Alsace
French Région |native_name = Région Alsace |common_name = Alsace |image_flag = AlsFlag.png|image_flag_size = 121px|image_logo = AlsLogo.png |flag = (New région flag)|capital =
Strasbourg |area = 8,280 |area_scale = 9 |Regional president =
Adrien Zeller (
UMP) (since 1996)|population_rank = 14th |population_census = 1,734,145 |population_census_year = 1999 |population_estimate = 1,805,000 |population_estimate_year = 2005 |population_density = 218 |population_density_year = 2005 |arrondissements = 13 |cantons = 75 |communes = 903 |départements =
Bas-RhinHaut-Rhin |image_map = Alsace map.png |footnotes=|}}
Alsace (
French:
Alsace;
Alsatian/
German:
Elsass or
Elsaß) is one of 26 french
régions, located on the eastern border of
France, on the west bank of the Upper
Rhine, adjacent to
Germany and
Switzerland.
Alsace was part of the
Holy Roman Empire and is still inhabited by people speaking a dialect of
Upper German. In the course of the
17th century, Alsace was gradually put under French sovereignty and made one of the
provinces of France. Its capital and largest city is
Strasbourg. Alsace is frequently referred in conjunction with
Lorraine, because these two regions (as
Alsace-Lorraine) have been contested frequently in history, following a division among the successors of
Charlemagne in the 9th century.
Alsace has an area of 8280 km², making it the smallest
région of
metropolitan France. It is almost four times longer than it is wide, corresponding to a plain between the
Rhine in the east and the
Vosges mountains in the west.
It includes the
départements of
Haut-Rhin and
Bas-Rhin. It borders
Germany on the north and the east,
Switzerland and
Franche-Comté on the south, and
Lorraine on the west.
It contains many
forests, primarily in the Vosges and in
Bas-Rhin (
Haguenau Forest). Several
valleys are also found in the
région. Its highest point is the
ballon de Guebwiller in
Haut-Rhin, which reaches a height of 1426 m.
Alsace has a
semi-continental climate with cold and dry winters and hot summers. There is little precipitation because the
Vosges protect it from the west. The city of
Colmar has a
sunny microclimate; it is the second driest city in France, with an annual precipitation of just 550 mm, making it ideal for
vin d'Alsace (Alsatian wine).
 |
Traditional Alsatian rural life |
In prehistoric times, Alsace was inhabited by nomadic hunters, but by 1500 B.C.
Celts began to settle in Alsace, clearing and cultivating the land. By 58 B.C., the
Romans had invaded and established Alsace as a center of
viticulture. To protect this highly valued industry, the Romans built fortifications and military camps that evolved into various communities which have been inhabited continuously to the present day.
With the
decline of the Roman Empire, Alsace became the territory of the
Alamanni. The Alamanni were agricultural people, and their language formed the basis of the modern-day Alsatian dialect. The
Franks drove the Alamanni out of Alsace during the
5th century, and Alsace then became part of the
Kingdom of Austrasia. Alsace remained under Frankish control until the
Frankish realm was, following the
Oaths of Strasbourg of
842, formally dissolved in
843 at the
Treaty of Verdun in which the grandsons of
Charlemagne – formally known as the founder of the Frankish realm – divided the realm into three parts. The
Benelux states, Alsace and Lorraine formed the new Frankish Middle realm which was ruled by the youngest grandson Lothar. Lothar died early in
855 and his realm was divided into three parts. The part known as Lorraine was given to Lothar's son. The rest was shared between Lothar's brothers Carl the Bald (ruler of the West Frankish realm) and Ludwig the German (ruler of the East Frankish realm). Lorraine was annexed later by the
Holy Roman Empire.
In time, Alsace became part of the
Holy Roman Empire as western part of the duchy of
Swabia and was later under the administration of the Austrian House of
Habsburg. Alsace experienced great prosperity during the
12th and
13th centuries under the
Hohenstaufen Emperors, but this prosperity was terminated in the
14th century by a series of harsh winters, bad harvests, and the
Black Death. These hardships were blamed on
Jews, leading to the
pogroms of 1336 and 1339. An additional natural disaster was the
Rhine rift earthquake of
1356, one of Europe's worst.
|
La Petite France, Strasbourg |
During the
Renaissance, prosperity returned to Alsace under Habsburg administration, until the
Thirty Years' War devastated large parts of southern Germany. Most of Alsace was ceded to France at the
Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which marked its start, along with
Lorraine, as a contested territory between France and Germany (
French-German enmity).
