Thanks
to its strategic location at a crossing of Roman roads, "Lucillinburhuc" grew
rapidly. Siegfried's dynasty promoted this growth by forging the right alliances,
in marriage and political pacts. Throughout the Middle Ages, the House
of Luxembourg has exerted considerable influence, providing Holy Roman Emperors
and countless Kings for realms far and near. Many times the city was besieged
and occupied by a multitude of foreign powers; Prussia, Austria, Burgundy, Spain,
to name but a few.
For all the havoc that has been wrought on the City of Luxembourg by the many
foreign invasions, it must be said that the occupiers, in particular the brilliant
French military engineer Vauban, developed Luxembourg's potential and created
one of the strongest fortresses ever built; so impregnable that Luxembourg became
known as the "Gibraltar of the North", protected by 3 defensive walls with 24
forts, and honey-combed by a man-made 17 mile network of underground caverns,
the so-called Casemates.
The fortress survived in its greatness until 1867, when it was dismantled according
to the provisions of the Treaty of London. Not surprisingly, it took 20 years
to carry this out, even though some fortifications simply could not be destroyed,
as the whole city would have crumbled away. The Petrusse Valley fortifications
show this perfectly: part natural rocks, part man-made walls, gun-ports and secret
passageways hewn into solid rock, providing the foundations for the elegant three-spired
cathedral of "Notre-Dame de Luxembourg". This very valley has prompted that great
German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, not only to paint it but to write of
it, in 1792, that "here such bulk is measured with so much grace, such gravity
with so much loveliness, that one might wish that Poussin had put his splendid
talent to work in such spaces." Today, the parklands of the Petrusse valley are
a haven of peace, and a road-wheeled tourist train, the "Petrusse Express", runs
through the Valley giving visitors an insight into life in the former fortress.
Many
of these foreign incursions have left their mark - much of the city's older architecture
can be attributed to specific periods of occupation. Here and there, so-called
"Spanish Turrets", once used as spy-posts, still adourn the city walls. Even the
spectacular Art Nouveau buildings in the Bourbon area of the city are a response
to influences from outside. The ancient convent among the cobbled streets of the
Grund suburb, once used as a prison, is now a cultural centre for exhibitions
and concerts. Some 230 international banks have major offices in the city, their
marble mausoleums and glass temples striking skywards from the ancient ramparts.
The new "Historical Museum" is housed in the former Music Conservatory, a 15th
century building. What Luxembourg has done, and what is so obvious even to the
most casual observer, is to integrate modern architecture into the older, more
classical environment. 
Just
look at the Place d'Armes, the principal square in Luxembourg,
originally a military parade ground, and now a tree-lined sanctuary of restaurants
and open-air cafés, the drawing room of the city. This is a place to sit and savour
not only the splendid beers of Luxembourg, or its even finer wines, but also a
tranquillity, a sophistication, a very cultured existence, and definitely an affluent
one. Everyone it seems either sits watching, or joins in the promenade. Where
foreign powers once drilled their troops, there is now a leisurely parade, serenaded
by the music from the central bandstand. 
Geographical
statistics show the Grand-Duchy
of Luxembourg to cover 1000 square miles (some 2600 sq km), with a maximum North-South
extension of 52 miles (84 km) and 36 miles (58 km) East-West, and a population
of 420 000. These bare figures belie the fact that so many different landscapes
are evident in such a small territory. Indeed, the northern half of the country,
site of the 1944 Battle of the Bulge, is hilly,
densely forrested Ardennes countryside, dotted with medieval hilltop castles,
of which Vianden, Esch-sur-Sûre,
and Bourscheid are probably best known. To the
North-East of the City, the "Müllerthal"
region is often called Luxembourg's "Little Switzerland"; strange sand-rock
formations litter the area's many woods, providing opportunities for not-too
strenuous rock-climbing, or walking along the hundreds of well-marked hiking
paths criss-crossing the area in every direction. The "Gutland" in the centre
and the south is mainly rolling farmland and woods, bordered to the east by
the wine-producing valley of the Moselle, and in the extreme south-west by a
narrow strip of red earth which forms the Luxembourg iron-ore basin.
It
was the re-discovery of this iron ore around 1850 which marked the turning point
for Luxembourg and meant its economic take-off, thanks due in particular to
that industrious British court-clerk, Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, who as a pastime(!),
developed a method of removing phosphorus during the smelting process to create
fine quality steel. An important steel industry came into being in the south-western
corner of the country, drawing tens of thousands of foreign workers into the
ore mines and steel factories, and bringing prosperity to the whole country.
The steel industry is nowadays little more than a memory, but prosperity has
not faded with it.
Indeed, Luxembourg plays a major role as a prominent international financial
centre. Banks and investment trusts have settled in the capital, as the fiscal
legislation, which dates back to 1929, favours Banks and Holding Companies.
Luxembourg as an international centre numbers more than 7000 domiciled Holding
Companies, some 1300 investment funds, and 200-odd banks
which represent the greatest banking concentration in the European Community.
One statistic perhaps best underlines the massive importance that banking represents
for the country: The assets of banks form a proportion of 6:1 to the GNP, whereas
in most first world countries this proportion is in the region of 1:30.
Luxembourg
has reaffirmed its importance as a centre for Eurobonds with a big emphasis
in ECU's, and the future seems likely to attract more and more investment funds
in European Currency Units to this comparatively young, but steadily growing
centre. The multi-lingual abilities and very high education level of the working
population provide local businesses with first-rate staff, whilst the advanced
technological infrastructure of the country guarantees the best-possible future
support for the finance spot. It is no coincidence that ASTRA,
the European Television Satellites, are owned and controlled by SES, based in
Luxembourg.
The Luxembourger
lives a fine life, where quality is above all of the greatest importance. He
demands a high quality of life for himself and his family, he is proud of the
high quality of the goods and services he provides, and his high standards are
not selfishly kept as his own. He is happy to share his life with you. He is
delighted and almost flattered when you chose to visit him, and he wants you
to know it. His is not so much a welcome as an invitation to be pampered. Yet,
despite their desire to welcome others, and their will to be "as one" with their
neighbours, the people of Luxembourg have always been proud and protective of
their individuality. The nation's motto is "Mir wëlle bleiwe, wat mir sin" -
"We want to remain what we are".
last update May 14, 2008