Lorraine Lorraine Region Coat of Arms of Lorraine Details Information Capital Metz Population  - Total (1999)  - Density 2,310,376 98 /km² Area 23,547 km² Arrondissements 19 Cantons 157 Communes 2,337 President of the regional council Jean-Pierre Masseret Départements Meurthe-et-Moselle (54) Meuse (55) Moselle (57) Vosges (88) Location Location of Lorraine in France Lorraine (or Lothringen in German) is a région of France in the north-east of the country. Lorraine is famous as the birthplace of Joan of Arc, and it is also the 'birthplace' of the famous French dish, Quiche Lorraine. Some of the main cities are Metz, Nancy and Verdun. History Lorraine was originally a kingdom in its own right. It was created in 843 when the Carolingian empire was divided between the three sons of Louis the Pious. Named after the new ruler, the Emperor Lothar, it was called Lotharingia. In France, this evolved into Lorraine, while in Germany, it was eventually known as Lothringen. See Duchy of Lorraine for dynastic details. With the loss of the imperial title and the waning of Carolingian influence, the kingdom lost territories and came under the rule of a duke, thereby reducing the former kingdom to a duchy. Between 1733 and 1766 it was ruled (generally seen as wisely ruled) by Stanislaus I of Poland. In 1766 Lorraine became part of France, and it was reorganized by the French government. Lorraine, along with Alsace, has long been contested territory between France and Germany. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the area was predominantly populated by Germans, who opposed efforts to have the French language and customs imposed upon them, a process which Stanislaus I effectively ended during his reign but which continued afterwards. A part of Lorraine, along with Alsace, was reunited with Germany after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 causing a number of French people to emigrate into France, and Lorraine remained a part of Germany until the end of World War I, when Germany had to cede it to France. The re-establishment of German identity was reversed following the German surrender in 1918. Policies of forbidding the use of German and requiring that of French were then begun. The region was annexed by Germany in 1940 during World War II. Lorraine was combined with the Saarland, and Alsace with Baden. The occupation, while putting a halt to the perceived anti-Germanic oppression, subjected the region to the Nazi dictatorship, which was loathed by most or all of the people, including the ethnic Germans. The war-torn area was given again to France in November 1944 after a victorious campaign by General Patton and his army. Because of all the fighting in the area, Lorraine is home to the largest American cemetery in France. Despite the French government 'single language' policy, the local German dialect still survives, called Frankish. This is a different German dialect than the neighbouring Alsatian language, with which it is often confused. Both dialects are called Alsacien in French, and neither have any form of official recognition. External link Lotharingia Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html for use of this content. To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorraine