Luxembourg city name history. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: location, history, interesting facts

The city of Luxembourg is the capital of a small (area of ​​2,586.4 km²) of the West European state of the same name with a constitutional monarchical form of government. The city is located at an altitude of 334 m above sea level, at the confluence of two small rivers - Alzet (southern tributary of the Syrah) and Petrus. City area: 51.73 km². Population: 86,329 (2007). Coordinates: 49 ° 36'42 ″ s. NS. 6 ° 07'48 ″ in. e. Time zone: UTC + 1, in summer UTC + 2.

History of Luxembourg

For the first time in written sources the city was mentioned in 963. In 1244 Luxembourg receives city status. Luxembourg has repeatedly been the subject of encroachments from various states. In 1606-1724, the city was under the rule of Spanish rulers, 1794-1815 - France, and in 1724-1794 - Austria.

In 1815 the city gains independence. During the First and Second World Wars, Luxembourg suffered from the occupation by German troops, but soon the city government was able to direct the economy in the right direction and the city began to develop rapidly.

Luxembourg today

Luxembourg is the world's largest banking, financial and tourism center. The city is considered one of the most prosperous in Europe. The service sector, finance and trade are well developed.

In 2011, Luxembourg was ranked first in the ranking of the safest cities in the world. The city has a developed system of private and public transport.

Luxembourg map

Luxembourg landmarks

Luxembourg is a very harmonious and neat city.

The city is home to the National Library, the Conservatory, the Municipal Theater, the Luxembourg Radio Symphony Orchestra and a film studio.

The National Museum of the city contains a huge number of exhibits from different eras. There are bronze statuettes from the Roman era, fragments of medieval sculpture, and interiors of the 18th-19th centuries, and even a collection of minerals.

In Luxembourg, the following are open to visitors: Museum of Natural History, Museum of the History of the City of Luxembourg, Museum of Ancient Musical Instruments, Museums of Urban Transport, Museum of Folk Life, Museum of Post and Telecommunications, National Gallery Tutezal, municipal Art Gallery.

A special role in the architectural image of the city is assigned to bridges, the number of which is 111. The largest are the Adolphe Bridge and the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge.

A famous landmark of the city is the residence of the Grand Duke, which is an elegant palace with turrets. Nearby is the City Hall (1830) and Notre Dame Cathedral (1613-1621).

The ruins of a Roman watchtower, the Gothic Cathedral of Saint-Michel (1519), the Chapel of Saint-Cyren (VI and XV), the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1751), the tomb of the King of Bohemia and Count John the Blind in the Cathedral of Our Lady (1613-1621) are of historical interest. , Chapel of St. Quirin (XIV), Church of St. Michael (X), Church of St. John on the Stone (XVII).

The surroundings of the city are also popular among tourists. A few kilometers from Luxembourg, you can visit the old Schleifmillene mill, the Krishberg viaduct, the thermal springs in Mondorf-les-Bains and the fortresses of Holenfels, Ansembourg and Setfontaine.

The most ancient artifacts of human existence on the planet were found on the territory of this state. Luxembourg is a European country with a very small total area. Despite this, at the moment she is completely independent. The history of Luxembourg is connected with the development of Germany and France.

Luxembourg's rich history

Country name with German language translated as a small castle. begins with the construction of a small fortification, which was located near the two rivers Sauer and Alzet. Construction of the castle began in 963, when the land passed to Count Siegfred. Since then, this place has passed from hand to hand many times from one ruling dynasty to another. The originally Germanic fortification passed to England, and to the Bourbon dynasty in France, and to Spain, and to Austria, and to Prussia, and to the Netherlands, and to Belgium. The principality was a dowry and a bargaining chip in the political game.

The original territory of Luxembourg was expanded, but it was never very large. Independent history Luxembourg starts on September 9, 1867. Both world wars ended with occupation for the principality. During the Second World War, the entire royal court was in exile. Luxembourg is currently a member of the Benelux and NATO.

Capital of Luxembourg

Since ancient times capital of Luxembourg- the city of the same name, which is located within the first fortress. His modern look is in two parts. The upper old town is the historical part and the lower one is the modern industrial area.

Luxembourg population

The main population of Luxembourg Are Luxembourgers. They live not only on the territory of the principality, but also in other European states. Luxembourg has a population of 285,000. The total number of all Luxembourgers is 473 thousand people.

