gräff, CDU, 1956–1974 Jakob Feller, CDU, 1974–1982 Klaus Bouillon, CDU, 1983 - 2014 Peter Klär, CDU, since 2015 Coat of arms The coat of arms of the town of Sankt Wendel combines elements of the Scottish flag and the Scottish coat of arms. Four lilies, taken from the Scottish royal coat of arms, on a blue background, are reminiscent of Saint Wendelin. Legendary tradition describes him as a