Alsace-Lorraine

By: Ava Pinelli-Porter

Family Dinner

I was ten years old, sitting at the dinner table with my family, when I found out the tragic history of my great-grandparents. While I had always known that our family was German, that knowledge was the extent of what I knew about our heritage.

On a random Tuesday, my mother informed me that my great-grandparents, the Jappells, had escaped from a territory named Alscae-Lorraine. Inevitably, this made me curious to find out more about the land.

Image From: Brittanica

Alsace-Lorraine: Crossroads of Culture

Alsace-Lorraine has a messy history dating back thousands of years. The territory is small, only 5067 square miles, and is located right on the border between current-day France and Germany.

In the ninth century, the territory began as the center of Charlemagne’s empire. His control of the Frankish empire had been established through strategic war and conquering schemes, some of which were created in Alsace-Lorraine. Eventually, Charlemagne fell ill with a deadly fever, and the Franks’ influence in Alsace-Lorraine diminished over time.

The area didn’t experience peace for very long, after border disputes caused Louis XIV of France to obtain the land. Napoleon is the next French leader, and he dissolved the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The fragmented German state of Prussia goes to war with France (due to Napoleon's actions), and wins. Alsace is then returned to Germany.

The next time Alsace-Lorraine changed possession was after the events of World War I. With Germany’s loss, the Allies forced the nation to sign the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty allowed for the Allies to exploit Germany, divvying up its money and foreign territories. This includes Alsace, which was ceded to France.

Straddling the Line: Alsace in World War II

World War II is a dark and disastrous time in the history of Alsace. With the large influence of German culture in the territory, as well as its proximity to the nation, Alsace_Lorraine became an automatic target of the Nazi regime as they looked to expand.

Knowing this, Alsace citizens were evacuated from their homes for their own safety. Unfortunately, Hitler expanded faster than anyone would have expected. The nearby or bordering nations that Alsace citizens fled to for safety were quickly conquered. Citizens of Alsace were gathered and forced to return home.

Contrastingly to how the Nazis treated the other nations they invaded, rather than control the area, Hitler and his followers attempted to integrate Alsace into the Third Reich. Males were sent to serve in the Nazi army up North in its war against Russia. Many were used as human sacrifices and distractions. Females, due to shortages in resources, food, and job opportunities, were encouraged to immigrate to Germany and its economic prosperity.

The demographic that received the worst treatment, by far, were the Jewish and LGBTQ+ who resided in Alsace-Lorraine. The Jewish presence in Alsace had been strong before the Nazi influence had come. Around 20,000 Jews had made Alsace their home.

Image made by Ava Pinelli-Porter

Fortunately, many had escaped from the region before the war had reached them. Unfortunately, about 3,000 Jews remained there and had to fend for themselves.

In 1942, Alsace citizens were officially declared as German to the world. In an effort to keep the German blood pure, Nazi’s deported anyone they deemed unworthy from the area. This includes Jewish people, Asians, North Africans, and French citizens. Some of these people were deported to concentration camps.

In addition to “purifying” the demographics of citizens, the Nazis also erased any other cultures from the area. Any signs, writing, or language spoken had to be German. Last and first names were changed to be more German sounding. A Jewish synagogue was burned down in a town called Strasbourg by the Hitler Youth.

Image of Marcel Weinum, leader of the Black Hand, from: TheCollector

Alsace Fights Back

Rebellion was quickly growing. The first resistance movement in Alsace was named the Black Hand, led by sixteen year old Marcel Weinum. The group started small, using counter-propaganda and sabotage of various Nazi items (cars, radios, etc.). Eventually, they evolved into attempted assassinations and bombing Nazi buildings.

On a mission to obtain money, Weinum and one of his partners was caught on the border of Switzerland. Both were executed. Marcel died one day before his eighteenth birthday, and his last words were in a letter to his parents: “If I have to die, I die with a pure heart”.

However, some Alsace citizens agreed with the new German influences that the Nazis introduced. Due to religious clashes with France, some Germanization in the area succeeded.

Their Escape

Later, I found out more about my great-grandparents’ escape from the area. Being German, and fitting the appearance that the Nazi’s admired (blonde, blue eyed), my ancestors were fortunate enough to not have been targeted by the Nazi’s.

Soon after their acquisition of the territory, my grandparents traveled to the outer edges of the area bordering France. There, they came in contact with the French military. The soldiers brought my great-grandparents from Alsace to middle France, where they then quickly traveled to America. My great-grandmother's sister lived there already.

Despite learning about the horrors that Alsace-Lorraine has gone through, and that its citizens have faced, I can not help but be proud of my heritage. I am able to look at my grandparents with a new sense of respect, knowing that they escaped from an area so heavily monitored by the Nazi organization. Growing up with this knowledge has given me the blessing of pride. When someone asks me of my ancestors, I am able to tell them the story of my two great-grandparents, who faced some of the largest evils that humanity has known in recent history.

Alsace-Lorraine’s history is so stained in wars and bloody history that seeing the successful and relatively peaceful territory that stands there today is a beautiful thing to behold.

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