Actually, crow_noir, I think that only England called them Alsatians because they wanted to use the breed after WWII. They didn't want to use the word "German" so they just changed the name to Alsatian.

That's the story that I heard.

You are correct that they didn't exist until the 1890's.

------------------
Becky Weise & Iris - the German Shepherd
http://www.geocities.com/iris_gsd