Duchy of Alsace

The Duchy of Alsace was a large political subdivision of the Frankish Empire during the last decade and a half of Merovingian rule. It corresponded to the territory of Alsace and was carved out of southern Austrasia in the last decade of the reign of Dagobert I, probably to stabilise the southern reaches of Austrasia against Alemannia and Burgundy. By the late Middle Ages, the region was considered part of Swabia.

Creation of a Merovingian dukedom

The term "Alsace" derives from the Germanic ali-land-sat-ja, meaning "one who sits in another land." Alsace was Alemanni territory, but not so much as Alemannia proper, which was east of the Rhine: it was, however, the "other" land in which some Alemanni had settled. In the late Roman Empire, a district of Alsace (pagus Alsatiae) had been established in the region. Under Chlothar II, Alsace and Alemannia were granted their own law, the Pactus Alamannorum.

In 596, Childebert II bequeathed Alsace to his son Theuderic II, who was raised there. This attached it to Burgundy, but in 610 Theudebert II, Theuderic's brother of Austrasia, forced Alsace' cession to him only to lose it two years later to Burgundy again. In 623, when Chlothar II granted Austrasia to Dagobert, he excluded Alsace, the Vosges, and the Ardennes, but was shortly after forced to concede it to Dagobert by the Austrasian nobility. Sometime probably between 629 and 631 Dagobert granted it as a dukedom to Gundoin, a Frank from the Austrasian heartland of the Meuse valley, a move which tied Alsace more closely to the Austrasian court. Gundoin's duchy comprised both sides of the Vosges, the Burgundian Gate, and the Transjura; there were to be continuous early problems retaining the faithfulness of the Sundgau.

Alsace

Alsace ([al.zas]; Alsatian: ’s Elsass [ˈɛlsɑs]; German: Elsass, pre-1996 also: Elsaß [ˈɛlzas]; Latin: Alsatia) is a cultural and historical region in eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine. Alsace is located on France's eastern border and on the west bank of the upper Rhine adjacent to Germany and Switzerland.

From 1982 until January 2016, Alsace was the smallest of 22 administrative regions in metropolitan France, consisting of the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments. Territorial reform passed by the French legislature in 2014 resulted in the merger of the Alsace administrative region with Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine to form Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine.

The historical language of Alsace is Alsatian, a Germanic (mainly Alemannic) dialect also spoken across the Rhine, but today most Alsatians primarily speak French, the official language of France. The political status of Alsace has been heavily influenced by historical decisions, wars, and strategic politics. The economic and cultural capital as well as largest city of Alsace is Strasbourg. The city is the seat of several international organizations and bodies.

Alsace (disambiguation)

Alsace is a region and former province of France.

Alsace may also refer to:

In geography

In products or brands

See also

Alsace (automobile)

The Alsace was an American automobile manufactured by Piedmont between 1920 and 1921 for Automotive Products Co of New York, made with right-hand drive for export purposes.

The car differed from other Piedmont products chiefly because it used a Rolls-Royce-shaped radiator. It had a wheelbase of 116 inches (2,946 mm) and employed a 3.1 litre four-cylinder Herschell-Spillman engine.

References

Keith Marvin, "Alsace", in G.N. Georgano, ed., The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars 1885-1968 (New York: E.P. Dutton and Co., 1974), pp. 37.