There is an increase in the number of people in the country. In 1700, the population was 64,000, and in 2007 - 480,000. By 2050, the population is projected to increase to 720,000.

State of Luxembourg

Small state of Luxembourg has a constitutional monarchical form of government. The indigenous population represents one third of the total population of the country. To the state Luxembourg can be accessed by means of airlines. The capital has an international airport.

Luxembourg politics

Geography of Luxembourg clearly shows us that the size of the state is small. But despite this, Luxembourg policy, both external and internal, is aimed at development and prosperity. In the country low level inflation and automatic indexation of wages, depending on price increases. The situation in the state is stable without shocks and discontent on the part of the population.

Luxembourg's foreign policy is aimed at expanding ties with other states. The principality takes an active part in the activities of the EU, as one of its founders. Since 1965, one of the three EU centers has been located in the capital.

Luxembourg language

State language of Luxembourg, created on the basis of German with French borrowings, is called Luxembourgish. In addition to the official one, the country has German, French and English languages.

Founding of Luxembourg

The name "Luxembourg" was first mentioned in 963 in a treaty between Count Siegefroyd and the Abbey of St. Maximinus at Trier. Count Siegefroyd became the owner of the rock, on which he later built a fortified castle. A city and then a country grew up around this place, therefore Count Siegefroyd is considered the founder of Luxembourg.

Until 1354 Luxembourg remained a relatively independent county that was part of the German Empire. Then the country changed its status of a county to a higher status of a duchy, also, which is important, annexing the Shani county. Starting in the 13th century, Luxembourg began to turn into a real duchy.

From the Dukes of Burgundy to the Netherlands

The dynasty of the counts of Luxembourg ended in 1437, and ownership passed to the ruling house of the Habsburgs of Spain. The acquisition of Luxembourg by Philip the Good of Burgundy in 1443 was decisive in his fate. Entering the Burgundian state and then the Netherlands, Luxembourg became an intermediate link between the Kingdom of France and the German Empire. With the death of Charles the Bold, son of Philip the Good, the Burgundian era ended, and in 1715 the northern counties passed to the Austrian house of the Habsburgs. These counties created a confederation called the Netherlands, to which Luxembourg belonged until 1839. In 1795 Luxembourg became part of the French Republic and was named "Département des Forêts" (Department of Forests). During the reign of Louis XIV, he was already under French occupation, during which Vauban fortified the city of Luxembourg.

Luxembourg as an independent state

In 1815, the Congress of Vienna raised the status of the Duchy of Luxembourg to the status of the Grand Duchy, theoretically making it independent, while at the same time tying it into a personal union with the Netherlands. These were considered two states ruled by the same sovereign: William I of the Orange-Nassau dynasty, King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The Treaty of London of 1839 became the starting point in the history of Luxembourg as an independent country. In accordance with it, Luxembourg was divided into two parts - the French-speaking half went to Belgium, while the German-speaking half continued to be the Grand Duchy. From that moment on, the national identity of Luxembourg began to really take shape, especially after the appearance of its first national anthem in 1859. But Luxemburg realized that he could not be self-sufficient. Therefore, in 1842, William II made him a member of the customs union with Germany, the so-called "Zollverein".

Development of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg before World War II

This period was a period of sustained economic growth in the country, after areas for development were discovered and built. railways for the transportation of coal (Luxembourg together with Lorraine constitute a large coal basin). The increased demand for labor has led to numerous immigration. The personal union between Luxembourg and the Netherlands ceased to function in 1890, after the death of the last male descendant of the Oran-Nassau dynasty, and the crown passed to the Nassau-Weilburg branch, the only Nassau line that had a male descendant. It was then that Luxembourg finally got a dynasty of its own, with the Grand Duke Adolphus as the country's first representative. Germany's unsuccessful attempt to annex Luxembourg in 1914, which could have violated the neutrality that the country had maintained since 1867, prompted Luxembourg to achieve independence and withdraw from the customs union. Thus, in 1921, the Grand Duchy entered into an economic union with Belgium known as the Belgian-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEC). Later, the Belgian franc was adopted as the currency of the Union, while maintaining the limited issue of the Luxembourg franc.

The years between the wars

The economic depression of the first post-war years was followed by a period of prosperity, but since 1929 Luxembourg has been affected by the global economic crisis. In the steel industry, he focused primarily on France as a supplier of iron ore and Germany as a market for his steel products.

