The Saverne Affair: A Lecture with Dr. Michael Neiberg

In partnership with the Boston/Strasbourg Sister City Association
NEHGS, 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston
Reception: 6:00 PM; Lecture: 6:30–7:30 PM Cost: $25 (registration through Boston/Strasbourg) FREE

In 1912 and 1913—before the outbreak of the First World War—tensions were high between Alsace and Germany. The Alsatians felt their culture, language, and customs were under threat by Germans trying to make Alsace more culturally German; an affront to their rights under the German constitution that protected their identity within the German Empire. Many Alsatians came to see local German Army garrisons, like the one in the town of Zabern (Saverne), as symbols of Germany's attempt to stamp out local customs. During one particularly tense period in late 1913, Prussian lieutenant Günther von Forstner promised his soldiers ten marks for each Alsatian they shot if the locals of Zabern marched in protest. Forstner quickly became a symbol of the German government's arrogance and increasingly poor relationship with the Alsatians. The "Zabern Affair" set off a major political scandal, the resolution of which went all the way to Kaiser Wilhelm himself. Join Dr. Michael Neiberg to learn more about this period in history and how it shaped American attitudes toward Alsace and Germany in the months just prior to the outbreak of WWI. 

Link to Register: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07eegnylvsf9f0e0a5&oseq=&c=&ch=