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Question: Would we be considered French or German!?
My great grandfather on my paternal Grandmother's side was born in Alsace Lorraine (in Strasbourg)!. He was born during the German occupation!. All of his papers, his birth certificate, school records, etc!. are in German!. His parents would have also been born during the occupation, but they lived in Strasbourg also!. However, their parents would have been born before the occupation in French Alsace-Lorraine!. So would I be French or German!? Or could I claim both nationalities through them!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
When many researchers run into similar conflicts!.!. it can drive them nuts!. I'm more towards the approach that I DO NOT make any effort to define a nationality unless it is completely obvious!. IE my grandfather absolutely spoke Polish, but per records, his birth was at a time when the political jurisdiction was Germany!. My way around any of this!?!? No one is anything!. I phase it as my grandfather was born in such and such a TOWN which is present day such and such!. My notes would reflect that it was THEN in "Germany"!.
For you!.!. here is a cool comment, taken from Wikipedia!.
Strasbourg, which was a humanism centre, has a long history of higher-education excellence, merging French and German intellectual traditions!. Although Strasbourg had been annexed by the Kingdom of France in 1683, it still remained connected to the German-speaking intellectual world throughout the 18th century and the university attracted numerous students from the Holy Roman Empire, including Goethe, Metternich and Montgelas, who studied law in Strasbourg, among the most prominent!. Nowadays, Strasbourg is known to offer among the best university courses in France, after Paris!. <end>
Looking at this!.!. it can be hard to split hairs!. AS you say!.!. the parents would have been born in France (and spoke French!?)!. With genealogy, of course!.!. you would keep on tracing back!. Did they come from elsewhere, a few generations back!? ie Italy, Netherlands,or perhaps German!?
If the trail seems to remain in French, and you can define maybe what language they spoke!.!.I would use that!. I would very much not use the German "tag", since it is strictly political and not cultural!. If they did have roots back into Germany, then go the other way!.
Try for records that predate the occupation!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Now, you would be French I guess since Alsace is now part of France!. However, Strasbourg used to be part of Germany before the French took it, so maybe ur roots and ancestors would be German while you are currently French!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think the inhabitants of Alsac and Lorraine are mostly German, but it depends on the family!. I'd say if his records are written in German he was German!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
No, you would not be considered French or German!. You would be considered an American of some Alsatian ancestry!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I had ancestors from Strasbourg and they were German!. They were unhappy about being made part of France!. They came to Maryland and later North Carolina in the 1700s,
One of my first cousins and one of my mother's aunts got in a heated discussion one time whether Alsace should belong to Germany or France!. My mother's aunt felt it should be part of Germany!. My cousin said, "Aunt Fannie doesn't understand that a lot of water has passed under the bridge since her people left Alsace!."
Alsace had never been part of Germany until Prussia took it from France as Germany did not exist as a nation until 1871!.
Alsace was one of the German states which France annexed and naturally the Alsatians were proud of their own identity and didn't like it!. Prussia took it from France in the War of 1870 and then the Alsatians realized they much preferred to be part of Republican France than the Prussian crown and later Imperial Germany!.
When the allies reached Alsace in World War I, they were greeted wildly by a German speaking population that viewed them as liberators!. Although the Treaty of Versailles was very harsh on Germany and probably was largely responsible for Hitler gaining control, one of the right things it did is to give Alsace back to France!. Then Hitler took back Alsace and the Nazis being aware that the Alsactian and people of Lorraine were basically Germans loyal to France, they had a particular hatred toward them!. The Nazis treatment of the Alsatians has probably left a break that will probably never be healed!.
Some have said Germany one day will try to take it back!. One high ranking German officials about 35 years ago said that it would not serve German interest to upset the stability of Europe to take back a population that doesn't want to be
German!.
also nationality is no the same thing as race or ethnicity!. Your nationality denotes your citizenship!. I know Wikipedia defines it denoting where your ancestors come from but it is just using a definition that has erroneously been used by Americans for several years!.
I have ancestors that were in this country before the Mayflower!. My maternal grandmother had them at Jamestown which was settled 13 years before the settlement at Plymouth Rock!. My maternal grandfather had those that some say crossed an ice bridge from East Asia many thousands of years ago and were here to greet the Vikings, the Spanish, the English, the French and even St!. Brendan!. Still the person who is naturalized in a federal courthouse today, their nationality is just as American as mine!.Www@QuestionHome@Com