German in 3 countries

guillaume   Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:01 am GMT
Why names of the cities and villages,names of the streets in Alsace nad Lorraine can't be called in two languages-French and German?

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I think it's because of the war (WW2), people in Alsace and Loraine, generally old people , don't like germans people. Some of them still considere them like ennemies. But the villages names and streets are written in both French and Alsatian.
guillaume   Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:05 am GMT
And I think if you begin to write the names of the cities and villages and the names of the streets in Alsace and Lorraine in german, people will take it like a provocation, there are still ill feeling there.
encore   Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:16 am GMT
<<And I think if you begin to write the names of the cities and villages and the names of the streets in Alsace and Lorraine in german, people will take it like a provocation, there are still ill feeling there.>>
It looks strange,because France and Germany are friendly EU states. Or someone unofficially support these feelings?
guillaume   Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:21 pm GMT
<<It looks strange,because France and Germany are friendly EU states.>>

yes, you can say that in majority french people are not against german people and it's a good thing, the french and german governement work together and it's too a good thing, but still people are people, some of them will never forget the past, and it's mostly true in Alsace and Lorraine . In these regions, there are people who will never forgive the germans. But in many places in France, not only in Alsace and Lorraine) there are french people who don't like germans, but they are generally old.
encore   Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:29 pm GMT
For example,Xavier Naidoo-German singer,nice voice, soulful music.Nice texts in German language.When he sings,German language looks so beautiful. The same is with Sabrina Setlur or Holger Bige.I don't understand,how people don't like Germans or their nice language.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O4jLRa1Q98
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3K3rgRp7hw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RpJqaI3-bg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnJ476DmFFA&feature=related
guillaume   Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:46 pm GMT
<<I don't understand,how people don't like Germans or their nice language. >>

euh... read History of Europe. I know germans people today are completely different from their ancestors, I have nothing against german, but I can understand why some old people can't forgive them. Some young people don't like german too, but there are just a little stupid, and it's not only in France, you know.
Jodelpudel   Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:47 pm GMT
I cannot agree with you, guillaume! I'm German and live very near the Lorraine region (Saarland). I'm occasionally over there, and many French people come to go shopping or do other things here (Saarbrücken for example, where most traffic signs are written in German and French). Anyhow, I've never had the feeling they're kind of anti-German (also old people), in fact I always thought it's the opposite, though I don't want to generalize, it's just my personal impression. I also know a lot of compatriots who now live in Lorraine, and if they'd ever faced hatred of any kind, they'd not want to live there, I guess.
It may be different in Alsace. I don't know since I haven't been there very often.
guillaume   Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:38 pm GMT
Jodelpudel

it's normal, majority of french people are not like this (fortunaly), but there are some ,generally old, and some young who really are anti-germans. And of course, that kind of people will never say in front of germans people they hate them, it's more between them.