One hundred years ago, Atlanta was a very different town. The fire department used horses to pull water wagons. The population hovered around 155,000. The Georgian Terrace Hotel was only a year old. But the city did have one very international aspect: A group of local citizens came together to share their love of French language and culture, and the Alliance Francaise d’Atlanta was born.
“It was a very small group, just a social circle of people who came together to speak French, eat good food and drink wine,” explained Daniel Wolff, a Buckhead resident who has served as the Alliance president for three years. “But it was incorporated and became official in 1912.”
Officers of today’s Alliance have been working with the Atlanta History Center to determine where those French speakers came from and why they were here 100 years ago. While those questions remain unanswered, it is clear that interest in a French-based organization was strong enough to endure for 100 years — and not just because Atlanta has a large population of French expatriate.
“There are no exact numbers on how many ex-patriots live here,” said Wolff. “But we do know there are several large corporations in the Southeast that transfer people in. And it’s been my observation that if they’re here more than four or five years, they tend to stay.”
Wolff ’s own experience fits that profile. Born in Strasbourg, he arrived in Atlanta in 1991 with a three-year work contract. In 1994, he started his own engineering consulting firm.
“And 21 years later, here I am,” he said with a laugh. “I eventually got connected with the Alliance and have been on the board for 12 years. But it is not true that we are a lot of ex-pats or just a group where people can learn French. We’re actually both; we promote Francophone culture, teach the French language and host cultural events. We’re a bridge to attract French people who want to meet Americans who are interested in French culture.”
There are more than 100 chapters of the Alliance Francaise in the U.S., and Atlanta’s is one of the oldest. It’s also the seventh largest with more than 1,000 members. While most chapters have a cultural component, Atlanta is among the few that has a language school for all ages. Founded in 1963, the school opened with 35 students. Last year, it expanded from its base in the Alliance offices at Colony Square to a second campus in Roswell.
“When we added the school, we really started growing,” said Claude Wegscheider, a Sandy Springs resident who was the executive director from 1983 to 2008. “Our membership in 1983 was about 120, and by the late 2000s, we were at about 1,400 members because of the school.” The organization had another growth spurt during the 1990s, Wegscheider recalled. “French is the No. 1 language of the Olympics, so we were part of the 1996 boom,” he said. “We added classes to teach journalists who were working with French-speaking people. And interestingly enough, we had more people come to us right after 9/11. Arts are good for the soul, and we’ve had some extraordinary events with world leaders in the scientific, artistic and political fields.”
In recent years, the Alliance has focused on strengthening its ties to the Atlanta community. Three years ago, it joined forces with Goethe-Zentrum Atlanta, the German language and cultural center, and the two groups now share offices and produce joint programs. “Staying within our little group would not have helped us be visible,” said Wegscheider. “We have gone out of our way to have programs with Emory, Kennesaw State, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Fernbank, the High Museum and other large institutions that benefited from the expertise we brought.”
To mark the 100th anniversary, the Alliance is hosting a Centennial Ball at the Four Seasons Hotel on Sept. 29. The evening gala will feature dinner, entertainment and a presentation to the guest of honor, former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young. Tickets are $200; member tickets are $175. Proceeds benefit the Alliance's cultural programs and classes. Information: 404-875-1211; www.afatl.com.
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