Original: Alsace is frequently mentioned in conjunction with Lorraine , because German possession of parts of these two régions ( as the province Alsace-Lorraine , 1871 -- 1918 ) was contested in the 19th and 20th centuries , during which Alsace changed hands four times between France and Germany in 75 years .
Simplified: Alsace is frequently mentioned in conjunction with Lorraine , because the possession of these two régions ( as Alsace-Lorraine ) has been often contested in 19th and 20th century history .