The Alsace independence movement (french: Mouvement autonomiste alsacien; gsw-FR, D'Elsässischa Salbschtstandikaitbewegùng; german: Elsässische autonome Bewegung) is a

cultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.T ...

ideological An ideology is a set of beliefs or philosophies attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely epistemic, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones." Formerly applied prim ...

and

political Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studi ...

regionalist movement for greater

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one' ...

or outright

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

. Purposes generally include opposition to centralist territorial, political and legal pretensions of either

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Jacobin , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = P ...

policies"), including the new French region

Grand Est Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administr ...

since 1 January 2016, and

Pan-Germanism Pan-Germanism (german: Pangermanismus or '), also occasionally known as Pan-Germanicism, is a pan-nationalist political idea. Pan-Germanists originally sought to unify all the German-speaking people – and possibly also Germanic-speaking ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

; or both. It instead generally favours regional

decentralization Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group. Conce ...

including political and fiscal autonomy for Alsace, promoting the defense of its culture, history, traditions, and

bilingualism Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all ...

of the

Alsatian language Alsatian ( gsw-FR, Elsässisch, links=no or "Alsatian German"; Lorraine Franconian: ''Elsässerdeitsch''; french: Alsacien; german: Elsässisch or ) is the group of Alemannic German dialects spoken in most of Alsace, a formerly disputed regi ...

. A

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...

that has sometimes occurred in protests in the 21st century is "Elsass frei" ("Alsace free"). Several mass

protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...

have taken place in public places around Alsace in opposition to the French region of Grand Est, with

ratification Ratification is a principal's approval of an act of its agent that lacked the authority to bind the principal legally. Ratification defines the international act in which a state indicates its consent to be bound to a treaty if the parties inten ...

on 1 January 2016. In addition, several Alsatian organisations and political parties have been formed to promote the cause, notably

Alsace d'abord Alsace First ( gsw, Elsass Zuerst, EZ; french: Alsace d'abord, ADA), formerly the Alsatian Regionalist Movement (french: links=no, Mouvement régionaliste alsacien) from 1998 to 2002, is a political party based in Alsace, France, established in 19 ...

and Unser Land. The movement of greater autonomy of Alsace runs partly parallel to that of

Alemannic separatism Alemannic Separatism is a historical movement of separatism of the Alemannic-German-speaking areas of Austria, France, and Germany (viz., South Baden, Swabia (viz. most of Württemberg and Bavarian Swabia), Alsace and Vorarlberg), aiming ...

, originating in the

Napoleonic era The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislativ ...

(ca. 1805–1815) and briefly revived both after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

(1919) and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

(1946–1952).

History

Background

Due to expansionist doctrines of

since the time of Louis XIV, Alsatians have been subject to many shifts in

European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD 500), the Middle Ages (AD 500 to AD 1500), and the modern era (since AD 1500). The first early ...

. Over the centuries, many figures and organisations have contributed to the cause of rejected either or both of these pretentions, promoting varying degrees of autonomy or even independence, both in public and in form of political participation. Various autonomist and separatist movements in Alsace have received support from over the political spectrum, including left, centre and right, comprising diverse political ideologies.

19th century

Alsatian Workers and Peasants Party The Alsatian Workers and Peasants Party (german: Elsässische Arbeiter- und Bauernpartei; french: Parti alsacien ouvrier et paysan), initially the Opposition Communist Party of Alsace-Lorraine (german: Kommunistische Partei-Opposition, abbreviated ...

World War II

The establishment of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and its

annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

of Alsace-Lorraine during the

, introduced a new situation for many Alsatians, including hardships for many, such as the

malgré-nous The term Malgré-nous (, or more figuratively 'we who are forced against our will') refers to men from Alsace–Lorraine who were conscripted into the German military after the region's annexation from France during World War II. The female term ...