World War II and recovery as a member of the European Union

During the Second World War, being in the hands of the German occupation, Luxembourg experienced a violent Germanization. In addition, during the Second World War, more than 2% of the Luxembourg population lost their lives (for comparison, in France this number was 1.5%). This injury has become the source of a great desire for recovery. The priority for the Grand Duchy was the economic opening of itself to the rest of the world. Needing to become part of a larger market, Luxembourg abandoned its neutrality, becoming one of the founding states of the UN in 1945 and a member of NATO in 1949. The Belgian-Luxembourg Economic Union, which collapsed during the occupation, was rebuilt after liberation. In 1951 Luxembourg became a member of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), as the steel industry accounted for 75% of its industrial production and, in 1957, a member of the European Economic Community (EEC). The ECSC became the basis for a new period of growth, while membership in the EEC marked the beginning of economic expansion. As the first seat of the ECSC, the city of Luxembourg became one of the headquarters of the European Union, together with Strasbourg and Brussels. The emergence of a major financial center, accompanied by the acceleration of Luxembourg's integration into the European Union, has made it one of the most cosmopolitan cities since the 1960s. Luxembourg's financial center also enabled the country to overcome the 1974-75 steel crisis. Today Luxembourg has a good position in the international arena, where it plays an active role, especially in the field of cooperation in the field of assistance to developing countries. Citizens of other countries make up 38% of Luxembourg's population. It is also considered a microcosm of Europe and an example of openness to the rest of the world.

origin of name

The name Luxembourg comes from an ancient fortification, which was originally called Lutzeburg... The name has been known since 963 Luzlinburgus, and since 1125 Lucelenburgensis en opidum et castrum Luxelenburgensis... The name Luxembourg consists of two words of German origin: lutila(small) and burg(lock). In the late Middle Ages, under the influence of the French language, the state began to be called Luxembourg.

Early history

Initially, Luxembourg was only a fort near the Sauer and Alzet rivers. In 963, Count Siegfried bought a fortification and founded a castle on this site, which became the center of his possessions along the Moselle and in the Ardennes mountains. The earl's male offspring ceased in 1136. Luxembourg moved to female line to Count Namur, then to Count Limburg.

According to the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, that part of the duchy, which from 1689 remained in Spanish hands and which, with some changes, makes up present-day Luxembourg, passed into the hands of Austria. In 1794 it was conquered by France, after which it was consolidated by peace in Campoformio.

The Congress of Vienna in 1815, having separated some regions from the former Luxembourg in favor of Prussia and generally changing its borders quite arbitrarily, formed from it an independent Grand Duchy, which until 1860 was part of the German Confederation. The congress handed over the crown of the grand duchy to William I, king of the United Netherlands (Holland and Belgium), as a reward for his Nassau possessions, and Luxembourg found itself in a personal union with the Netherlands.

The connection with the German Confederation was expressed mainly in the fact that the city of Luxembourg - the strongest fortress in Europe after Gibraltar - was recognized as a fortress of the German Confederation and was occupied by Prussian troops. William I ruled the duchy on the basis of Dutch law and discretion.

In 1830, a revolution that spread to Belgium swept through Luxembourg; the entire territory of the grand duchy, with the exception of the fortress itself and its immediate surroundings, passed into the power of the Belgian government. Great and small powers for 9 years have been negotiating because of Luxembourg, more than once leading to armed clashes. Finally, in 1839, a treatise, signed in London by representatives of the five great powers, returned half of Luxembourg to the Dutch king, on the same basis, leaving the other half to Belgium.

William II, who ascended the throne in 1840 and assumed the title of King-Grand Duke, had to build a special constitution for Luxembourg in 1841, which was amended in a democratic spirit in 1848.

The new Grand Duke, King William III of the Netherlands (1849-1890), appointed his brother Henry as his viceroy in Luxembourg, who began systematic clashes with the House. In 1856, William III proposed to the House a draft of a new constitution, which made the rights of the House illusory and restored the almost absolute power of the monarch; the house did not accept the draft, but the king dismissed it and, with his power, enacted a new constitution. This measure was met with sympathy among the German governments, but it did not provoke opposition among the people.

