Saufang-Weiher, protected area in Germany

The Saufang-Weiher is a pond in the Bildstock district of Friedrichsthal, west of the town centre and near the A8 motorway. It has no natural inflow or outflow and was created in 1957 as a settling basin for the Maybach mine. A circular walking trail runs around the water, and a forest playground for children stands nearby.

The pond was created in 1957 as a settling basin for the nearby Maybach coal mine operated by Saarbergwerke AG. After the mine closed in 1964, the site fell into neglect until a local fishing club began restoring it in 1971 and continues to care for it today.

The Anglersportverein Bildstock, founded in 1971, built the fishing hut at the pond and still runs fishing there. The club's members turned the silted basin into a local recreation area. Since 2014, 13 information boards along the water describe the local flora and fauna.

The walking trail is barrier-free and allows wheelchair users easy access to the observation platform by the water. There is free parking in Friedrichsthal-Bildstock close to the pond, with seating areas and grilling spots available on site for visitors.

The area was not originally created as a natural pond but emerged from industrial history as a settling basin for mining operations. This unexpected origin shows how industrial spaces can transform into nature refuges and today gain a second life as part of the 'Landscapes of Industrial Culture North' project.