The City of Strasbourg was annexed by France during the reign of
Louis XIV of France, in a time when Habsburg and other Germans were fighting off the Turks, at the
Battle of Vienna. Since
500, the area had been predominantly populated by Germanic speaking people and they resisted efforts to have the
French language and customs imposed upon them.
Both Alsace and Lorraine, as "Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen" (
Alsace-Lorraine) became part of the new German Empire after the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, causing an estimated 50,000 people (of a total population of about a million and a half) to emigrate to France. Alsace remained a part of Germany until the end of
World War I, when Germany ceded it under the
Treaty of Versailles. However, U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson insisted that the region was self-ruling by legal status, as its constitution had stated it was bound to the sole authority of the
Kaiser and not to the German State.
Correspondingly, the regional government of Alsace-Lorraine declared independence as
Republic of Alsace-Lorraine, but could not fight off the French who took it over a week later. France tolerated no plebiscite, as granted by the
League of Nations to some eastern German territories at this time.
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An Alsacien woman in tradition wear. |
After World War I, the establishment of German identity in Alsace was reversed, as Germans who had settled in Alsace since 1871 were expelled. Policies forbidding the use of
German and requiring that of French were introduced. Curiously, the region was not considered to be subject to some changes in French law from 1871 to 1919, such as the Law of
Separation of the Church and the State.
The region was effectively annexed by Germany in 1940 during
World War II and reincorporated into the
Greater German Reich. Alsace was merged with Baden, and Lorraine with the Saarland. The annexation, while putting a halt to the anti-German discrimination, subjected the region to the
Nazi dictatorship, which was loathed by most of the people. The German government never negotiated or declared a formal annexation, however, in order to preserve the possibility of an agreement with the West. France regained control of the war-torn area in 1944 and resumed its policy of promoting the
French language with uncompromising vigour. For instance, from 1945 to 1984 the use of German in newspapers was restricted to a maximum of 25%.
In more recent years, as nationalistic emotions have receded, cultural freedom has gradually been restored. Thus for instance, several citizens' initiatives promoting the teaching of German in some form in local
kindergartens and
schools have been tolerated by the Paris government.
Alsace is one of the most conservative
régions of France. It is one of just two
régions in
metropolitan France where the right won the
2004 regional elections and thus controls the
conseil régional. The president of the
conseil régional is
Adrien Zeller, a member of the
Union for a Popular Movement. In the past Alsace along with Lorraine very much were the subject of political discussion after their annexation by the German Empire. Restoring the provinces to France became a national goal and led to revanchism.
|
The Loss of Alsace-Lorraine |
According to
INSEE, Alsace had a
gross domestic product of 44.3 billion euros in 2002. With a GDP per capita of €24,804, it was the second-place
région of France, losing only to
ÃŽle-de-France. 68% of its jobs are in the
services; 25% are in
industry, making Alsace one of France's most
industrialized régions.
Alsace is a region of varied economic activity, including:
*
viticulture (mostly in the centre of the region, between
Sélestat and
Colmar);
*
hop harvesting and
brewing (half of French beer is produced in Alsace, especially in the vicinity of Strasbourg, notably in
Cronenbourg,
Schiltigheim and
Obernai);
*forestry development
*automobile industry (
Mulhouse,
Sarreguemines)
*
life sciences, as part of the
Alsace Biovalley and
*
tourism*Alsace has many
international ties and 35% of firms are foreign companies (notably
German,
Swiss,
American,
Japanese and
Scandinavian).
*570 million tons of
potassium chloride and
phosphates have been mined in the past century and a
museum of the industry can be found in
Wittelsheim.
Alsace's population increased to 1,734,145 in 1999. It has regularly increased over time, except in wartime, by both natural growth and
migration. This growth has even accelerated at the end of the
20th century.
INSEE estimates that its population will grow 12.9% to 19.5% between 1999 and 2030.
With a density of 209/km², Alsace is the third most densely populated
région in
metropolitan France.
The road network
Most major car journeys are made on the A35
motorway (with intermittent areas of
dual carriageways), which links Saint-Louis on the Swiss border to Lauterbourg on the German border.
The A4 toll-road (towards Paris) begins 20 km northwest of
Strasbourg and the A36 toll-road towards Lyon, begins 10 km west from
Mulhouse.
Spaghetti-junctions (built in the
1970s and
1980s) are prominent in the comprehensive system of motorways in Alsace, especially in the outlying ares of Strasbourg and Mulhouse. These cause a major buildup of traffic and are the main sources of pollution in the towns, notably in Strasbourg where the motorway traffic of the A35 was 170,000 per day in 2002.
