Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a small landlocked country in Western Europe. It borders Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembourg, is one of the four institutional seats of the European Union and the seat of several EU institutions, notably the Court of Justice of the European Union, the highest judicial authority. Luxembourg's culture, people, and languages are highly intertwined with its French and German neighbors; while Luxembourgish is the only national language of the Luxembourgish people and of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, French is the only language for legislation, and all three – Luxembourgish, French and German – are used for administrative matters in the country.
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.
Limpertsberg is a quarter in north-western Luxembourg City, in the centre of Luxembourg.
Sigfried was Count in the Ardennes, and is known in European historiography as founder and first ruler of the Castle of Luxembourg in 963 AD, and ancestor and predecessor of the future counts and dukes of Luxembourg. He was also an advocate of the abbeys of St. Maximin in Trier and Saint Willibrord in Echternach.
The Duchy of Luxemburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, the ancestral homeland of the noble House of Luxembourg. The House of Luxembourg, now Duke of Limburg, became one of the most important political forces in the 14th century, competing against the House of Habsburg for supremacy in Central Europe. They would be the heirs to the Přemyslid dynasty in the Kingdom of Bohemia, succeeding the Kingdom of Hungary and contributing four Holy Roman Emperors until their own line of male heirs came to an end and the House of Habsburg got the pieces that the two Houses had originally agreed upon in the Treaty of Brünn in 1364.
The Fortress of Luxembourg is the former fortifications of Luxembourg City, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which were mostly dismantled beginning in 1867. The fortress was of great strategic importance for the control of the Left Bank of the Rhine, the Low Countries, and the border area between France and Germany.
Gilbert Trausch was a Luxembourgish historian. He and other colleagues of the post-World War II generation of Luxembourg historians, such as Paul Margue, brought a new concern for Luxembourg's international relations to their study of its history.
The Oktavor Muttergottesoktav is a religious double-octave celebrated in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary as one of the oldest and major annual religious celebrations of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. It starts on the 3rd Sunday after Easter and closes with the Octave Procession on the 5th Sunday after Easter during the Month of Mary. It honours Our Lady of Luxembourg, Maria Mutter Jesu, Consolatrix Afflictorum, Patrona Civitatis et Patriae Luxemburgensis.
Photography in Luxembourg is often associated with two figures who were born in Luxembourg but left when very young: Edward Steichen (1879–1973) was an American who made outstanding contributions to fashion and military photography during the first half of the 20th century; while Gabriel Lippmann (1845–1921), a Frenchman, was awarded the Nobel prize in physics for his achievements in colour photography. There are however many Luxembourg nationals who are remembered for recording the development of the city of Luxembourg and the country as a whole from the 1850s to the present.
The literature of Luxembourg is little known beyond the country's borders, partly because Luxembourg authors write in one or more of the three official languages, partly because many works are specifically directed to a local readership. Furthermore, it was not until the 19th century that the literature of Luxembourg began to develop in parallel with growing awareness of the country's national identity following the Treaty of Paris (1815) and the Treaty of London (1867).
Jean-Paul Lehners is a Luxembourgish historian specialized in the field of global and demographic history. He is also involved in the study of human rights. Lehners is professor of global history and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights at the University of Luxembourg.
The following is a timeline of the history of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
When Luxembourg was invaded and annexed by Nazi Germany in 1940, a national consciousness started to come about. From 1941 onwards, the first resistance groups, such as the Letzeburger Ro'de Lé'w or the PI-Men, were founded. Operating underground, they secretly worked against the German occupation, helping to bring political refugees and those trying to avoid being conscripted into the German forces across the border, and put out patriotic leaflets encouraging the population of Luxembourg to pull through.
René Urbany was a Luxembourgian journalist and politician. He was the son of politician Dominique Urbany.
The Schlachte is a promenade along the east bank of the River Weser in the old town of Bremen in the north of Germany. Once one of the city's harbours, it is now popular for its restaurants, beer gardens and river boats.
The Diet of Metz was an Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire held in the imperial city of Metz from 17 November 1356 to 7 January 1357, with Emperor Charles IV presiding. It is most memorable for the promulgation of the Golden Bull of 1356.
The Villa Pauly was built in 1923 at No. 57, Boulevard de la Pétrusse, in the center of Luxembourg, for the surgeon Dr. Norbert Pauly; the architect was Mathias Martin. With its corner towers, the house mimics the castle architecture of the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Initially Dr Pauly housed his practice in the basement of the building.
The House of Limburg was a dynasty which can be traced back in the male line as far as Henry, count of Limburg, whose mother Jutta was heiress of Frederick, Duke of Lower Lorraine in the House of Ardenne–Luxembourg. Henry was also related to the counts of Arlon. Waleran I was probably his father-in-law rather than his father.
The International Commission for the History of Towns is a forum for comparative urban history research and an international network of urban history researchers.
The Hospice Saint-Jean was a hospice in the rue Münster in the Grund district of Luxembourg City. Only city citizens were admitted.
