? for Fab or any other Frenchmen/women

[Stu]

I found out tonight that my family was origionally French. I had assumed for years we were German, but I discovered that the family originated in France and didn't move to Germany until around 1800. This was quite a surprising discovery for me.

The place where my great great great grandfather was born is called Struth, in Bas-Rhin. All I can find is that it is a little village (pop. 221). Can anyone tell me a bit more about it?

 

[gdl203]

It's such a tiny place that it's hard to find a lot of information about it. It seems to be known for the fact that there was a great religious diversity there very early on and that there are traces of a very old (18th century?) Jewish community, and a 19th century synagogue is still there (http://judaisme.sdv.fr/synagog/basrhin/r-z/struth.htm)

It's very close to the German border in Alsace

 

[Fabienne]

It is not uncommon for Americans of Alsatian origin to think that their family roots were in Germany, especially if their ancestors spoke the Alsatian dialect (closer to German than French) and the family names were "German" sounding. Not to mention that the border had a way of shifting quite a bit, which made Alsatians German one day, French the next...

Are you sure your family actually moved to Germany? Where did they move to, in the US? I know of a few Alsatian communities in the midwest, the closest to Indiana being near Vincennes, there are another few in Illinois.

 

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Fabienne

It is not uncommon for Americans of Alsatian origin to think that their family roots were in Germany, especially if their ancestors spoke the Alsatian dialect (closer to German than French) and the family names were "German" sounding. Not to mention that the border had a way of shifting quite a bit, which made Alsatians German one day, French the next... Are you sure your family actually moved to Germany? Where did they move to, in the US? I know of a few Alsatian communities in the midwest, the closest to Indiana being near Vincennes, there are another few in Illinois.
I always assumed they were German, because I have a very German sounding last name, my grandfather grew up speaking German in his home, and the family was Mennonite, and I've never heard of a strong tradition of Mennonites in France. What I do know is that my great great great grandfather was born in France, but his son, my great great grandfather, was born in Germany. He then apparently moved the family to Illinois because he died there, and all of his children were born there. The original move, from France to Germany, would have occurred around the time of the French Revolution, perhaps there was some sort of religious persecution? I don't know, I'm just fascinated by all this.

 

[Fabienne]

Of course, this is Alsace, so no doubt the village and its surrounding countryside are charming. A few facts:

Struth
DÃ

partement: Bas-Rhin
Arrondissement: Saverne
Canton: La Petite-Pierre
Population:
1792: 314
1851: 482
1905: 464
1936: 319
1990: 204
Religious composition in 1807:
Catholic: 30%
Lutheran: 22%
Calvinist: 18%
Anabaptist: 2%
Jewish: 25%
Miscellaneous:
City Hall:
Mairie, 40 rue Principale, 67290 Struth
Bibliography:

Web resources:
http://www.alsace-bossue.fr.st/vistruth.htm
[Top of Page]

There's a Wikipedia page about Struth in French:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struth

A satellite view of Struth: http://www.quid.fr/communes.html?mod...map&gmaptype=2

 

[Fabienne]

Originally Posted by Stu

I always assumed they were German, because I have a very German sounding last name, my grandfather grew up speaking German in his home, and the family was Mennonite, and I've never heard of a strong tradition of Mennonites in France.

What I do know is that my great great great grandfather was born in France, but his son, my great great grandfather, was born in Germany. He then apparently moved the family to Illinois because he died there, and all of his children were born there.

The original move, from France to Germany, would have occurred around the time of the French Revolution, perhaps there was some sort of religious persecution? I don't know, I'm just fascinated by all this.

PM me the family name and the village/town in Illinois, if you wish, I may have information.

It would be good to have the exact dates of the move(s) and locations. I can tell you that in the 1800's, 1820-1840, many Alsatians moved to America because of land availability. Communities often were Catholic, though, to my knowledge. There were several utopian communities in the midwest, you have surely heard of New Harmony, in Southern Indiana, and these were indeed German, most of the time, if I recall correctly.

 

[Stu]

Thanks. I will do later today. This might turn into some sort of quest for me.

 

[topcatny]

QUOTE=Fabienne
Not to mention that the border had a way of shifting quite a bit, which made Alsatians German one day, French the next...

My great-great grandparents on my mother's side were from Alsace. Although they were both born in the same town and lived on the same street, my great-great grandmother insisted she was from Germany and my great-great grandfather insisted he was from France. They moved to America in the early 1800's and lived on the east coast and eventually made their way to IL as well.

 

[chorse123]

Crazy. My maternal family is also from Alsace, moved to the east coast (PA) and then IL. Crossed the ocean in the 18th century, though.

 

[Kent Wang]

I think it is funny that the French refer to German Shepherd dogs as Alsatians.

 

[Fabienne]

It was not uncommon for those immigrants from Alsace to first acclimate on the east coast (often Philadelphia) or in New Orleans, and then, through people they met or knew already, to move on to the midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Missouri...) There was a language barrier, so they tended to stick to networks of other Alsatians initially.

 

[Fabienne]

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

I think it is funny that the French refer to German Shepherd dogs as Alsatians.

Berger Alsacien is a seldom used name for these dogs, most French people call them Bergers Allemands.

 

[Kent Wang]

Interesting. I assumed that was the case from reading this article in the Scotsman about how the French prefer surreal jokes:

An Alsatian went to a telegram office, took out a blank form and wrote: "Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof." The clerk examined the paper and politely told the dog: "There are only nine words here. You could send another Woof for the same price." "But," the dog replied, "that would make no sense at all."

Maybe that was what the British prefer to call them, during those periods of enmity with Germany.

 

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Fabienne

I, and then, through people they met or knew already, to move on to the midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Missouri...) There was a language barrier, so they tended to stick to networks of other Alsatians initially.

Also plenty of good farm land. Especially in Northern Indiana and Central Illinois, the latter of which is some of the richest soil around.

 

[Fabienne]

Originally Posted by Stu

Also plenty of good farm land. Especially in Northern Indiana and Central Illinois, the latter of which is some of the richest soil around.

Well, true, but still, the "promised land" they expected was quite a disappointment to many of them. There were more forests, woods, than nowadays, the land needed to be cleared. There were fevers, children died. No roads. If it rained, it was a bloody muddy field all around the countryside. The Alsatian bourgeois who made the trip were not used to these conditions.