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Return to Germany
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Upon Napoléon's departure from the political scene, the installation of a reign by some very notable figures would take place under the constitutional Monarchy. From 1815 to 1848, a regime, led by some who were inclined to be somewhat dull and by others distinguished by merit, brought an era of peace and quiet happiness.
In 1848, France was shook by a new revolution. In Paris, that February, the abdication of Louis-Philippe and the Second Republic was proclaimed. In Strasbourg, the workers and the students assembled. The city was in turmoil and finally rallied behind the Prince-President, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. The new regime brought peace and prosperity to Strasbourg. The railroad between Paris and Strasbourg was completed in 1852 and the task of the regularization of the flow of the Rhine was undertaken.
The birth of a hegemonic trend in Germany combined with the errors made by the French diplomats and military would create in Europe, from 1840, a groundwork favourable to war. The stakes would be crystalized in the city of Strasbourg. Many Germans interpreted the fact that the Strasbourgeois spoke German to mean that they were strongly attached to their German roots.
The Prussians chose the 15th of August 1870, the birthday of Napoléon Bonaparte, to have the General von Werder open fire on Strasbourg. The remains of Mac-Mahon's army had been refuged there since their heavy defeat at Froeschwiller. Strasbourg was under the command of General Ulrich who had been called out of retirement. He would do what he could: the fort was unprotected, badly maintained and poorly armed compared to the enemy. Von Werder threw himself into the battle with little regard for the civilian population. The Cathedral was set on fire and its windows shattered. The city would burn for three nights and three days...The suffering of the city would subside on the 7th of September after the imperial disaster of Sedan with the arrest of Napoléon III and the proclamation of the Republic in Paris.
There was a brief humanitarian episode of generosity during all this destruction; a Swiss delegation convinced the Prussian general to let the older people, women and children to leave for Switzerland. The Treaty of Frankfurt signed on the 10th of May 1871 established the annexation of the city to Germany. This was consented to by the French National Assembly despite a solemn protest on the part of the Alsatian deputies. The French and the Germans disposed of the Strasbourgeois, the Alsatians and the Mosellans as they wished. This disregard left a very deep wound.
Strasbourg was practically on its knees by October 1870. The city was severley damaged: its population was suffereing from famine, illness and a hard winter. Its leaders, such as the Mayor Kuss or Schneegans, adopted a realistic attitude and, at the risk of being considered double-faced, they engaged in a positive protest. Between 1870 and 1918, Strasbourg grew from 85,000 to 180,000 inhabitants. As the urban fabric changed considerably so would the living conditions. It was important to Germany to show its power and capacities through Strasbourg: the city became a first-rate military fort, a radiant example of German architectual and urban know-how, a glowing example of public health, and be endowed the conditions necessary for modern circulation. A great number of buildings of quality were constructed in a very short time: the Kaiserpalast (the Emperor's Palace) was constructed from 1883 to 1887, the current National and University Library, the Post Office, the Train Station, the Saint-Paul Church and the Saint-Maurice Church. In addition the University Palace and the Civil Hospital were remarkably expanded and modernized. In 1915, the tramway circulated.
From an essentially commercial city, as it was in 1870, Strasbourg became a port and an industrial center. The new station linked Strasbourg with Germany and the regularization of the flow of the Rhine was developped with the creation of the Austerlitz Port and the Port of the Rhine. Evidently, commerce was stimulated and was further supported by the important banks. Gas and electricity lit up the city, furnishing domestic and industrial energy.
The city greatly changed in its population and societal components. Part of the Strasbourgeois population left the city in 1872 to avoid becoming part of the German Empire. Battallions of Germans moved to the city. Around 1900, the Germans represented 40% of the population. The Germans also endowed the city with a new university that they wished to become prestigious. However, the overzealousness to Germanize the elite of Strasbourg could be compared to a transplant that would not be accepted.
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