Lothringen - Language and Culture

Language and Culture

Most of Lorraine has a clear German identity. Bismarck annexed about a third of today's Lorraine to the German Empire following the Franco-Prussian War. The disputed third, known as Moselle, had a culture not easily classifiable as either French or German, where both Romance and Germanic dialects were spoken. Like many border regions, Lorraine was a patchwork of ethnicities and dialects which were not mutually intelligible with either French or standard German.

Despite the French government's "single language" policy, local Franconian dialects still survive in the region's northern part. They are known collectively as Plàtt in Franconian, Lorraine Franconian in English, and francique or platt (lorrain) in French (not to be confused with lorrain, the Romance dialect from the same region). Lorraine Franconian is distinct from neighbouring Alsatian, to the south, although the two are often confused. Neither has official status where they are spoken. Technically, Lorraine Franconian is a catch-all term for historically three dialects—Luxemburgish, Mosel Franconian, and Rhine Franconian. They are similar to the dialects native to the neighboring west central German dialects spoken in Luxembourg and Germany.

Like most of France's regional languages (e.g. Breton, West Flemish, Catalan, Provençal and Alsatian), Lorraine Franconian has been largely replaced by French in the 19th and 20th centuries as a direct result of public schooling in French only. However, there are efforts underway to preserve Lorraine Franconian and many older people still speak it. Recent efforts include the use of bilingual signage in parts of Franconian areas and language classes for young children.