Alsace association calls for recognition of Feldgrauen in Armistice commemorations

The Alsatian association Unsri Gschicht is calling on mayors in the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments to include Alsatian soldiers, known as Feldgrauen, in their November 11 Armistice ceremonies.

During World War I, Alsace was part of the German Empire, resulting in approximately 250,000 Alsatians being mobilized in the Kaiser’s army, with 35,000 losing their lives. The association argues that current French law, which mandates homage to those who died "for France," effectively excludes these soldiers from official national narratives.

Eric Mutschler, president of Unsri Gschicht, describes this as a "collective amnesia" and an "omission" of historical reality. He notes that while these soldiers' names appear on local war memorials, the official discourse provided by the Ministry of the Armed Forces often ignores them because their service does not align with the standard French national narrative.