At present, plans are being considered for building a new
dual carriageway west of Strasbourg, which would reduce the buildup of traffic in that area by picking up north- and southbound vehicles and getting rid of the buildup outside of Strasbourg. The line plans to link up the interchange of
Hoerdt to the north of Strasbourg, with
Innenheim in the southwest. The opening is envisaged at the end of 2011, with an average usage of 41,000 vehicles a day. Estimates of the French Works Commissioner however, raised some doubts over the interest of such a project, since it would pick up only about 10% of the traffic of the A35 at Strasbourg.
To add to the buildup of traffic, the neighbouring German state of
Baden-Württemberg plans to impose a tax on heavy-goods vehicles using their roads. Thus, HGVs travelling from north Germany to Switzerland or southern Alsace would most probably bypass the A5 on the Alsace-Baden-Württemberg border and use the untolled, French A35 instead.
The train network
|
Place de l'Homme de Fer Train Station |
TER Alsace is the regional rail network serving Alsace région, France. Its network is articulated around the city of Strasbourg.
Because the Vosges are surmountable only by the
Col de Saverne, it has been suggested that Alsace needs to open up and get closer to France in terms of its rail links. Different plans are due to be implemented:
*the
TGV Est (Paris - Strasbourg); (ongoing, to be brought into service by 2007);
*the
TGV Rhine-Rhône or a
Dijon-Mulhouse line (to start in construction in 2006, with anticipated completion in 2011);
*an interconnection with the German
InterCity Express, as far as
Kehl and/or
Ottmarsheim;
*a tram-train system in Mulhouse (May 2006), then Strasbourg (2011).
However, the abandoned Maurice-Lemaire tunnel towards
Saint-Dié-des-Vosges was rebuilt as a toll-road.
The river network
Port traffic of Alsace exceeds 15 million tonnes, of which about three quarters is centred on Strasbourg, which is the second busiest French fluvial harbour. The enlargement plan of the Rhine-Rhône channel, intended to link up the
Mediterranean Sea and
Central Europe (Rhine,
Danube,
North Sea and
Baltic Sea) was abandoned in 1998 for reasons of expense and land erosion, notably in the Doubs valley.
Air traffic
There are two
international airports in Alsace:
*the international airport of Strasbourg in
Entzheim;
*the international
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, which is the seventh largest French airport in terms of traffic.
|
The Cathedral of Mulhouse |
Most of the Alsatian population are
Roman Catholics, but there is a significant
Protestant community, not in the last place due to
German influence. Unlike the rest of the country, the
Alsace-Moselle region continues to follow the
Napoleonic Concordat of 1801, under which public subsidies are granted to
Roman Catholic,
Lutheran, and
Calvinist churches, and to
Jewish synagogues, and public education in those faiths is offered. This discrepancy with the rest of the country is due to the fact that
the region was administered by
Imperial Germany at the time of the
1905 law separating the French church and state. Controversy erupts periodically on the appropriateness of this legal disposition, as well as on the exclusion of other religions from this arrangement.
Historically part of the Holy Roman Empire, the region has passed between French and German control numerous times, resulting in a rich cultural blend.
Language
In the beginning of the
21st century, the language most spoken in Alsace is
standard French.
The traditional language of the region is
Alsatian, an
Alemannic dialect of
Upper German. Alsatian is closest to
Swiss German. Some
Frankish dialects of
West Middle German are also spoken in the extreme north of Alsace. Neither Alsatian nor the Frankish dialects have any form of official status, as is customary for
regional languages in France, although both are now recognized as
languages of France and can be chosen as subject in French high schools.
A few valleys in the west of Alsace, at the border with
Lorraine, were always outside of the Germanic languages area, and dialects of Lorraine French were spoken there ever since the
Middle Ages.
Since 1945, the influence of
standard French has been ever increasing in Alsace, and today Alsace is largely a French-speaking area. More often assumed to be a bilingual area (French/Alsatian), Alsace is actually evolving fast toward a situation of total French unilingualism. People above 70 still speak Alsatian at home, but the younger generations use French even at home, and the vast majority of people below 30 do not understand Alsatian anymore. This situation has provoked a sort of desire to preserve the traditional Alsatian language, which is perceived as in danger in front of French, a situation paralleled in other regions of France with regional languages such as
Brittany or
Occitania. Alsatian is now taught in French high schools, but the overwhelming presence of French media make the survival of Alsatian uncertain among younger generations.
The linguistic situation of Alsace can be summed up like this: the region is fast evolving toward a situation where
standard French is the only language used at home and at work, whereas an increasing number of people have a good knowledge of
standard German as a foreign language learnt in school.
