Okay. I have a question. Why does Stratsbourg have a German-sounded name even though it's a French City? What's the origin of the name "Stratsbourg"?

From my peripheral understanding i guess such border city was at dispute at WW2 with the two , possibly WW1 and previous wars and it ended up in the control of the French. Now which agreement was it , if it was an agreement or treaty , i do not remember.

Strasbourg is in a historical region called "Alsace". Alsace was a German territory inhabited by German peoples. It was conquered by the French in the 17th Century, and over time German influences were eradicated. This was especially true after World War 1 - The Prussians conquered Alsace and part of Lorraine in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, and the French retook it at the end of WWI.

The name "Strasbourg" is a France-icisation (not sure of the correct term) of the German name Strassburg, which in turn is a Germanisation of the Alsatian dialect's name Strosburi.

The name "Strasbourg" is a France-icisation (not sure of the correct term) of the German name Strassburg, which in turn is a Germanisation of the Alsatian dialect's name Strosburi.

The correct term is actually gallicization or francization.

I thought it was Gallicisation, but I wasn't sure.

Yup, German name, Strassburg, but Strasbourg in French, meaning roughly "City of the Roads". In the border region between France and Germany.

Or to be more precise, it's located in the disputed third of Charlemagne's inheritence. It was divided in three parts after his death in 814, the western becoming France, the Eastern becoming Germany, and the bit in between, Alsace, Lorraine, Burgundy etc. (also including the Low Countries in the north and Italy in the south iirc), subsequently being fought over for a millenium and then some.

Now I have a new question. How did German became the official language of Austria? What language existed before German came in Austria?

Now I have a new question. How did German became the official language of Austria? What language existed before German came in Austria?

6th century, when the germanic tribes of bajuvari (english????) and alemanni settled here during the migration period.

before that the area that is today's austria was mostly part of roman provinces.
so the languages were latin and earlier: celtic dialects..

bajuvari (english????)
We use the same epithet, although English speakers don't usually refer to them in any texts. Baiuvari is also used. I don't recall ever hearing about them much other than as the genesis of the name "Bavaria" (Würzburg represent!). They might be related to the old Boii or Marcomanni though, because "Baiuvari" sounds a little like they're coming from the Bohemia area.

oh, and i meant 7th century :)

oh, and i meant 7th century :)
Says 6th in my atlas, 520 ADish. :p Right the first time?

Says 6th in my atlas, 520 ADish. :p Right the first time?

yeah. i confused myself. nevermind. :crazyeye:

Now I have a new question. How did German became the official language of Austria? What language existed before German came in Austria?

That question has alreayd been answered.. but.. I should add that the German name for Austria is Osterreich - which simply means.. Eastern Kingdom.. (or empire?)

German tribes settled in Austria.. much like they did throughout what is now Germany.

That question has alreayd been answered.. but.. I should add that the German name for Austria is Osterreich - which simply means.. Eastern Kingdom.. (or empire?)


the name "österreich" btw goes back to the word "ostarrichi", a term first mentioned in 996. it was part of the duchy of bavaria by then and became independent in 1156 as duchy of österreich.

"kingdom" would be the better translation for "reich" in this case,
though just "region under a certain reign" even better fits it.
it derives from the germanic word for "king" (borrowed from celtic) and also means "rich" in modern german. (another word derived from it - "bereich" - means "area" in modern german)

most of the time it's best to translate it with "empire" though, as in "heiliges römisches reich" ("holy roman empire") or "persisches reich" ("persian empire").
the latin-derived word "imperium" for "empire" is in use in german also.

IIRC the original name for Austria, when it used a proper formal name, meant "East (part) of the Kingdom". A mere march was certainly not called a Kingdom.

Thanks everyone!:goodjob:

In dutch we still say "Oostenrijk" "empire of the east :lol:" (overpowered in EU3 though )

Now I have a new question. How did German became the official language of Austria? What language existed before German came in Austria?
This had already been answered, but I just want to mention that it's important to remember that Austria was originally just another state within Germany, much like Bavaria or Hanover. It was simply too powerful to be incorporated into the Prussian-dominated German Empire.