On this day, 68 years ago, January 1, 1957 (December 1, 1956 in the lunar calendar), Saarr returned to Germany after the Second World War. The Saar region is located on the Left Rock of the Rhine River, and is rich in coal reserves in an area of 1000 square miles near the Saar River Basin. Germany and France have been competing here for a long time. After World War I, it was administered by France for 15 years under the Peace of Versailles. It was withdrawn by Germany after referendum in 1935. After the end of World War II, Saar was divided into the French-occupied zone. France tried to separate the Saar region economically and politically from Germany and give autonomy to the Saar region. On December 15, 1947, the Saarland District adopted a constitution, claiming political independence from Germany and economically establishing a customs union with France, with France managing mining. On March 3, 1950, France signed an agreement with the Saar District, declaring that Saar would secede from Germany and become an autonomous region under French control. As relations between the West German government and France improved, the two countries began to negotiate a solution to the Saar issue. The Paris Agreement signed on October 23, 1954 stipulates that Saar will receive European condominium status and enjoy all democratic freedoms. The Saar people have the right to decide their own future affiliation. In 1956, West Germany and France signed the Treaty of Saar, which stipulated that Saar would be integrated into West Germany politically (since 1957) and economically (since 1959). On January 1, 1957, Saar returned to Germany and became the 10th state of West Germany. In the autumn of 1959, the last batch of economic concessions in France also came to an end.