Elsass-Lothringen Timeline

Online Information
A simplified historical timeline for Elsass-Lorraine - Any time you see an ethnic German's birthplace in the U.S. censuses flipping back and forth between France and Germany, there's a strong probability the individual was born in Alsace-Lorraine, an ethnic German enclave that is, today, in France, but has at times been ruled by Germany. The history of the region is complex, so for the purposes of genealogy, it might be best to simply consider it a "country" in and of itself, without placing it in either Germany or France. If a formal country must be used, then its current location dictates that it be placed in France, not Germany.