Alsace and the Rhine

Alsace is a region in extreme northeastern France. It borders Switzerland on the southeast and Germany to the east and north. This was our first visit there and one that we had been looking forward to. Alsace has been under French control since 1945, but one can tell by driving through the the towns that there is a heavy German influence. This comes from the fact up until late in the 17th century it was mostly under the control of the Holy Roman Empire. France took over at the end of the War of the Reunions in the 1680s and controlled the region until the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 that established the German state. Control went back to France at the end of WWI in 1918, but Germany took over again in 1940 until the end of WWII in 1945.

The entire region saw very heavy fighting with many casualties and destruction near the end of 1944 and early 1945 as French and US armies pushed the Germans back across the Rhine. The “Colmar Pocket” was the name given to the area and it was a crucial, if lesser known, series of battles. In the end, German occupation of France was eliminated.
Here is a very good description.

The region’s economy is diversified with agricultural, textile and manufacturing sectors. There are many vineyards, large and small producing grapes for predominantly white wines.

These pages show the beautiful countryside and towns, churches and monuments all attesting to our culture and humanity. There is one page, though, that reminds us of what inhuman acts people are capable of.