A Foundation and development
The association „Heimetsproch un Tradition" was founded in September 1984 in Selestat at the Cour des Prélats (Prelatic Court) where it has its headquarters.
Its founder Charles Goldstein (1924 - 1989) gathered together men and women committed tothe perpetuation of our culture and our regional language, the preservation of the German-Alsatian and Franconian-Lorraine or Alsatian dialects and give them a new dynamism.
Today the association has some 3.000 members and has become the largest association working in this field in Alsace.
B Aims and Activities
The association’s main channel of communication is the journal „d’Heimet - zwischen Rhin un Vogese" (Homeland between Rhine and Vosges) which Charles Goldstein began publishing in 1982. Our mother-tongue and our culture are expressed here in three linguistic forms:
- German, standard written form for both Alsation and Lorraine dialects.
- Alsation (German and Franconian)
- French, national language.
There are 6 issues a year containing commentaries, proposals, articles on the history and cultural foundations of our region, biographies, the people’s theatre, regional literature, poetry and prose, the groups’ activities and courses enhancing the appreciation of the people’s regional culture etc.
Increasing the number of radio and television programs is a constant concern. This is particularly important to help young people find their place within our regional linguistic domain.
Certain committee members or member of the association take part in cultural programs from „free" (unauthorised) radio stations. The dialects can also be learnt at regular get-togethers called „Stammtisch", usually held in pubs or cafés.
Every year the „Charles Goldstein Award" is conferred to a particularly deserving group or person in honour of their work.
The 3000 members of „Heimetsproch un Tradition" and their families are invited to converse primarily in their regional language, as a family as well as in their other social relations. So that by their commitment, their example and their actions they exercise an influence on members of parliament and authorities in order that our culture and our identity may be kept alive.
We are active in the education system, requesting bilingual classes from nursery school age to the end of secondary school. We support the association A.B.C.M Zweisprachigkeit (A-B-C.M. bilingualism) who do great work in this field.
In the linguistic and cultural domain we correspond and forge friendships beyond the French borders with: the associations: „Muettersprach-Gsellschaft" in Baden Germany, „Europa-Union Münstertal" in the Black Forest, „Allemannenspiegel" in Zürich and „Elsass-Freunde Basel" in Bâle, Switzerland.
We are also active within the High Commission of Reference for Alemannic and Franconian Language and Culture under the leadership of Honoury Senator, Henry Goetschy. This presiding body co-ordinates all cultural groups in Alsace and Lorraine. Thus together with the county councils and regional councils of the Upper and Lower Rhine we put projects into action to defend our language and culture. It takes time for our efforts to take effect, mentalities change slowly........................... in our centralised country.
C. The Right to have a Regional Language
We are politically and confessionally independent.
We are of the opinion that only one Europe, composed of regions would be able to give us the necessary recognition of our rights and our liberties. Shortly before the ratification of the Maastricht agreement, the French Republic modified its constitution to include the clause „French is the language of the republic". It is in the light of this article that our country has refused, until now, to sign the European Charter for Minority Languages. We claim respect for our basic right along with all the other minorities who historically form the linguistic and cultural entity which make up our national soil.
France is made up of different peoples who cultivate different languages. We recognise the obvious necessity of a national language (French), but we refuse to accept one sole language oppressing other linguistic expressions. France is multilingual and multicultural. German and the spoken Form Alsation constitute a French regional language just like Flemish, Breton, Basque, Catalan, Occitan and Corsican.
These languages are every bit as noble an the ancient dialect from the Ile-de-France, which had the good fortune of establishing itself as the Capetian Monarch’s language.
In view of the complete lack of understanding of our problem on the part of all the governments and the majority of parliamentarians, we demand the creation of a Federal France which would be governed according to the principals of subsidiary. This alone would guarantee us our rights and our liberty in a true democracy.
Norbert Reppel Henri Scherb
Secretary President
