‘Most people are unaware that the breed’s origial name was the Alsatian.
They originated in the Alsace region of -France- and are *not* a “German” breed at all.’
It is very much a German breed. Sal, where did you get this misinformation? I’m sorry, but they were never called “Alsatians” except by scared biggoted Englishmen who hated everything German (and Americans simply lopped off the name officially to just plain “Shepherd Dog” - even recently the GSDCA had trouble with official NY documentation when they found they never re-incorporated under the correct name GERMAN Shepherd).
German officer Max v. Stephanitz amalgamated the breed and organized it, and it has origins all over the entire German region, including Alsace-Lorraine, which has simply traded ownership between constantly warring French and German duchies, and for centuries has featured mixed either/or F/G culture. However, when von Stephanitz was organizing things to get registries and requirements going, most dogs were from different areas around Germany, although there was little direct knowledge of their ancestry, only guessing by where they were located themselves, and their similarity in type to others known.
You could be right.
I’m not a GSD owner or authority and my knowledge of them is limited to show breeders and old books.
[but do ping me when any topics involving “Thuringian Pinschers” come up]....;)