Alsace Autrement

Alsace Autrement
Name	Alsace Autrement
Formation	20XX
Type	Non-profit organization
Headquarters	Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, Grand Est
Region served	Alsace, France
Leader title	President

Alsace Autrement is a regional association based in Strasbourg focused on cultural promotion, heritage preservation, and sustainable tourism in the historic region of Alsace. The organization engages with museums, municipal councils, university departments, and heritage bodies to coordinate events, research, and advocacy across Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin. Alsace Autrement works alongside institutions in Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse, and smaller communes to interpret local architecture, language, and customs for residents and visitors.

History

Alsace Autrement was founded amid debates in Strasbourg and Colmar involving stakeholders from the Conseil régional d'Alsace, Municipality of Strasbourg, Municipality of Colmar, Municipality of Mulhouse, Eurométropole de Strasbourg, and civic groups connected to the Alsace independence movement and regional cultural associations. Early conveners included academics from the University of Strasbourg, curators from the Musée historique de Strasbourg, and members of the Conservatoire de Strasbourg. The association's formation followed consultations with representatives from the European Parliament office in Strasbourg, officials linked to the Bas-Rhin département, and heritage specialists associated with the Conseil départemental du Haut-Rhin. Over time, Alsace Autrement established ties with heritage networks formed after initiatives like the restoration programs inspired by the Monuments historiques listings and postwar conservation efforts connected to the Treaty of Rome era cultural policies.

Mission and Activities

Alsace Autrement describes its mission as promoting Alsatian identity through cultural programming, site stewardship, and educational outreach. The association organizes guided routes that reference landmarks such as the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, the Maison des Tanneurs in Colmar, the Musée Unterlinden, and industrial heritage sites tied to the Peugeot factories in Mulhouse and the Haut-Rhin Railway heritage. Activities include curatorial collaborations with the Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain de Strasbourg, archival projects with the Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg, and oral history campaigns involving local figures connected to the Alsatian language revival and the Alsace-Lorraine territorial legacy. Public programming often intersects with festivals like the Foire européenne de Strasbourg, the Marché de Noël de Strasbourg, and the Festival Musica.

Organization and Leadership

Alsace Autrement's governance features an elected board drawn from cultural institutions, municipalities, and academic partners. Leadership roles have included professionals with backgrounds at the University of Strasbourg, the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Strasbourg, the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers regional partnerships, and former staff of municipal cultural departments of Strasbourg and Colmar. The board liaises with regional bodies such as the Communauté d'agglomération Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération and consults with legal advisors familiar with frameworks like the Code du patrimoine and European directives referenced by the Council of Europe. Honorary patrons have included scholars affiliated with the Collège de France and curators from the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mulhouse.

Programs and Initiatives

Flagship programs include guided heritage trails, bilingual documentation in French and Alsatian, and conservation workshops conducted at sites like the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg and the Écomusée d'Alsace. Educational initiatives partner with the University of Strasbourg departments in history and ethnology, the Université de Haute-Alsace, and vocational programs at the Lycée professionnel Louis Armand in Mulhouse. Research collaborations have produced studies drawing on archives from the Archives départementales du Bas-Rhin and the Archives départementales du Haut-Rhin, and have been presented at conferences hosted by the Maison de l'Europe de Strasbourg and the European Court of Human Rights forum events. Public outreach includes walking tours coordinated with the Office de Tourisme de Strasbourg, seasonal workshops during the Festival des Arts de la Rue in Colmar, and exhibitions staged with partners like the Musée Alsacien.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Alsace Autrement maintains partnerships with museums such as the Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain de Strasbourg, the Musée historique de Mulhouse, the Musée Unterlinden, and the Musée du Papier peint de Rixheim. It collaborates with academic institutions including the University of Strasbourg, the Université de Haute-Alsace, the École nationale supérieure d'arts de Nancy, and research centers tied to the Centre national de la recherche scientifique. Municipal and intercommunal partners include the Eurométropole de Strasbourg, the Communauté d'agglomération Colmar Agglomération, and the Pôle métropolitain du Rhin. Cultural networks and funding partners have included the Fondation du Patrimoine, the Région Grand Est, the Ministry of Culture (France), and European programs administered through the European Regional Development Fund and the Interreg cross-border initiatives involving German partners like the Land Baden-Württemberg and Swiss contacts via the Canton of Basel-Stadt.

Impact and Reception

Alsace Autrement's programs have been cited in local coverage by outlets such as DNA (Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace), France 3 Grand Est, and cultural journals referencing projects at the Musée alsacien and conservation work at the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg. Evaluations by partners at the University of Strasbourg and the Fondation du Patrimoine note contributions to increased heritage visitation in communes across Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, and enhanced documentation of Alsatian vernacular architecture. The association's work has drawn responses from regional political actors in the Conseil départemental du Bas-Rhin and cultural debates involving the Conseil régional du Grand Est, while international exchanges have been organized with institutions connected to the Council of Europe and UNESCO advisory bodies active in regional heritage conservation.

Category:Organizations based in Strasbourg