The name and design of the French Quarter have a historical background: When this quarter was created in 1872 after the German victory in the Franco-Prussian War (1870/1871), the planners decided to create squares and streets according to the French model. Therefore, the streets run towards the squares in a star shape. At the same time, they got their names from places where German armies won battles during the Franco-Prussian War. The Battle of Weissenburg gave its name to this square. Here the French army suffered a defeat in 1870. Today the small town in Alsace is no longer called Weißenburg but Wissembourg.