Alsace-Lorraine (Ger. Elsass-Lothringen), a division of the German empire, officially designated as the German Reichsland (imperial territory), and composed of Alsace and those portions of Lorraine conquered from France in the war of 1870, and formally ceded to Germany by the treaty of Frankfort, May 10, 1871. It passed by the terms of its cession into the possession of the whole empire, and not of any one division of Germany, and it is under the immediate control of the imperial government. The territory originally occupied by the Germans in 1870, and formed in August of that year into a district under the temporary government of a governor general, included the French province of Alsace with its two departments Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin, two arrondis-sements (Kaufmanns-Saarbruck and Salzburg) of the department of Meurthe, and three arron-dissements (Saargemund, Metz, and Dieden-hofen, Fr. Thionville) of the department of the Moselle. The canton of Schirmeck and a part of the canton of Saales, both from the department of Vosges, were added in December. The treaty of peace made important changes in the extent of these districts.

The Germans restored to France the following portions of the conquered territory: 1. From the department of Haut-Rhin. Arrondissement of Bel-fort: the cantons Belfort, Delle, Giromagny, and 21 out of the 29 communes composing the canton of Fontaine. Arrondissement of Alt-kirch: three communes of the canton of Alt-kirch. Arrondissement of Colmar: four communes of the canton Masmunster. 2. From the department of Meurthe. Arrondissement of Saarburg: eight communes of the canton of Saarburg, and nine of the canton of Vic. Arrondissement of Salzburg: three communes of the canton of Salzburg. 3. From the department of Moselle. Arrondissement of Metz: 11 communes of the canton of Gorze. By an additional article, ratified in Berlin, Oct. 20, the comparatively unimportant communes of Raon-les-Leaux, Raon-sur-Plaine, and Igney, with a part of Avricourt, were also restored to France. By the treaty, however, there were ceded to Germany 12 communes of the cantons of Audun and Longwy, arrondissement of Briey, department of Moselle. The entire Reichsland, as permanently organized by Germany after these complicated changes, is bounded by Luxemburg, Rhenish Prussia, Rhenish Bavaria, Baden (from which it is separated by the Rhine), Switzerland, and the French departments of Haute-Saone, Vosges, and what remains of those of Meurthe and Moselle; area, 5,594 sq. m.; pop. in 1871, 1,549,459. The natural features of the country, and its history to 1870, are described in the articles Alsace and Lorraine. - The government, as organized by the Germans, centres in the provincial diet (Landtag). The Reichsland is divided into 23 circles (Kreise), each having a Kreisdirector at the head of its local government - an officer nearly corresponding to the sub-prefect of a French arrondissement.

The old French division into communes (Ger. Gemeinden) and cantons (Ger. Cantone) is retained with some unimportant changes. Before its cession to Germany, the territory belonged to five French departments, namely, Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin, Vosges, Meurthe, and Moselle; it is now divided into three Bezirke (districts), called Ober-Elsass (generally corresponding to the former Haut-Rhin), Nieder-Elsass (Bas-Rhin), and Deutsch-Lothringen (German Lorraine). - The educational establishments have been reestablished on the plan of similar German institutions, and education has been made by law independent of all sectarian influence. The language of the common people is generally German in Alsace; in Lorraine more French is spoken. Both languages are commonly understood, and near the former frontier both are used.