Of course, French is the first language in Colmar, but seeing as the town has previously been occupied by Germany, the region also has its own language, Alsatian. This is because when Germany invaded, the people were required to speak Germany and when France took the area back, the people were required to speak French.
Since 1992, the constitution of the Fifth Republic states that French is the official language of the Republic. However, Alsatian, along with other regional languages, is recognized by the French government in the official list of languages of France.
Its history is felt in the character of its buildings, the languages the residents speak (French, German and English) and the food they cook. I love a town with such a strong identity and a lot of character; Colmar packs a big punch!
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to the question. Genealogists have often considered the study of family history in Alsace to be part of German genealogy, based on the idea that the region was ethnically German. However, Alsace has been politically French for much of recent history.
How to Pronounce Colmar? | French Alsace City Pronunciation
Can I speak German in Alsace?
The official language of Alsace is French, however many Alsatian people speak German as well. On top of this, a large part of the population speaks Alsatian. This language is actually the second most-spoken regional language in France and is officially recognized by the French government.
Each of the romance languages evolved in their own way from Latin. Indeed, linguists generally believe that Italian is the closest of all romance languages to French.
3% of the population speak German dialects, predominantly in the eastern provinces of Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle. Flemish is spoken by around 90,000 people in the north-east, which is 0.2% of the French population.
Catholicism is the largest religion in France. During the pre-1789 Ancien Régime, France was traditionally considered the Church's eldest daughter, and the King of France always maintained close links to the Pope. However, the "Gallicanism" policy meant that the king selected bishops.
The city hosts numerous English-speaking social groups, clubs, and expat associations, providing ample opportunities to meet like-minded people and build a supportive network.
Famous for its half-timbered houses, Colmar's remarkable merchants' homes also do not fail to impress. Famous among them is the Adolf house, the oldest in Colmar, and the Pfister house dating from the 16th century with its ornate angelled oriel, richly painted murals and long wooden gallery.
Auguste Bartholdi - Father of the statue of liberty. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the most famous artist of Alsace of the 19th century, was born in Colmar in 1834.
Once the playground of kings and queens, the Loire Valley is in some ways the most French part of France. The accent of its residents is considered the purest in the country — the one news anchors try to emulate.
The name "Colmar" is of Roman origin. It actually means dovecote, the place where doves are bred and raised. There are a lot of towns and villages in France with the same etymology, such as Colombes and Coulommiers.
Strasbourg is situated at the eastern border of France with Germany. This border is formed by the Rhine, which also forms the eastern border of the modern city, facing across the river to the German town Kehl.
Alsace–Lorraine (German: Elsaß–Lothringen), officially the Imperial Territory of Alsace–Lorraine (German: Reichsland Elsaß–Lothringen), was a territory of the German Empire, located in modern-day France.
For example, I first learned the word 's'gilt', which means 'cheers', at a wine-tasting in the village of Obernai, and have since heard it used by both young and older people in bars in Strasbourg. Alsatian plays with German and French words and can sometimes be a combination of the two. You can say 'ça geht's?'
UNESCO is giving credit where credit is due: Chinese is officially the most difficult language in the world. To give you an idea of the complexity of this language: The written form gives no clues as to pronunciation… And pronunciation and intonation completely change the meaning of a word.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the French language is most likely to expand, because of the expansion of education and rapid population growth.
However, for many English speakers, Spanish is often considered slightly easier to learn than French. Here's why: Phonetics and pronunciation: Spanish has a MUCH more straightforward phonetic system, with consistent letter-to-sound correspondence, making it easier to pronounce words correctly.
On the other hand, Northern Germany is considered to be the region that speaks the purest Standard German, and in everyday life, little influence of dialect is heard.
Alsatian may refer to: A person from the Alsace region of northeast France. Alsatian dialect, the language or dialect of Alsace. German Shepherd, a breed of dog also known as an Alsatian in the UK.
Traditionally the storks would migrate from Africa, where they spent the winter, and come to Alsace in the summer. A variety of factors, from weather to power lines to hunting and eating them, led to their decline. In 1983 France started a program to repopulate the storks in Alsace, and it has been very successful.
