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| Name | Alsace |
| Reg Logo | AlsLogo.png |
| Flag | Flag of Alsace.svg |
| Capital | Strasbourg |
| Largest City | Strasbourg |
| Area | 8280 |
| Population | 1815488 |
| Pop Date | 2006 |
| Website | region-alsace.eu |
| Leader | Philippe Richert (2010-) |
| Leader Party | UMP |
| Departments | 2 |
| Dept1 | Bas-Rhin |
| Dept2 | Haut-Rhin |
| NUTS | FR4 |
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Alsace ( -fralzas; Alsatian: Elsàss -gswˈɛlzɔs; , pre-1996: Elsaß, -deˈɛlzasIPA; ) is the fourth-smallest of the 26 regions of France in land area (8,280 km2), and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the sixth-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km2 (total population in 2006: 1,815,488; January 1, 2008 estimate: 1,836,000). Alsace is located on France's eastern border and on the west bank of the upper Rhine adjacent to Germany and Switzerland. The political, economic and cultural capital as well as largest city of Alsace is Strasbourg. Due to that city being the seat of dozens of international organizations and bodies, Alsace is politically one of the most important regions in the European Union.
The name "Alsace" derives from the Germanic Ell-sass, meaning "Seated on the Ill", a river in Alsace. The region was historically part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was gradually annexed by France in the 17th century under kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV and made one of the provinces of France. Alsace is frequently mentioned in conjunction with Lorraine, because German possession of parts of these two régions (as the imperial province Alsace-Lorraine, 1871 � 1918) was contested in the 19th and 20th centuries, during which Alsace changed hands four times between France and Germany in 75 years.
Although the historical language of Alsace is Alsatian, a regional German language, today most Alsatians speak French, the official language of the country they have been a part of for most of the past three centuries. About 39% of the adult population, and probably less than 10% of the children, are fluent in Alsatian. There is therefore a substantial bilingual population in contemporary Alsace. The place names used in this article are in French. See this list for the original German place names.
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| Timeline : |
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| Year(s) |
Event |
Ruled by |
Official language |
|---|
| 5400 � 4500 BC |
Bandkeramiker/Linear Pottery cultures |
- |
None |
| 2300 � 750 BC |
Bell Beaker cultures |
- |
None; Proto-Celtic spoken |
| 750 � 450 BC |
Halstatt early Iron Age culture (early Celts) |
- |
None; Old Celtic spoken |
| 450 � 58 BC |
Celts/Gauls firmly secured in entire Gaul, Alsace; trade with Greece is evident (Vix) |
Celts/Gauls |
None; Gaulish variety of Celtic widely spoken |
| 58 / 44 BC � AD 260 |
Alsace and Gaul conquered by Caesar, provinciated to Germania Superior |
Roman Empire |
Latin; Gallic widely spoken |
| 260 � 274 |
Postumus founds breakaway Gallic Empire |
Gallic Empire |
Latin, Gallic |
| 274 � 286 |
Rome reconquers the Gallic Empire, Alsace |
Roman Empire |
Latin, Germanic (only in Argentoratum) |
| 286 � 378 |
Diocletian divides the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern sectors |
Roman Empire |
| around 300 |
Beginning of Germanic migrations to the Roman Empire |
Roman Empire |
| 378 � 395 |
The Visigoths rebel, precursor to waves of German, and Hun invasions |
Roman Empire |
| 395 � 436 |
Death of Theodosius I, causing a permanent division between Western and Eastern Rome |
Western Roman Empire |
| 436 � 486 |
Germanic invasions of the Western Roman Empire |
Roman Tributary of Gaul |
| 486 � 511 |
Lower Alsace conquered by the Franks |
Frankish Realm |
Old Frankish, Latin |
| 531 � 614 |
Upper Alsace conquered by the Franks |
Frankish Realm |
| 614 � 795 |
Totality of Alsace to the Frankish Kingdom |
Frankish Realm |
| 795 � 814 |
Charlemagne begins reign, Charlemagne crowned Emperor of the Romans on December 25, 800 |
Frankish Empire |
Old Frankish |
| 814 |
Death of Charlemagne |
Carolingian Empire |
Old Frankish, Old High German |
| 847 � 870 |
Treaty of Verdun gives Alsace and Lotharingia to Lothar I |
Middle Francia (Carolingian Empire) |
Frankish, Old High German |
| 870 � 889 |
Treaty of Mersen gives Alsace to East Francia |
East Francia (German Kingdom of the Carolingian Empire) |
Frankish, Old High German |
| 889 � 962 |
Carolingian Empire breaks up into five Kingdoms, Magyars and Vikings periodically raid Alsace |
Kingdom of Germany |
Old High German, Frankish |
| 962 � 1618 |
Otto I crowned Holy Roman Emperor |
Holy Roman Empire |
Old High German, Modern High German. (Alemannic spoken widely) |
| 1618 � 1674 |
Louis XIII annexes portions of Alsace during the Thirty Years' War |
Holy Roman Empire |
German |
| 1674 � 1871 |
Louis XIV annexes the rest of Alsace during the Franco-Dutch War, establishing full French sovereignty over the region |
Kingdom of France |
Official :French
Alsatian and German tolerated, but strongly suppressed in official circles. |
| 1871 � 1918 |
Franco-Prussian war causes French cession of Alsace to German Empire |
German Empire |
German |
| 1919 � 1940 |
Treaty of Versailles causes German cession of Alsace to France |
France |
French |
| 1940 � 1944 |
Nazi Germany conquers Alsace |
Nazi Germany |
German |
| 1945 � present |
French control |
France |
Official: French.
Alsatian and German strongly suppressed until 1972. |
RSS
