There’s a reason for all this:
strategically located on the rivers
Ill and Rhine, Strasbourg has been
a Roman settlement, a diocese, an
independent imperial city, and
since 1681, officially French,
German, French, German, and
French, respectively.
We roam the narrow streets,
squares, and charming banks of the
waterways. Strasbourg Mon Amour
which is a Valentine’s Day festival
to be held this week, will feature
concerts and a dance in the wedding
room at town hall.
It all comes together perfectly
when I see a young bride and groom
posing for their wedding photos
against the backdrop of the canal
and its half-timbered houses.
THE HEART OF EUROPE
92 • AUGUST 2019
R
égine and I cross a bridge
and leave the old city to enter
Neustadt, an area around the
Place de l’Université. Neustadt,
or "new city," was developed as a
Germanisation project after France’s
defeat in the 1870 Franco-Prussian
war. When it was finished around
1910, Neustadt effectively tripled the
size of Strasbourg, and was inhabited
by tens of thousands of families who
were drawn from all over Germany
by the promise of affordable housing,
modern facilities, and excellent
education on all levels, up to and
including a new university.
After the German defeat in the
First World War, Alsace was brought
back under French control. There
were numerous name changes,
and up to 100,000 ethnic Germans
were expelled, a mere footnote in
the tragedy-filled history of 20th-
century Europe.
“Only 30 years ago this part of
the city was not included in our
tourist maps. The name wouldn’t
even be on it," says Régine as we
stand outside a magnificent Jugenstil
(Art Nouveau) building erected by
German architects at the beginning
of the 20th century. It used to be
the home of an insurance company
called Germania but it is now
called Gallia.
As we walk, Régine points out the
various names of German architects
and builders engraved like painters’
signatures in the walls. This area,