FOR the RECORDS Researching Alsace and Lorraine
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VOL. 11, NO. 2 — FEBRUARY 2018 FOR THE RECORDS Researching Alsace and Lorraine Publications and websites mentioned in this article are listed in the bibliography. Alsace and Lorraine are storied, often contested lands located in eastern France on its border with Germany and the Low Countries. Alsace (see map, right), at 3,196 square miles, is about one-quarter larger than the state of Connecticut1. Lorraine (see map, page 4), at 9,089 square miles, is just slightly smaller than the state of Vermont2. Along with Champaign-Ardenne, they form the modern region Grand Est whose regional capital and largest city is Strasbourg. The historic Alsace Region was the smallest in metro- politan France, made up of two departments, Bas-Rhin in the north and Haut-Rhin in the south. The region features a large plain about four times longer than it is wide and situated between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River. Prior to the Franco-Prussian War, Al- sace, specifically the Haut-Rhin, also included the Ter- ritoire de Belfort. When the Germans took control over the rest of Alsace, it became the smallest department in France, and was attached to Franche-Comté and is now part of Bourgogne- Franche-Comté. The historic Lorraine Region was much larger and con- sisted of four departments, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, and Vosges. The territory included the histori- ALSACE cal Duchy of Lorraine, Barrois, the Three Bishoprics (Metz, Verdun, and Toul), and a number of small prin- Alsace includes the French départements of Haut-Rhin (Upper Rhine) and Bas-Rhin (Lower Rhine) | Map cipalities. source: Europa Pages, <http://www.europa-pages.net/ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3. maps/Alsace.gif>. NEWS AND TIPS | HISTORY AND GENEALOGY AT ST. LOUIS COUNTY LIBRARY [ OPEN Feb. 10–11 ] FEBRUARY 2018 | PAGE 3 fighting broke out between Louis’ three sons, Lothar, Because of the long, turbulent history of these re- Charles (Karl) the Bald and Louis (Ludwig) the German. gions, family history researchers face several distinct Louis the Pious’ intent was that Lothar should succeed him problems and opportunities. We will consider the his- as emperor with territory going to the other two as “kings.” tory of the region and how it impacts genealogical research. Distrusting Lothar, Charles the Bald and Louis the German swore an oath of friendship at Strasbourg that was recorded A brief history of Alsace and Lorraine in both French and German, thus beginning the language Pre– and early history divide between the French and German areas. The Treaty of Verdun awarded West Francia to Charles the Bald, East Very little is known about the earliest inhabitants of Francia to Louis the German, and Middle Francia to Lo- Alsace or Lorraine. Most likely they were nomadic thar. Lothar was also nominally the Emperor of the Franks hunter/gatherers in prehistoric times. By 1500 BCE but the title had little meaning. West Francia became the Celtic people began settling in the area. By 58 BCE nucleus of France, and East Francia the nucleus of modern the Romans were established in Gaul, which included Germany. Alsace and Lorraine. This forms the original basis for the French claim to the areas. The Romans established Lothar’s territory included the areas covered by modern- viticulture and built military posts and fortifications to day Alsace, Lorraine, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Nether- protect the increasing agricultural production in the lands Switzerland, Northern Italy, and the German states of area, the most important being Argentoratum. Many North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saar- of the cities and towns in Alsace and Lorraine today land. This region, located between France and Germany, can trace their history to the Roman period. became a source of conflict that was not resolved until the end of the Second World War and the founding of the With the decline of Rome, the Alamani, a Germanic European Union. people, came to dominate the area in the Fourth Cen- tury CE. They renamed Argentoratum as Stratebourg When Lothar died in 855 CE, his territory was divided (French Strasbourg, German Straßburg), meaning again. Charles the Bald took Northern Italy, Louis the Ger- “the city of the roads.” Even then Strasbourg had be- man took Alsace, Switzerland, and territories in what is come an important trading center. This forms the ba- modern Germany. Lothar’s son, Lothar II was given the sis of the German claim to the areas. remaining territory, which included Lorraine and the Low Countries. This rump kingdom was known as Lotharingia The Frankish period (Lothar’s Land), or Lorraine in French. During the Fifth Century CE, a Germanic tribe called For the next several hundred years the histories of Alsace the Franks gradually took control of the regions and and Lorraine diverge and