The destruction of the German Confederation in 1866 brought the Luxembourg question to the fore again. Napoleon III, seeking satisfaction for the offended pride of his country, entered into negotiations with William III to purchase Luxembourg. Wilhelm agreed, but word of this agreement spread and caused outrage in Germany; of course, nobody was interested in the opinion of the Luxembourgers themselves. Diplomatic negotiations began; A conference of representatives of the great powers gathered in London proclaimed Luxembourg to be forever neutral, deciding, at the request of France, that Prussia should withdraw its garrison from the Luxembourg fortress and that the very fortifications of Luxembourg should be razed to the ground. The following year, William III was forced to agree to a democratic revision of the constitution.

In 1890, William III died, leaving no sons; meanwhile, the Dutch laws of succession to the throne were very different from the family treaty of 1783, which determined the succession to the throne in Luxembourg.

In the Netherlands, the crown passed to the young Wilhelmina, daughter of William III, and in Luxembourg, to another branch of the same house, namely to Duke Adolf, the former Duke of Nassau.

In a speech delivered to the Chamber of Deputies the day after his entry into Luxembourg, the new duke pledged to firmly defend the freedom, independence and institutions of the country; "Kings die, dynasties die away, but peoples remain," he said. His popularity was greatly shaken when a bill on the property of the Grand Duke and a loan of 500 thousand to improve his palace was introduced and adopted by the Chamber of Deputies. Perhaps this was one of the reasons due to which the movement against Germany and in favor of rapprochement with France, expressed in a number of demonstrations, intensified in the country.

One of the smallest sovereign states in the world is the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. However, the small area and the lack of minerals does not at all prevent him from having the highest per capita income. well and interesting story and a huge number of attractions make it a real paradise for tourists.

Where is located

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is located in Western Europe, between Belgium, Germany and France. Its area is surprisingly small - only 2,586 square kilometers (for comparison, the area of ​​Moscow is 2,511 square kilometers), which makes the state one of the smallest in the world.

And the capital of the Duchy of Luxembourg is also called Luxembourg, which can cause some confusion among people who visit this amazing place for the first time. Of course, there are many other settlements - from tiny villages to quite large (by local standards) cities.

Population

According to the population census conducted as of January 1, 2018, the total number of citizens of the country is 602,005 people. Moreover, almost a quarter live in the capital - about 115 thousand people, which makes it the largest settlement in the country.

The main spoken language is Luxembourgish, but also almost everyone knows French and German from childhood - without this it is impossible to work neither in business, nor in tourism, nor in any other. Because very often you have to travel abroad or receive foreign guests.

As already mentioned, the population of the Duchy of Luxembourg exceeds 600 thousand people. However, this does not mean at all that they all live here. The fact is that real estate here has an astronomical value. Despite the huge salaries, not everyone can afford to rent or buy an apartment or house. Therefore, more than 100 thousand people (half of the working population) go to work from Germany or France, and at the end of the working day they return home. This is due to the fact that in these countries real estate is much cheaper, and there are not even the slightest problems with paperwork or visas when crossing borders - usually border guards do not even ask for a passport.

Economy

Many EU organizations are located in Luxembourg (a city, not a duchy), which generates a lot of income. In addition, here you can see more than 200 banks and almost 1000 investment funds - no other city in the world can boast of such indicators. Moreover, Luxembourg banks and funds account for only a small part of the total- mainly foreign organizations.

The fact is that Luxembourg is an offshore zone, which can significantly reduce the costs of transactions. This is what allows the state to have such a significant income - per capita it accounts for $ 150,554 a year (for comparison, in Russia - 8,946, in the USA - 57,220, and even in Switzerland - only 81,000).

True, there is almost no industry of its own. Only 10% of GDP comes from the local production of iron and iron. This makes the state and its population extremely dependent on the economies of other countries. For example, the 2008 crisis hit many people's well-being very hard, depriving them of their property.

Agriculture

Surprisingly, such a rich and tiny country can boast of an extremely developed agriculture - the government does not at all think that it is easier to buy food abroad, having enough funds for this. Farmers receive huge subsidies, which allows them to supply quality products to the citizens of the country. Apparently, the government is well aware that a state dependent on the supply of food from abroad is extremely vulnerable and cannot be called independent.

Cattle breeding is very developed, almost completely covering the needs of the population in milk and meat. There are also gorgeous gardens - a mild climate and almost complete absence frost allow you to grow many crops.

Many families have been involved in winemaking for several generations. Local vineyards are almost as good as French ones. Especially many plantations are located in the vicinity. It flows through a valley, sheltered from cold winds from all directions. Local wines such as Rivaner, Mozelskoe and Riesling are very popular with connoisseurs.

