igh bor ing ▁districts ▁are ▁Mer zig - W ad ern , ▁Sank t ▁Wend el , ▁Ne unk ir chen , ▁S aar br ücken , ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁département ▁Mos elle . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁district ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁nation . ▁The ▁biggest ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁district ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁du chy ▁of ▁Lor raine ▁which ▁gradually ▁came ▁under ▁French ▁so vere ig nt y ▁( st ill ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁holy ▁emp ire ) ▁between ▁ 1 7 3 7 ▁and ▁ 1 7 6 6 . ▁Other ▁villages ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁of ▁N ass au - S aar br ücken . ▁The ▁ ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁S aar lou is ▁ ▁which ▁was ▁built ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁border , ▁came ▁to ▁France ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁Bishop rics . ▁Other ▁villages , ▁which ▁today ▁are ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁too ▁small ▁to ▁form ▁villages ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁were ▁independent ▁imperial ▁territ ories . ▁The ▁district ▁showed ▁the ▁fundamental ▁problem ▁of ▁the ▁whole ▁emp ire : ▁A ▁strong ▁influence ▁of ▁foreign ▁r ul ers ▁and ▁micro - s ized ▁territ ories . ▁After ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁wars ▁the ▁area ▁went ▁to ▁Pr uss ia , ▁which ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 6 ▁created ▁the ▁district ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁Rh in eland ▁province . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁it ▁was ▁called ▁S aar la ut ern , ▁when ▁the ▁Naz