Cuisine
Alsatian
cuisine, strongly influenced by the Germanic culinary traditions, is marked by the use of
pork in various forms. Traditional dishes include
baeckeoffe,
tartes flambées (
flammekueche),
choucroute, and
fleischnackas. The south of Alsace, also called
Sundgau, is characterized by
carpe frite.
The festivities of the year's end involve the production of a great variety of biscuits and small cakes called
brédalas as well as
pain d'épice (
gingerbread), which are given to children starting on
Saint Nicholas Day.
A
wine-producing region,
Alsace wines are primarily white. Its wines, which have a strong Germanic influence, are called
vins d'Alsace. It produces some of the world's most noted dry
rieslings and is the only
région in France to produce mostly
varietal wines identified by the names of the
grapes used (wine from
Burgundy is also mainly varietal, but not normally identified as such), typically from grapes also used in
Germany.
Alsace is also the main
beer-producing
région of France, thanks primarily to
breweries in and near
Strasbourg. These include those of
Kronenbourg,
Fischer,
Heineken,
Météor, and
Kanterbräu.
Hops are grown in
Kochersberg and in northern Alsace.
Schnapps is also traditionally made in Alsace, but it is in decline because home
distillers are becoming less common and the consumption of traditional, strong, alcoholic beverages is decreasing.
Alsatian food is synonymous with conviviality, the dishes are substantial and served in generous portions and it has one of the richest regional kitchens. The gastronomic symbol of the region is undoubtedly Sauerkraut!
The word "Sauerkraut" in Alsatian has the form "Sûrkrût ", and means "sour cabbage"
To make it, the cabbage is finely shredded, layered with salt and juniper and left to ferment in wooden barrels. Sauerkraut can be served with poultry, pork, sausage or even fish.
Traditionally it is served with pork, Strasbourg sausage or frankfurters, bacon, smoked pork or smoked Morteau or Montbéliard sausages or a selection of pork products. Served alongside are often roasted or steamed potatoes or dumplings.
Additionally, Alsace is known for its fruit juices and mineral waters.
Architecture
The traditional habitat of the Alsatian lowland is constituted of houses constructed with walls in half-timbering and cob and roofing in flat tiles. This type of construction can be seen in other areas of France, but their particular abundance in Alsace is owed to several reasons:#The proximity to the
Vosges where the wood can be found.#Due to
seismic risk, wood was more adapted than stone because it was more flexible, and resisted better.#During periods of war and bubonic plague, villages were often burned down, so to prevent the collapse of the upper floors, stone ground floors were built and the upper floors built in half-timberings to prevent the spread of fire.
However, half-timbering was found to increase the risk of fire, which is why from the 19th century, it began to be rendered. In recent times, villagers started to paint the rendering white in accordance with Beaux-Arts movements. To discourage this, regional authorities gave financial grants to the inhabitants to paint the rendering in various colours, in order to return to the original style and many inhabitants accepted (more for financial reasons than by firm belief).
The
stork is a main feature of Alsace and was the subject of many
legends told to children. The bird practically disappeared around 1970, but repopulation efforts are ongoing. They are mostly found on roofs of houses, churches and other public buildings in Alsace.
|
Château du Haut-KÅ"nigsbourg |
|
A fortification of the Maginot Line |
*
Château du Haut-KÅ"nigsbourg*Musée de l'automobile de Mulhouse
*Ungersheim open air museum
*Cité du train museum in Mulhouse
*The
EDF museum in Mulhouse
*Christmas markets in
Kaysersberg, Strasbourg, Mulhouse and
Colmar*Departmental Centre of the History of Families (CDHF) in
Guebwiller*
Struthof concentration camp
*
Schoenenbourg fort of the
Maginot line*Mount Ste Odile: see
Odile*Alsace Wine Route
See the main article: Alsace Regional CouncilSee also:
List of Alsatians and Lorrainians*
Colmar*
Haguenau*
Molsheim*
Mulhouse*
Ribeauvillé*
Saint Louis*
Saverne*
Selestat*
Strasbourg*
Wissembourg*
Alsace-Lorraine*
Official website of Alsace (in English, French, and German)*
Alsace.net: Directory of Alsatian Websites (in French)*
Alsace Passion : tourism in Alsace*
Elsass Expat : elsassexpat are régional news for alsatian expats* http://www.geocities.com/bfel/geschichte5b.html
* http://www.elsass-lothringen.de/
*
The Elsaß-Lothringen Question*
Alsace Luxury hotels Guide: An Alsatian Tourism Guide (in English, French, and German)*
Alsace photoblog : daily photos of Strasbourg and Alsace with short descriptions in English*
Elsass-Lothringen video