Transport in the country

It is also worth touching on the topic of transport. Despite the small size of the state, local residents have to travel a lot - as already mentioned, about 100 thousand people cross the border twice a day.

In general, in the Duchy of Luxembourg, the rules for importing cars from Russia are quite simple. If the car is not new (produced more than 6 months ago or has a mileage of more than 6,000 kilometers), then the tax does not need to be paid at all. Otherwise, it is necessary to provide the invoice received upon purchase, a certificate from the place of residence, a gray card (a special document issued in Luxembourg) and have the car with you to verify the numbers.

But if you wish, you can always rent a car on the spot - it's much easier. And in general, transport is inexpensive here (especially by European standards). A single bus ride costs less than 1 euro. And for 4 euros you can buy a daily pass, which is valid not only in all buses around the country, but also in second-class railway carriages.

The most famous village in the country

By far the most famous village in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is Schengen. Just a few decades ago, not even all the inhabitants of the country knew about it. However, after the signing of an agreement uniting the disparate countries of Europe into one Schengen zone, this name thundered all over the world.

But, despite this, flows of tourists do not tend here. Therefore, Schengen residents lead the same quiet, calm and measured life as before. The population here is very small - less than a thousand people. They are mainly engaged in the cultivation of grapes and the production of wine, which is popular throughout the country and abroad.

sights

Of course, one cannot but tell about the sights of the Duchy of Luxembourg, if we talk about it. In general, there are quite a few of them here.

For example, in the capital, it is worth visiting the Palace of the Grand Dukes - a magnificent building built in the middle of the sixteenth century and today is the seat of local rulers.

Some tourists will be interested in visiting the Bock casemates. Located near Luxembourg, they are up to 40 meters deep and over 20 kilometers long! Many mysterious passages, dark chambers and exits to the surface make them one of the main attractions of the capital and the whole country. From here you can get off almost anywhere in the city. And during the Second World War, the casemates were used as a bomb shelter for local residents - the serious depth made the former prison a safe haven.

Wine lovers should definitely follow the Luxembourg Wine Trail. With a length of 42 kilometers, it unites several villages, almost the entire population of which has been growing grapes and making wine for many generations. You can try a variety of sorts here - no one who knows about such drinks will be disappointed.

You can also visit the Golden Frau - a monument erected in memory of the inhabitants of Luxembourg who died in the First World War. Then the country was occupied by Germany, many of its citizens fought in the ranks of the French army. On the battlefields, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg lost about two thousand people. The monument is a gilded figure of a woman holding out her hands with a wreath. It is installed on a pedestal 21 meters high, at the foot of which there are two figures - a killed soldier and his comrade mourning the loss.

The main symbols of the country

Of course, speaking about the country, it is worth noting its main symbols - the coat of arms and the flag.

The coat of arms is quite exquisite - against a background of ermine mantle, two golden lions, looking in different directions, hold a shield, where, against a background of blue and white stripes on their hind legs, there is a third lion - red. The shield, like the entire coat of arms, is crowned with a crown.

But the flag of the Duchy of Luxembourg is not so pompous - it consists of three horizontal stripes: red, white, blue. And this often causes confusion - after all, the flag of the Netherlands is exactly the same. The only difference is that the blue stripe has a slightly darker color. However, problems with flag identification still arise - such embarrassments often occur at different levels.

Some people are interested in the question of what Luxembourg is - a principality or a duchy. At the head is one person who, in theory, has complete power. However, since the word duchy appears in the official name, the country will be correctly attributed to this category.

Surprisingly, Luxembourg, without the slightest reserves of oil, gas or other energy resources, can boast of the lowest gasoline prices in Western Europe. The government is well aware that many citizens have to travel a considerable distance in a day (they live in one state and work in another), so they spend a lot of money to keep the cost of fuel at an acceptable level. Many people take advantage of this - the Germans and the French come here to refuel their cars. And locals often speculate in fuel, buying it cheaper and reselling it at the border at a much higher price.

Almost a third of the country's area is occupied by artificially planted forests.

The average life expectancy for men here is 78 years, and for women - 83 years.

Conclusion

Our article is coming to an end. From it you learned a lot of interesting and new things about the amazing Duchy of Luxembourg. We tried to tell you about all areas - starting with economics and Agriculture and ending with history and sights.