The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 6-Oct-54-Strasbourg.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The newspaper Le Nouvel Alsacien reported on October 7, 1954, that a flying saucer was seen over the Orangery in Strasbourg on October 6, 1954.
They said that in the evening after 7 p.m. they received several phone calls, some of which announced the landing of a flying saucer near the Orangerie while others called for asking the confirmation.
The newspaper scoffed: "it is difficult to believe that the inhabitants of Mars have a preference for our zoo; which may not be so attractive" and said the "flying cigar" must have been "rather in the shape of a pitcher full of new wine than cigar-shaped."
The next day, the same newspaper said that while they first thought it was a joke, because these stories of flying objects are lately more and more important, many people all reliable, however, confirmed that a strange apparition had indeed occurred in the sky of the Orangery district.
They wondered: "Is it a flying saucer or a natural phenomenon? The question remains open."
[Ref. lna1:] NEWSPAPER "LE NOUVEL ALSACIEN":
Yesterday evening after 7 p.m., we received several phone calls, some of which announced the landing of a flying saucer near the Orangerie while others called for asking the confirmation. It is difficult to believe that the inhabitants of Mars have a preference for our zoo; which may not be so attractive.
Regarding the "flying cigar", it must have been rather in the shape of a pitcher full of new wine than cigar-shaped.
[Ref. lna2:] "LE NOUVEL ALSACIEN" NEWSPAPER:
We reported in yesterday's edition that Wednesday evening around 7 p.m., a flying cigar or saucer was seen above the area of the Orangerie. We first thought it was a joke, because these stories of flying objects are lately more and more important.
Many people all reliable, however, confirmed to us that a strange apparition occurred at the said hour in the sky of this district. Is it a flying saucer or a natural phenomenon? The question remains open.
[Ref. cvn2:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:
Former journalist Christian Valentin published in 2012 a very interesting book telling the story of UFO sightings, flying saucers sightings, in Alsace, from the beginning to 1980.
In this book, he reports that there was a case on Wednesday, October 6, 1954, in Strasbourg in the Bas-Rhin told in the "NOUVEL ALSACIEN" for Thursday, october 7, 1954, on page 5:
Yesterday evening after 7 p.m., we received several phone calls, some of which announced the landing of a flying saucer near the Orangerie while others called for asking the confirmation. It is difficult to believe that the inhabitants of Mars have a preference for our zoo; which may not be so attractive.
Regarding the "flying cigar", it must have been rather in the shape of a pitcher full of new wine than cigar-shaped.
He indicates there was a second article in the "NOUVEL ALSACIEN" for Friday, October 8, 1954:
We reported in yesterday's edition that Wednesday evening around 7 p.m., a flying cigar or saucer was seen above the area of the Orangerie. We first thought it was a joke, because these stories of flying objects are lately more and more important.
Many people all reliable, however, confirmed to us that a strange apparition occurred at the said hour in the sky of this district. Is it a flying saucer or a natural phenomenon? The question remains open.
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This report is obviously almost totally devoid of any data allowing identification. There is for example no description at all of what was seen. There is no size, no time, no direction, nothing.
That night - it was dark - Mars was visible due south at azimuth 179° and a relatively low height of 16°, just below and to the right of the moon, visually. As there is no information on what was seen, one can also think it could have been a meteor or a plane.
So this was possibly Mars or a meteor or a plane or something else.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, saucer, Orangerie, multiple
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | April 22, 2014 | First published. |
