The Alsace independence movement (; ; ) is a

cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

ideological An ideology is a set of beliefs or values attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief in certain knowledge, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones". Form ...

and

political Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

regionalist movement for greater

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be ...

or outright

independence Independence is a condition of a 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 status of ...

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

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

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Jacobin The Society of the Friends of the Constitution (), renamed the Society of the Jacobins, Friends of Freedom and Equality () after 1792 and commonly known as the Jacobin Club () or simply the Jacobins (; ), was the most influential political cl ...

policies"), including the new French region

Grand Est Grand Est (; ) is an Regions of France, administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...

since 1 January 2016, and

Pan-Germanism Pan-Germanism ( or '), also occasionally known as Pan-Germanicism, is a pan-nationalist political idea. Pan-Germanism seeks to unify all ethnic Germans, German-speaking people, and possibly also non-German Germanic peoples – into a sin ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

; or both. It instead generally favours regional

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

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. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

of the

Alsatian language Alsatian ( or "Alsatian German"; Lorraine Franconian: ''Elsässerdeitsch''; ; or ) is the group of Alemannic German dialects spoken in most of Alsace, a formerly disputed region in eastern France that has passed between French and German cont ...

. A

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan or a political, commercial, religious, or other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined target group ...

that has sometimes occurred in protests in the 21st century is "Elsass frei" ("Alsace free"). Several mass protests have taken place in public places around Alsace in opposition to the French region of Grand Est, with

ratification Ratification is a principal's legal confirmation of an act of its agent. In international law, ratification is the process by which a state declares its consent to be bound to a treaty. In the case of bilateral treaties, ratification is usuall ...

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 (, EZ; , ADA), formerly the Alsatian Regionalist Movement () from 1998 to 2002, is a political party based in Alsace, France, established in 1989. It promotes autonomy for Alsace in France. The party is considered far-right by many ...

and Unser Land. The movement of greater autonomy of Alsace runs partly parallel to that of Alemannic separatism, originating in the

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

(–1815) and briefly revived both after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

(1919) and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(1946–1952).

History

Background

The expansionist doctrines of

since the time of Louis XIV has caused Alsatians to be 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 500–1500), and the modern era (since AD 1500). The first early Eu ...

. 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 despite the diverse political ideologies.

19th century

* Alsatian Workers and Peasants Party

World War II

The establishment of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

and the

annexation Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...

of Alsace-Lorraine during the

, introduced a new situation for many Alsatians, including hardships for many, such as the malgré-nous. However, some advocates of autonomy for Alsace saw the new regime as a chance to re-enacted rights for the culture and autonomy of the Alsatians formerly under French government. While few were actually attracted to the

antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

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 democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...

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 or even executed. * :fr:Fritz Spieser (1902–1987) * :de:Paul Schall (1898–1981) * Joseph Bilger (1905–1975) * :fr:Marcel Stürmel (1900–1972) * :fr:Camille Dahlet (1883–1963) *

Joseph Rossé Joseph Rossé (August 26, 1892 – October 24, 1951) was an Alsace, Alsatian politician and autonomist, notable for his engagement in the Union populaire républicaine (1919-1946), Union Populaire Républicaine and his controversial role during a ...

(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 inv ...

(1883–1943) * :fr:Charles Roos (1878–1940) * Eugène Ricklin (1862–1935) After war, also related groups :fr:Nanziger and :fr:Loups Noirs remained notable. However, other Alsatians were staunch opponents of the Nazi occupation such as the artist Jean-Jacques Waltz.

After reattachment to France

In contemporary Alsace, Unser Land, formed in 2009 after the merger 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. 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. As the largest square at the center of Strasbourg, in the heart of the city's commercial area, it was named after French revolutionary general Jean-Ba ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

, 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 () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

; second in command only to

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

before death in

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. File:Die_Els%C3%A4ssiche_Fahne.jpg, The flag of Alsace in illustration by Charles Spindler. 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. In some places, one can send a postcard f ...

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

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...

Colmar Colmar (; ; or ) is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Alsace region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department ...

, 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 Barthol ...

, 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 The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

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, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also 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. File:Conseil_des_soldats_%C3%A0_Strasbourg_en_novembre_1918.jpg, Military Council in

, 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 cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (''Man's Fate'') (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed ...

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

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

forces in

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

Obernai Obernai (Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''Owernah''; ) is Communes of France, commune in the Bas-Rhin Departments of France, department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It lies on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains. Obernai is a rapidly g ...

Bas-Rhin Bas-Rhin () is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its lower altitude among the two French Rhine departments: it is downstream of the Haut-Rhin (Upper Rhine) de ...

, dedicated to the Malgré-nous ( French: "Against our will"), soldiers who were involuntarily conscripted into the German

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

Waffen-SS The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...

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