Alsace

Alsace is a région of France, located on the German border between Switzerland and Belgium. The primary city in the region is Strasbourg (German Straßburg). The Rhine runs along its border with Germany.

Table of contents

1 Administration 2 History 3 Economy 4 Demographics

Administration

The present région comprises two départements: Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin.

History

Alsace, along with Lorraine has long been contested territory between France and Germany. After the fall of Charlemagne's empire the two provinces became part of Germany. During the 16th and 17th centuries the area was slowly annexed by France. The area was then predominantly populated by Germans and they fought efforts to have French language and customs imposed upon them.

Both Alsace and Lorraine were, however, annexed by Germany after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 causing an estimated 50,000 people (of a total population of about a million) to emigrate into France. It remained a part of Germany until the end of World War I, when Germany ceded it back to France. Some, however, as at the time US President Woodrow Wilson, believe the region should have been legally self-ruling, as its Constitution stated it was bound to the sole authority of the Kaiser and not to the German State.

The re-establishment of German identity was reversed following the German surrender in 1918. Policies of forbidding the use of German and requiring that of French were then begun. 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 again occupied in 1940 during World War II. The occupation, while liberating in a sense, subjected the region to the Nazi dictatorship, which was loathed by most of the people. The war-torn area was given again in 1944 to France, which had then free hands to restore its policies. For instance, from 1945 to 1984 the use of the German language in newspapers was restricted to a maximum of 25%. In latter years, as the national conscience became diluted, cultural freedom has been gradually restored.

Economy

Alsace is noted for some of its wines, which have a very strong Germanic influence. Alsace produces some of the world's most noted dry Rieslings and is the only region in France to produce mostly varietal wines, typically from grapes also used in Germany.

Demographics

Historically, the region has passed between French and German control numerous times, resulting in a rich cultural blend. The local Germanic dialects are Allemanic (which covers Alsace, Baden and Switzerland) and Frankish (spoken in Lorraine, Luxemburg and the Rhineland). Both are referred to as Alsacien in French).

See also wine producing regions, Alemanni.