Luxembourg
Historie
The first traces of settlement in what is now Luxembourg are dated back to the Paleolithic Age, about 35.000 years ago. The oldest
artifacts from this period are decorated bones found at Oetrange.
While there is not much evidence of communities in Luxembourg at the beginning of the Bronze Age, a number of sites dating back to
the period between the 13th and the 8th century BC provide evidence of dwellings and reveal artefacts such as pottery, knives and jewellery.
The sites include Nospelt, Dalheim, Mompach and Remerschen.
The region was inhabited by Celts during the Iron Age (from roughly 600 BC until 100 AD). The Gaulish tribe in what is present-day
Luxembourg during and after the La Tène period was known as the Treveri; they reached the height of prosperity in the 1st century
BC. The Treveri constructed a number of oppida, Iron Age fortified settlements, near the Moselle valley.
The Romans, under Julius Caesar, completed their conquest and occupation in 53 BC. The Treveri were more co-operative with the Romans
than most Gallic tribes, and adapted readily to Roman civilization. Two revolts in the 1st century AD did not permanently damage their cordial
relations with Rome. The land of the Treveri was at first part of Gallia Celtica, but with the reform of Domitian in 90 AD,
was reassigned to Gallia Belgica.
Gallia Belgica was infiltrated by the Germanic Franks from the 4th century, and was abandoned by Rome in AD 406. By the 480s the territory
became part of Merovingia Austrasia and eventually part of the core territory of the Carolingian Empire.
When the Carolingian Empire was divided many times starting with the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the region became successively part of
the Kingdom of Middle Francia (843–855), the Kingdom of Lotharingia (855–959) and finally of the Duchy of Lorraine
(959–1059), which itself had become a state of the Holy Roman Empire.
The recorded history of Luxembourg begins with the acquisition of Lucilinburhuc (today Luxembourg Castle) situated on the Bock rock by
Siegfried, Count of the Ardennes, in 963 through an exchange act with St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier. Around this fort, a town gradually
developed, which became the center of a state of great strategic value within the Duchy of Lorraine. Over the years, the fortress was
extended by Siegfried's descendants and by 1083, one of them, Conrad I, was the first to call himself a "Count of Luxembourg",
and with it effectively creating the independent County of Luxembourg (which was still a state within the Holy Roman Empire).
By the middle of the 13th century the counts of Luxembourg had managed to gain considerable wealth and power and had expanded their territory
from the river Meuse to the Moselle. With the ascension of Henry VII as Emperor, the dynasty of the House of Luxembourg not only began
to rule the Holy Roman Empire, but rapidly began to exercise growing influence over other parts of Central Europe as well.
Henry's son, John the Blind, in addition to being Count of Luxembourg, also became King of Bohemia. He remains a major figure
in Luxembourgish history and folklore and is considered by many historians the epitome of chivalry in medieval times.
In the 14th and early 15th centuries, three more members of the House of Luxembourg reigned as Holy Roman Emperors and Bohemian Kings: John's
descendants Charles IV, Sigismund (who also was King of Hungary and Croatia), and Wenceslaus IV.
During these 130 years, the House of Luxembourg was contending with the House of Habsburg for supremacy within the Holy Roman Empire
and Central Europe. It all came to end in 1443, when the House of Luxembourg suffered a succession crisis, precipitated by the lack of a male
heir to assume the throne. Since Sigismund and Elizabeth of Görlitz were both heirless, all possessions of the Luxembourg Dynasty
were redistributed among the European aristocracy. The Duchy of Luxembourg become a possession of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.
In 1482, Philip the Handsome inherited all of what became then known as the Habsburg Netherlands, and with it the Duchy of Luxembourg.
For nearly 320 years Luxembourg would remain a possession of the mighty House of Habsburg, at first under Austrian rule (1506–1556),
then under Spanish rule (1556–1714), before going back again to Austrian rule (1714–1794).
During the War of the First Coalition, Luxembourg was conquered and annexed by Revolutionary France, becoming part of the
"Département of the Forêts" in 1795. The annexation was formalised at Campo Formio in 1797. Luxembourg remained more or less under
French rule until the defeat of Napoleon in 1815.
In order to act as a sufficient counterbalance to France, the Congress of Vienna of 1815 decided to grant the dignity of Grand Duke
of Luxembourg to the monarch of the newly created United Kingdom of the Netherlands which comprised present-day Netherlands and
Belgium. Luxembourg remained in personal union with the crown of the Netherlands until 1890 when William III, died without leaving a
male heir.
He was succeeded on the Dutch throne by his daughter Wilhelmina, but she could not become Grand Duchess of Luxembourg under the
semi-Salic law established by the Congress of Vienna. In terms of the law, the grand ducal throne had to be passed to a male dynast. If there
were no male heirs in a specific branch of the House of Nassau, the throne would go to the next in line from any of the other branches. This
resulted in the title of grand duke being bestowed on a distant male cousin of William III, Adolphe, from the elder branch of
Nassau-Weilburg, thus reaffirming its full independence.
In August 1914, during World War I, Imperial Germany violated Luxembourg's neutrality by invading it in order to defeat France.
Nevertheless, despite the German occupation, Luxembourg was allowed to maintain much of its independence and political mechanisms.
In 1940, after the outbreak of World War II, Luxembourg's neutrality was violated again when Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht entered the country,
In contrast to the First World War, under the German occupation of Luxembourg during World War II, the country was treated as German territory
and informally annexed to the adjacent province of Nazi Germany, Gau Moselland.
After World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its politics of neutrality, when it became a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) and the United Nations. It is a signatory of the Treaty of Rome, and constituted a monetary and an economic union
with Belgium and the Netherlands, the so-called BeNeLux.
In 1999, Luxembourg joined the eurozone. Thereafter, the country was elected non-permanent member of the United Nations Security
Council (2013–14).
I I have visited Luxembourg several times
The pictures of these trips, are not yet available; i have to digatalize them first.
Please let me know when you're having questions.
i would be pleased to help you.
Things to do and other tips
