ALSACAT-1953-12-01-STRASBOURG-1
In his 1954 book on the flying saucers, author Jimmy Guieu said that in the afternoon of December 1st, 1953, two workers in the botanical garden of the University of Strasbourg looked up and saw two jet planes disappear at very high altitude.
They "suddenly noticed" a craft in the form of "a shiny disc, almost as big as the sun, which twirled in the sky and disappeared at high speed towards the South."
The case was later also reported in several ufological publications, without any additional information.
It seems that a source at the time was an article in the newspaper L'Echo du Berry for December 2, 1953.
| Date: | December 1, 1953 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Afternoon |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | December 1953? |
| Reporting delay: | Hours, 1 day? |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Strasbourg |
| Place: | In the sky seen from the botanic Garden of the Strasbourg university. |
| Latitude: | 48.584167 |
| Longitude: | -7.766667 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 0.5 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 2 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 0 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Adults |
| Witness(es) types: | Men, gardeners. |
| Reporting channel: | ? |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | In the sky seen from the botanic garden of the university, in the middle of a big city. |
| Visibility conditions: | Daylight, outside. |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | No |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes |
| Entities: | No |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Hynek: | DD |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Insufficient information, possible military flare. |
[Ref. jgu1:] JIMMY GUIEU:
In the afternoon of December 1, 1953, two workers were working in the botanical garden of the University of Strasbourg. Looking up to see disappear at high altitude two jet planes, they suddenly noticed a bright disk, almost as big as the sun. This machine whirled into the sky and disappeared at high speed towards the south. Fifteen days ago, a police secretary, also in Strasbourg, observed a similar phenomenon.
[Ref. aldl:] MRS GUEUDELOT, "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT" ARCHIVE:
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DECEMBER 1st, 1953.-
STRASBOURG. - (67)
Afternoon
Two workers working in the botanical garden of the University of STRASBOURG, saw two jet planes, flying very high in the sky.
A few minutes after their passage, they saw a brilliant object, a little smaller than a setting sun, twirl in the sky, and disappear at high speed in a SOUTH direction.
15 days ago a similar phenomenon was observed by a police secretary.
"LA DEPECHE DU BERRY" for DECEMBER 2, 1953.
"Les S. V. viennent d'un autre monde" J. GIUEU p. 132
[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "GEPO INFORMATIONS":
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12 01 53 Strasbourg F 101VC2
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:
3364: 1953/12/01 00:00 1 7:48:00 E 48:37:00 N 3331 WEU FRN BRH 6:7
STRASBOURG,FR:2 GARDENERS:BRILL.DISK BACK+FORTH/SKY:>>S/VHI-SPEED:/J.GUIEU
Ref#137 GROSS,L.:UFOs a HISTORY-1953/6 books Book # 3 Page 56 : TOWN & CITY
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
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December [1953].
Strasbourg, France, on December 1st.
Two gardeners working on University grounds sighted a "brilliant disc" moving back and forth in the sky. Shortly thereafter the object took off at high speed in a southern direction. 213.
The source "213" is referenced as "Guieu, Jimmy. Flying Saucers Come From Another World. p.l38."
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1953, December 1
FRANCE Strasbourg
In the afternoon two workers were working in the botanical garden of the University of Strasbourg. Looking up to see two jet planes disappearing at very high altitude, they suddenly noticed a bright disc, almost as big as the sun. This craft twirled in the sky and disappeared at high speed towards the South. A fortnight before, a police secretary observed, also in Strasbourg, a similar phenomenon. (Jimmy GUIEU: "Les S.V. viennent d'un autre Monde" Fleuve Noir 1954 - Réédition Omnium Littéraire 1972 p. 149)
##
[Ref. uwb1:] "UFOWEB" WEBSITE:
| CITIES | DEPT | LATITUDES | LONGITUDES | YEARS | |
| Strasbourg | 67 | 48,583 | 7.750 | 1953 | 2000 |
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
December 1
On this day in 1953, some gardeners in Strasbourg, France watched a brilliant disc move back and forth in the sky. It shot off to the south at a very high speed. (Source: Loren Gross, UFOs: A History 1953, p. 056).
