Famous people

ALFRED TINSEL

Born in Metz on 15 April 1920, Alfred Tinsel moved to Seltz with his family in 1934.  Not part of any post-war artistic movement, he painted portraits, landscapes and still lives in a figurative style.  He exhibited his work in France and abroad.  A member of the « Association des Artistes Indépendants d’Alsace » (Alsatian Independent Artists Association), he never tired of painting Strasbourg, the banks of the River Ill, the churches of « Saint Guillaume » (Saint William) and « Saint Paul » as well as villages and landscapes throughout Alsace.  He captured the light of the South during his numerous travels in Morocco, Spain, Italy and Greece and returned with equally admirable watercolours from Brittany and northern towns such as Bruges.  He knew how to seize the River Seltzbach in freezing weather and the beauty of wide snow-covered expanses in the Kochersberg area.  A retrospective exhibition in 1991 in the art house of the « Ancienne Douane » in Strasbourg, gave an overview of his work.

Two of his works acquired by the Town Hall hang on the walls of the Seltz Tourist Office.  A self-portrait, offered by his son Olivier, casts a haughty look at visitors while a winter, vineyard landscape contrasts the warmth of a family scene.  He also made a scale model of the Canton of Seltz as well as the drawing for the stain-glass window at the Town Hall entrance.

A multi-facetted artist, student then teacher at the « Ecole des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg » (Strasbourg Decorative Arts School) from 1957 till 1988, he made several frescoes for schools in the « Bas-Rhin » district, the most important of which is a mosaic which measures twelve-by-three metres, on one of the outside walls of the « Ecole Saint Georges » (Saint Georges’  School) in Haguenau. The games’ room of the Seltz Primary School is brightened up by one of his playful paintings.
Alfred Tinsel left an indelible trace of his artistic sensitivity throughout his career.  He died on 11 March 1989 and was laid to rest in the Seltz Cemetery.

General Ferdinand Schneider

The future General Schneider was born on 18 July 1829 in Seltz. After early studies, he became a student at the Military School in Saint-Cyr. On 1st November 1851 he was nominated Lieutenant of the 1st Lancers Regiment and detached to the Cavalry School in Saumur.  On 22 November 1862 we find him again as Captain of the Macon Police force. 

Made « Chevalier » of the Legion of Honour on 12 July 1880, he was nominated on 16 July 1884 to the Command of the Paris Legion at the same time as becoming member of the Cavalry Committee.  Made « Officier » of the Legion of Honour on 5 July 1887, he was nominated Brigade General, Inspector General of the Police force.  General Schneider married Miss Aimée Boeringer from Paris and they had four sons: Félix, Aimé, Georges and Fred.  He died in 1911 in Paris and was buried in « Père Lachaise » Cemetery.

The SPANGENBERGER BROTHERS

A little ray of sunshine in a black sky: There were two brothers who were born in Seltz; the younger was called Charles, the elder, Henri.  We are in May 1944 when the walls of the Third Reich edifice, which had appeared so solid, began to crack…

Charles, conscripted into the Wehrmacht (German army) found himself in Italy opposing American and Allied troops who had landed on the peninsula in September 1943.  The Allies had launched an important offensive near Cassino.  Completely exhausted by the long, harsh fighting, Charles had dozed off for an instant and, when he awoke, found he had been discovered by half-a-dozen French infantry soldiers in single file. He ran towards them with his hands in the air, shouting, « Don’t shoot, I’m French! »  But the man in front had already thrown a grenade at him. Charles, who had the reflex to throw himself on the ground, managed to avoid the worst, but was nevertheless wounded.

When he re-opened his eyes, he was surrounded by dark-skinned, French soldiers who threatened him with their bayonets.  They were in fact Moroccan infantry-men with whom it was difficult to establish communication!  At that moment a non-commisioned officer intervened and had Charles evacuated to the military hospital in Acerra.

Henri was a career soldier who by this time had already acquired the rank of Captain and commanded a squadron of Third Regiment Algerian Spahis.  Like his brother, he was supposed to have served under the Nazi uniform, but following a hospitalisation in Lyon, he had succeeded in escaping via Spain, to rejoin his regiment at Batna in Algeria. Henri, or rather « François » as he was now known, had landed in the region of Naples in December 43.  Captain François, who was waiting for the signal to launch a huge offensive to the west of Cassino, received this totally unexpected message on 14 May 1944, « Can you come?  Your brother is a prisoner here ».  It was more than four years since they had seen each other.  He immediately jumped into his jeep…

From his hospital window, Charles saw a dust-covered jeep arrive. He only recognised his brother by the way he ajusted his clothes and cleaned his glasses.  He hurtled downstairs as fast as his wounds would let him, shouting « Henri! ».  His brother was going to go past him!  On turning round, Henri finally recognised him and exclaimed, « My God, it’s true! »
Hence the highly unusual event of a French officer falling into the arms of a soldier in German uniform in front of dumbfounded passers-by.

The whole tragedy of the « Malgré-nous *» is summed-up in this moment.
(* « Malgré-nous » is the term for the men of Alsace-Lorraine who were conscripted into the German army against their will.)

Henri Spangenberger went on to a brilliant military career.  He attained the rank of Brigade General and was made a « Commandeur » of the Legion of Honour.  He also had the distinguished delight of participating in the liberation of his native town from the invaders on 19 March 1945.  Seltz has given his name to a road and square, honours which are indeed merited.   He died on 28 March 1993 in Vendée.

Charles Spangenberger, on leaving hospital managed, like he had already tried without success, to desert from the Wehrmacht (German army) and joined the French army.   After the war, he came back to Seltz, started a family and now enjoys an active, well-deserved retirement.