Visit villages, towns, where your ancestors lived, worked, or migrated from. We may be able to find traces of your family in churches and cemeteries as well.
Genealogy Tour : Find your ancestor in Alsace, provide a deeper understanding of the customs, traditions, and daily life of ancestors, offering a personal connection to one’s cultural roots.
Between 1815 and 1870, around 45,000 alsatians embarked for the United States. Emigration to the United States during the 19th century was marked by several waves. A first wave in 1817 mainly concerned rural Alsatians or textile workers from the Colmar region. Between 1828 and 1837, a second wave affected the inhabitants of the districts of Wissembourg and Saverne. Finally, from 1838, migrant populations left from all over Alsace, particularly affected by an agricultural crisis and an industrial crisis. The defeat of France in 1871 and the annexation of Alsace to the Prussian Empire by the Treaty of Frankfurt accelerated the departure of populations.
Follow me during a private Genealogy Tour : Find your ancestors in Alsace and walk in the steps of your ancestors. I will be your driver-guide and I will be happy to share with you all the history I know about Alsace.
Just a little things: to visit Alsace, you will need to flight to an international Airport. I wrote a page that presents the closest airports to Strasbourg. And the same page but for the closest airport to Colmar. Read it if you want some advices 🙂
What is a genealogy tour in Alsace?
A genealogy tour is a specialized form of travel where you will visit locations related to their family history, ancestry, or heritage.
The purpose of such a tour is to trace one’s roots, explore ancestral hometowns, and connect with the places and people linked to one’s family history. These tours often involve visiting archives, churches, cemeteries, and local landmarks relevant to a family’s lineage.
Impossible to create a typical day-tour itinerary. The history of each family is different. After checking the places you want to discover, if we have free time, it will be a pleasure for me to show you the Best of Alsace. We are lucky to have a lot of points of interest in Alsace (beautiful cities, Alsatian vineyard etc.). And of course we should program a lunch in a local restaurant to allow you to taste the local food and wines.
For a full day minivan privatization the cost is 700EUR (pick-up around 09:30am at the place of your choice and drop-off around 05:30pm). I will add to this price any possible costs if there are any (entrance tickets, wine tasting etc.). In my confortable minivan, I can welcome 7 passengers maximum + me the driver/guide.
Click on the tab « Contact and booking » and let’s talk together about your project 🙂
A bit of history
Why making a Genealogy Tour : Find your ancestors in Alsace?
In the northeastern United States, the states of New York and Pennsylvania were powerful poles of attraction for the Alsatians.
In the 18th century, these states had already received many settlers from eastern France. The tradition, as we have seen, continued in the 19th century. In Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh region in particular, highly industrialized for the time, was a “mine” for the Alsatians. Glassworks, blast furnaces, mechanical engineering workshops and various construction sites offered well-paid.
The defeat of France in 1871 and the annexation of Alsace to the Prussian Empire by the Treaty of Frankfurt accelerated the departure of populations and caused an emigration of another kind, which can be described as “patriotic emigration”. Alsatians opting for French nationality were required to leave Alsace. While some left to settle in France “from the inside”, others chose exile outside Europe, always towards the United States or Algeria.
Where did the Alsatians emigrate to in the USA?
In New York State, the most popular regions are the northwest Buffalo, Rochester, Oneida, Checkhwago, Amherst, Alden, Lancaster, are localities in which a large number of inhabitants of Bas-Rhin, most of whom are Catholic, are grouped together.
The Alsatians did not just settle in the United States; before and during the 19th century, they named certain places after an Alsatian locality. Pennsylvania comes out on top with five locations that bear Alsatian names (Colmar, Elsass, Oberlin, Strasburg, Upper Strasburg.). In Illinois you can find Colmar, Strasburg as well. The states of New York, Ohio, Virginia, Louisiana and Indiana each have two “Alsatian” villages. In the South, Texas absorbed a good part of the emigration from Haut-Rhin, while Louisiana and Arkansas, due to the presence of New Orleans, a cheaper port than New York, also retained the Alsatians.
Who I am
My name is Pierre and I am an Alsatian citizen and a real fan of Alsace.
From 2020 I am making private day tour in Alsace and the Upper Rhine Vallee. I lived in Alsace since 2010. I was born at 1 hour driving from Strasbourg in Lorraine, and after my studies, made in tourism industry, I moved in Strasbourg to work.
And you know what, I never wanted to go back in Lorraine. Why?
Because Alsace is a so nice place to live, full of traditions, restaurants, bar. And of course winemakers, vineyards, mountains, beautiful landscape, nearby Germany, Switzerland, with a lot of international airports to travel. I am really in love with Alsace. I am a real wine lover so here I am very happy. Let me drive you through Alsace and show you my favorite places.
If you travel to Alsace, come with me and walk in the steps of your ancestors. I will be your driver-guide and I will be happy to share with you all the history I know about Alsace.
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Contact and Booking
Genealogy Tour : Find your ancestor in Alsace minivan privatization
You want to privatize our minivan (with driver) for a full day? You want a Genealogy Tour to End your ancestors in Alsace? Departure from anywhere in Alsace. Simply contact us and talk about your project together.
You need an airport transfer between an Airport to Alsace, click here to visit our dedicated page.