The German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II began in May 1940 after the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was invaded by Nazi Germany. Although Luxembourg was officially neutral, it was situated at a strategic point at the end of the French Maginot Line. On 10 May 1940, the German Wehrmacht invaded Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Luxembourg was initially placed under a military administration, but later became a civilly administrated territory and finally was annexed directly into Germany. The Germans believed Luxembourg to be a Germanic state, and attempted to suppress what they perceived as alien French language and cultural influences. Although some Luxembourgers joined the resistance or collaborated with the Germans, both constituted a minority of the population. As German nationals, from 1942, many Luxembourgers were conscripted into the German military. Nearly 3,500 Luxembourgish Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. The liberation of the country by the Allies began in September 1944, but due to the Ardennes Offensive it was not completed until early 1945.
Wiltz is a commune with town status in north-western Luxembourg, situated in the canton of the same name. Wiltz is situated on the banks of the river Wiltz. It was also a battleground in the Battle of the Bulge, near the end of World War II. A local airfield was used by both sides of the conflict, depending on the location of the Front.
Luxembourg's 100 communes conform to LAU Level 2 and are the country's lowest administrative divisions.
Volksdeutsche Bewegung was a Nazi movement in Luxembourg that flourished under the German-occupied Luxembourg during World War II.
Niederkorn is a town in the commune of Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg, on the Chiers river, from which it takes its name. As of 2024, the town has a population of 7,663.
The history of the Jews in Luxembourg dates back to the 1200s. There are roughly 1,200 Jews in Luxembourg, and Jews form one of the largest and most important religious and ethnic minority communities in Luxembourg historically.
The 2005–06 Luxembourg National Division was the 92nd season of top level association football in Luxembourg. The competition ran from 7 August 2005 to 28 May 2006. The league title was won by F91 Dudelange, who also won the Luxembourg Cup to complete the Double.
From August 1914 until the end of World War I on 11 November 1918, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was under full occupation by the German Empire. The German government justified the occupation by citing the need to support their armies in neighbouring France, although many Luxembourgers, past and present, have interpreted German actions otherwise.
Émile Krieps was a Luxembourgish resistance leader, soldier, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Krieps served in cabinets under Pierre Werner and Gaston Thorn.
Hinzert concentration camp was a concentration camp in Nazi Germany, in what is now Rhineland-Palatinate, 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the border with Luxembourg. Between 1939 and 1945, 13,600 political prisoners between the ages of 13 and 80 were imprisoned at Hinzert. Many were in transit towards larger concentration camps where most would be killed. However, many prisoners were executed at Hinzert. The camp was administered, run, and guarded mainly by the SS, who, according to survivors, were notorious for their brutality and viciousness.
Ernest Toussaint was a Luxembourgish boxer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was born in Rumelange.
Lucien Wercollier was a sculptor from Luxembourg.
Le prisonnier politique is a bronze sculpture created in 1949 by Luxembourgish sculptor Lucien Wercollier. It exists in three different versions.
The National Museumof Resistance and Human Rights is located in the centre of Esch-sur-Alzette in the south-west of Luxembourg. The specially designed building (1956) traces the history of Luxembourg from 1940 to 1945 under the Nazi oppression, through the reactions of the people, until liberation, by photos, objects and works of art. There is also an exhibition of the Nazi concentration camps and the treatment of Luxembourg's Jews.
The involvement of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in World War II began with its invasion by German forces on 10 May 1940 and lasted beyond its liberation by Allied forces in late 1944 and early 1945.
When Luxembourg was invaded and annexed by Nazi Germany in 1940, a national consciousness started to emerge. From 1941 onwards, the first resistance groups formed in secret, operating underground and in defiance of the German occupation. Their covert activities included aiding political refugees and those evading conscription into the German forces, as well as disseminating patriotic leaflets to bolster the Luxembourgish population's spirits.
The Reuter Ministry was the government in office in Luxembourg from 28 September 1918 until 20 March 1925, headed by Émile Reuter. It resulted from the Chamber elections of 28 July and 4 August 1918 and was reshuffled on 5 January 1920 as a result of the elections of 26 October 1919. There was a further reshuffle on 15 April 1921, when the Liberals left the government.
In the industrial sector, the Luxembourg steel industry continues to occupy the first place in the country, even after the industrial reforms which have taken place since the 1960s.
The Notre-Dame Cemetery in Luxembourgish more commonly the Nikloskierfecht, or "St. Nicholas Graveyard", is located in the Limpertsberg quarter of Luxembourg City. It is the largest of the 14 cemeteries and graveyards managed by the Service Cimetières of the City of Luxembourg.
The 2024–25 Luxembourg National Division season, also known as BGL Ligue, for sponsorship reasons, is the 111th of top-tier association football in Luxembourg. The season began on 3 August 2024 and will end on 25 May 2025.