. However, some advocates of autonomy for Alsace saw the new regime as a chance to reenacted rights for the culture and autonomy of the Alsatians formerly under French government. While few were actually attracted to the

anti-semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

authoritarianism Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voti ...

of the regime, a number of Alsatian autonomists were subsequently accused of collaboration with Nazi officials after the war, some of which were trialed, prisoned, and even executed. * :fr:Fritz Spieser (1902-1987) * :de:Paul Schall (1898-1981) * :fr:Joseph Bilger (1905-1975) * :fr:Marcel Stürmel (1900-1972) * :fr:Camille Dahlet (1883-1963) * :fr:Joseph Rossé (1892–1951) * Jean-Pierre Mourer (1897-1947) *

Charles Hueber Charles Louis Hueber (21 August 1883 – 18 August 1943) was an Alsatian politician. He was the mayor of Strasbourg between 1929 and 1935, and a member of the French National Assembly twice.Charles, Louis HUEBER (1883 - 1943)' Hueber became invo ...

(1883-1943) * :fr:Charles Roos (1878-1940) *

Eugène Ricklin Doctor Eugène Ricklin (1862 – 4 September 1935) was a popular Alsatian politician known for his fiery opposition both to German and French assimilationist policies in Alsace. Biography Eugène Ricklin was born in Dannemarie(German: ''Damm ...

(1862–1935) After war, also related groups :fr:Nanziger and :fr:Loups Noirs remain notable. However, other Alsatian were staunch opponents of the Nazi occupation, such as the artist

Jean-Jacques Waltz Jean-Jacques Waltz (23 February 1873, Colmar – 10 June 1951), also known as "''Oncle Hansi''", or simply "Hansi" ("little John") was a French artist of Alsatian origin. He was a staunch pro-French activist, and is famous for his quaint drawings, ...

After reattachment to France

In contemporary Alsace, Unser Land, formed in 2009 after a merge of Union du peuple alsacien and Fer's Elsass, constitutes the most notable current political party associated with promotion of greater autonomy of Alsace.

is another, smaller organisation.

Political parties

** :fr:Robert Spieler (born 1951) (as well as other political parties) ** :fr:Jacques Cordonnier (born 1950) * :fr:Front culturel alsacien ** :fr:André Weckmann (1924-2012) ** :fr:Andrée Buchmann (born 1956) ** * Unser land

Organisations

* :fr:Solidarité alsacienne

Other

* :fr:Pierre Zind (1923-1988)

Loss of regional status

Despite many protests, the new French region of Grand Est was introduced with

on 1 January 2016.

Gallery

File:Mus%C3%A9e_historique_de_Strasbourg-Schwoertag.jpg, Painting of the ceremony of the Schwoertag (circa 1785),

Musée historique de Strasbourg The Musée historique (Historical museum) de la ville de Strasbourg is a museum in Strasbourg in the Bas-Rhin department of France. It is located in the Renaissance building of the former slaughterhouse (''Grande boucherie'') and is dedicated to t ...

. File:Kleber_(statue).jpg, Statue of General

Jean Baptiste Kléber Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...

(1753–1800) in

Place Kléber The Place Kléber (''Kleberplatz'' in German) is the central square of Strasbourg, France. Place Kleber, the largest square at the center of the city of Strasbourg in the heart of the city's commercial area, was named after French revolutio ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...

, erected in 1838. Kléber, who was born to a builder in Strasbourg, was undoubtedly one of the greatest generals of the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Pruss ...

; second in command only to

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

before death in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

. File:Die_Els%C3%A4ssiche_Fahne.jpg, The

flag of Alsace The flag of Alsace ( Alsatian: ' or ', "red and white") is the original red and white flag of the region, and can be traced to the red and white banner of Gerard, Duke of Lorraine in the 11th century. Particularly since the introduction of new ...

in illustration by

Charles Spindler Charles Spindler (11 March 1865 in Bœrsch – 3 March 1938 in Bœrsch) was an Alsatian painter, marquetry inlayer, writer and photographer. He was also a supporter of Alsatian regionalism and founded several institutions for the promotion of ...

. File:CP_RuW.jpg, Bilingual

postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. There are novelty exceptions, such as woo ...

. File:ColmarStatueLibert%C3%A9rR%C3%A9plique.jpg, The replica of the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, ...