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN - "BASE OVNI FRANCE":
General features
| Num Base: | 671 |
| Département: | Bas Rhin (67) |
| Place of observation: | Strasbourg |
| Latitude: | 48.583 |
| Longitude: | +7.75 |
| Date of observation: | 01 December 1953 |
| Hour: | Hour not known |
| Duration (HH:MM:SS): | N.C. |
| Weather: | No weather indication |
| Type of observation: | Visual: Distant |
| Nbr of witness(es): | |
| Official investigation: | No |
Features of the object
| Nbr of object: | 1 |
| Type of object: | Disc |
| Size: | One time the sun |
| Color: | not defined |
| Luminosity: | Brilliant |
| Visual characteristics: | No indication |
| Speed: | not defined |
| Movement/Displacement: | Various maneuvers |
| Object on the ground: | No |
| Instantaneous disappearance: |
Observation
|
Two workers at work in the botanic garden of the university, look up to observe two jet planes. They notice suddenly a brilliant disc almost as large as the sun. The objet twirled in the sky and disappeared at great speed to the south. |
Sources
|
Les soucoupes volantes viennent d'un autre monde by Guieu Jimmy ** Fleuve Noir 1954 |
[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 early ufologist Jimmy Guieu stated in his book "Flying saucers come from another world" that in the afternoon of December 1, 1953, two workers who were working in the Botany garden of the University of Strasbourg looked up and saw disappear at high altitude a shining disc almost as big as the sun.
The craft spun in the sky and disappeared at high speed towards the south.
Christian Valentin regrets that as it often was at the time, there is no reference and no source.
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
1 December 1953 :
Strasbourg, Alsace, France
Gardeners incident.
Some gardeners in Strasbourg, France watched a brilliant disc move back and forth in the sky. It shot off to the south at a very high speed.
Brilliant disc moves back and forth in sky, shoots moving rapidly to the south at very high speed. An object was observed. It moved with a falling-leaf motion. One disc was observed by two witnesses in a city for over one minute.
Hynek rating: NL
Vallee rating: MA1
The sources are indicated as: "Gross, Loren E., UFOs: A History. 1953: August-December, Author, Fremont; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002."
[Ref. occ:] "LES OVNIS COMMENT NE PAS Y CROIRE?" WEBSITE:
Strasbourg Bas Rhin (67)
Date of observation : 01 December 1953 Hour : not known
Type of observation: Visual : Distant Nbr of Witnesses:2
Two workers at work in the botanic garden of the university, look up to observe two jet planes. They notice suddenly a brilliant disc almost as large as the sun. The objet twirled in the sky and disappeared at great speed to the south.
[Ref. spa1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRASBOURG | Tuesday 1 December 1953 | Circular, round or disc (2D) Unidentified |
information not communicated None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
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I cannot say much of this observation that could be interesting, but also very trivial. Accurate information on the movements is missing, there are no verbatim witness statements, let alone an investigation report. At that time, ufology was something quite new in France, authors and newspapermen were content to briefly note things they were told.
The Botanical Garden of the University of Strasbourg is mostly surrounded on all sides by multi-story buildings, it was already so in 1953, and many trees. I think that there was little chance that the UFO was very low on the horizon, it would probably have been hidden from view. It could rather have been at a fairly high angle, and therefore located above the city and not far outside the city limits.
The presence of two jets planes suggest some military drill was going on, perhaps with the release of a flare; it does not sound very convincing, of course: one may argue that such maneuvers are not performed above a big city, a flare makes little sense in daylight, and a flare is not likely to "disappear at high speed. But who knows, this last detail may have been a distortion of the witness report...
We can of course, also imagine that the two jet planes were actually in pursuit of an extraterrestrial spacecraft.
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Above: the Botanic Garden, ground view.
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Above: the Botanic Garden, aerial view.
Insufficient information, possible military flare.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editeur: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | September 10, 2014 | Creation, [jgu1], [uwb1], [djn1], [lcn1], [cvn2], [uda1], [occ1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | September 10, 2014 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 12, 2015 | Addition [spa1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | July 24, 2022 | Additions [gep1], [lgs1], [lhh1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | January 13, 2023 | Addition [goe1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | August 5, 2023 | Addition [ald1]. in the Summaty, addition of the paragraph "It seems that a source at the time..." |