must be considered separately. the areas that became Alsace and Lorraine were inte- grated into the Kingdom (later Empire) of the Franks. How Alsace became part of France Under Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse in German), the Empire reached its greatest size and became the larg- The kingdom of East Francia evolved into the Holy Roman est empire in Europe since the fall of Rome. Empire. Alsace, as the western portion of the Duchy of Swabia, was a part of the Empire. The area was prosperous Upon Charlemagne’s death in 814 CE, the empire and peaceful during the reign of the Hohenstaufen Emper- passed to his son, Louis the Pious who ruled until his ors through the 12th and 13th centuries. In the 14th century death in 840 CE. With the death of Louis, intense a series of cold winters, poor harvests, and the Bubonic NEWS AND TIPS | HISTORY AND GENEALOGY AT ST. LOUIS COUNTY LIBRARY FEBRUARY 2018 | PAGE 4 plague followed in quick succession. These calamities were blamed on the Jews. Synagogues were burned and Jewish families were murdered or driven out. Alsace became part of the battlefield of the 30 Years War (1618–1648). This conflict, often viewed as a struggle between the Protestants of northern Europe and the Catholics of the south, was also the first of many struggles between the Bourbon Kings of France and the Hapsburg Kings of Austria. Catholic France joined the war on the side of the Protestants in order to thwart the growing power of the Hapsburgs, who ruled Spain, Belgium, Austria, and the Holy Roman Empire encircling France. The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ending the war granted France most of Alsace, although Strasbourg and the major cities remained part of the Holy Roman Empire. The treaty of Nimwegen in 1678, at the end of the Dutch War, brought most of the Alsatian cities LORRAINE under French Control. The treaty of Ryswick ended the War of the League of Augsburg. It granted France Lorraine includes the French départements of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, and Vosges. | Map source: Europa Pages, <http://www.europa- the city of Strasbourg, bringing all of Alsace under pages.net/maps/Lorraine.gif>. French control. (Brabant, Limburg, Geire) as well as several counties How Lorraine became French and Imperial Fiefs. The Duke of Brabant retained the title “Duke of Lower Lorraine,” but for all intents and The death of Lothar II in 869 CE brought chaos to purposes Lower Lorraine ceased to exist and the for- Lorraine. Henry the Fowler, Duke of Saxony and mer Upper Lorraine became known simply as King of the Germans, brought peace and security to Lorraine. It was a territory that would be in dispute Lorraine after defeating Giselbert in 925 CE. He made between German and French rulers for the next sev- Lorraine a Duchy of the German Empire, later known eral centuries. as the Holy Roman Empire. In 1473, the Treaty of Nancy began the transfer of Henry’s son, Otto I, succeeded him as King in 936 Lorraine to French control. It declared Charles of Bur- CE. After a revolt by the Duke of Lorraine, Otto gundy “protector” of Lorraine. He was allied with granted the Duchy to his brother, Bruno I, who was France, but the Bishops of Toul, Metz, and Verdun in also the Archbishop of Cologne. With the death of the territory of Lorraine were ecclesiastical princes of Bruno, the Duchy of Lorraine was split into two: the Holy Roman Empire. When Charles died in 1476, Lower Lorraine (modern Netherlands, Belgium, and Lorraine became an independent Duchy allied with Luxembourg) and Upper Lorraine (modern Lorraine). France and ruled by Duke Renee. Renee’s heir, Duke Anthony, confirmed the independence of Lorraine In the 11th and 12th Centuries CE, the Duchy of from the Holy Roman Empire in the 1542 Convention Lower Lorraine fragmented into separate duchies of Nuremburg. The church apparently agreed with NEWS AND TIPS | HISTORY AND GENEALOGY AT ST. LOUIS COUNTY LIBRARY FEBRUARY 2018 | PAGE 5 this arrangement and placed the Duchy under the French Bishop in 1546. The dioceses of Metz, Toul, and Verdun came under French bishopric by 1552. During the 30 Years War, the Protestant German princes promised Lorraine and its cities to France if they were to join with them against Austria, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Catholic League. France agreed to these terms, and the 1698 Peace of West- phalia ending the war confirmed France’s possession of Metz, Toul, Verdun, and much of the rest of Lorraine. The next 100 years brought about the final incorpora- tion of Lorraine into France. The 1659 Treaty of Pyre- Photo | Wikimedia: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Trim_Castle_6.jpg nees restored Lorraine to Duke Charles IV, but with diminished power. In the Treaty of Nimwegen, Louis Discovering Your Irish & XIV recognized Charles V as Duke of Lorraine but began incorporating its cities into France and assum- Scots-Irish Roots ing more control of the territory.