Colmar Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it i ...

, the birth town of its sculptor

Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi ( , ; 2 August 1834 – 4 October 1904) was a French sculptor and painter. He is best known for designing ''Liberty Enlightening the World'', commonly known as the Statue of Liberty. Early life and education Barthold ...

, has been a notable site of assembly of protests against the new French region

. File:The Geography Lesson or "The Black Spot".jpg, Alsace has been the subject of many conflicts. Here, a painting from 1887 depicting a child being taught about the "lost" province of Alsace-Lorraine in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War that is depicted in the colour black on a map of France. File:Wir_kennen_keine_Parteien_mehr.jpg, Alsatian

postal card Postal cards are postal stationery with an imprinted stamp or indicium signifying the prepayment of postage. They are sold by postal authorities. On January 26, 1869, Dr. Emanuel Herrmann of Austria described the advantages of a ''Corre ...

during

(1914-1918): "Wir kennen keine Parteien mehr" (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

: "We don't know any parties anymore"). File:Proclamation_r%C3%A9publique_10_novembre_1918.jpg, ''Ausruf der Republik'' - the

proclamation A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...

of the Republic of Alsace on 10 November 1918 in

, during the tumultuous

November 1918 in Alsace-Lorraine November 1918 was the period of transition when the region of Alsace-Lorraine passed from German to French sovereignty at the end of World War I. During this month, international events were linked to domestic troubles, particularly the German ...

. File:Conseil_des_soldats_%C3%A0_Strasbourg_en_novembre_1918.jpg,

Military Council A military council is an approach to organization by a council with representatives from various bodies. The term "military council" applied to organisational groupings of senior ranking officers in the European armies of the 19th century during o ...

, 15 November 1918. File:Jacquot_Elie_1944_alsace_avec_le_colonel_Berger_recadr%C3%A9e.jpg,

André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( , ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and Minister of Culture (France), minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (Man's Fate) (1933) won the Prix Go ...

(winter 1944-45) as Commander of the Alsace-Lorraine Independent Brigade (France), a unit that fought alongside regular

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

forces in

. File:ObernaiMalgr%C3%A9Nous.JPG, Monument in

Obernai Obernai ( Alsatian: ''Owernah''; german: Oberehnheim) commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It lies on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains. Obernai is a rapidly growing city, its number of inhabitants hav ...

Bas-Rhin Bas-Rhin (; Alsatian: ''Unterelsàss'', ' or '; traditional german: links=no, Niederrhein; en, Lower Rhine) is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its lo ...

, dedicated to the

Malgré-nous The term Malgré-nous (, or more figuratively 'we who are forced against our will') refers to men from Alsace–Lorraine who were conscripted into the German military after the region's annexation from France during World War II. The female term ...

(

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: "Against our will"), soldiers who were involuntarily

conscript Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

ed into the German

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...

during

. File:Strasbourg manifestation contre la fusion des régions 23 novembre 2014.jpg, Protesters holding a banner saying "No to merger" (''Non a la fusion'') during a demonstration in November 2014 in Strasbourg, against the merger of Grand Est.

Footnotes

References

* Heiko Haumann: „Schwäbisch-alemannische Demokratie“ gegen „Staufisch-schwäbischen Imperialismus“? Politische Konzeptionen in Baden und Württemberg 1945–1952. In Allmende. Zeitschrift für Literatur. Bd. 8, Nr. 20, Karlsruhe 1988, 36–52, ISSN 0720-3098. * Manfred Joss: Schwäbisch-Alemannische Demokratie. Vision und Scheitern eines Separatstaats im deutschen Südwesten nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Lizentiatsarbeit, Historisches Institut, Universität Bern 2005. * Jürgen Klöckler: „Das Land der Alemannen …“. Pläne für einen Heimatstaat im Bodenseeraum nach 1945. UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, Konstanz 1999, . {{Alsace topics

History

Background

19th century

World War II

After reattachment to France

Political parties

Organisations

Other

Loss of regional status

Gallery

See also

History

Politics

Footnotes

References