Part 1 - Aloysius Walter; Chapter 1 - Alsace, France

 Alsace, France

Source: Britannica.com

Our common ancestor Aloysius Walter  (better known to his family and friends as Alois) was born on September 30, 1811 in Alsace, France.  The city that he was born in or lived in prior to immigrating to the United States is unknown at this writing. 

Based on census and death certificate information, Alois is of German descent living in the northeastern region of France.  Alsace is located in the upper northeastern region of France which borders the Rhine River and Germany.

The history of this region dates back 600,000 years ago to the Paleolithic period also known as the Stone Age and the Ice Age. The oldest tools ever found in France have been discovered near the city of Strasbourg in Alsace.

In the last two centuries, Alsace has passed from Germany to France and back again until finally becoming a part of modern-day France. It's heritage and culture more closely resembles that of Germany with its steep-roofed, half-timbered houses with colorful paint, as depicted in this photo.

Source: www.Tourisme en Alsace.com

Alsace stands apart from other regions of France. It is situated on the Rhine River valley which was one of the most important trade routes in the Middle Ages.

Alsace is made up of two regions: the Lower Rhine or Bas Rhin and the Upper Rhine or Haut Rhin.

They are famous for their wines, and vineyards cover the eastern slopes at the foot of the Vosges Mountains. Most of the wines they produce in their fertile soil is white: Sylvaners, Rieslings and Gewurtzraminers. These deliciously sweet wines are not produced anywhere else in France. Other regional specialties are sauerkraut and Alsation gingerbread.1

Source: www.alsace-wine-route.com

A Brief Timeline of Alsation History 2, 3,4:

B.C.
570,000  - Hunter Gatherer's lived during the Paleolithic Period

 10, 200  - Neolithic Period: People began to settle and learned to farm

7th Century  - Bronze Age: The Celts appeared and began to organize into larger groups. They built houses with walls and roofs of thatch where groups of people lived. Jewelry, tools and weapons made by the Celts have been discovered in Alsace.

58  - The Romans arrived and established the culture of growing grape vines in the fertile soil. They began to build fortifications to protect their interests.

A.D.
213  - Alsace became the territory of the Germanic Alemanni Tribe. The Alemanni were agriculture people. Their Germanic language formed the basis of the dialects spoken today along the Upper Rhine River (Alsatian, Alemannian, Swabian and Swiss).

5th Century  - Clovis and the Franks defeat the Alemanni and Alsace becomes a part of the Kingdom of Austrasia.

12th and 13th Centuries - Alsace experienced great prosperity under the Hohenstaufen emperors.

14th Century - The era of prosperity ended with a series of harsh winters, bad harvests and the Black Death.

1639  - By this time most of Alsace became under the control of France. Their local customs and rights were, for the most part, preserved at this time. They also had a climate of religious tolerance.

1789  - The French Revolution was under way and Alsace was split into two regions: the departements of Haut - and Bas-Rhin. During this time period the Alsatians joined in the French Revolution and forced an end to the feudal system.

Early 1800's - Prussia and Austria occupied the area of Alsace suppressing their trade and the economy which led to hunger, housing shortages and lack of work for young people.

1820 to 1850 - Many Alsatians immigrated to the United States. Our ancestor Alois Walter was among them in 1838.

1871 - France ceded Alsace back to Germany after the Franco-German War.

1919 - Alsace was retroceded back to France after World War 1.

1940 - Germany regained control over it in World War II

1945 - Alsace was returned to France following World War II

Click here to read Chapter 2

Sources:
1. About France, www.about-france.com/regions/alsace.htm
2. Prehistoric Alsace, www.getalsaced.com/prehistoric-alsace.html
3. Wikipedia (Alsace), www.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace
4. Britannica Encyclopedia, www.britannica.com/place/Alsace-Lorraine