A Little Bit about Luxembourg

Ok, so before I left for abroad, whenever people asked me about my upcoming semester, they were confused when I shared that I would be living and studying in Luxembourg. Some had never heard of the tiny country, others thought it was an obscure town in France or Germany. I didn't even know much about it myself. Now that I have been here for almost a week, I think it is unfortunate that it is so often overlooked! Below is some info I have learned since arriving...

-Luxembourg is very small!! It is 998 square miles (Baltimore County is 598.59 square miles by comparison).

-Despite its size, Lux is its own autonomous country, a Grand Duchy to be exact- the only Grand Duchy that exists today.

-Luxembourg was originally created as a fortress, and passed hands throughout the history of Europe, serving as a military stronghold for the the Holy Roman Emperors, the House of Burgundy, the Habsburgs, the French and Spanish kings, and finally the Prussians. You can still see the remains of fortress in Lux City.

-Luxembourg as a Grand Duchy was established in 1815, after the Napoleonic Wars in the Treaty of Paris. One of my professors called it an "accidental country," and it really was. It was essentially granted as a concession to seal the deal between Napoleon and the victor countries.

-Luxembourg has remained a neutral, grand Duchy since then, and is ruled by a monarch, the Grand Duke, as well as an elected Prime Minister. The current Duke's grandmother, Duchess Charlotte, ruled the country for much of the twentieth century and is a beloved national hero.

-In World War II, the Nazis invaded Luxembourg, and unlike other places it occupied, such as France and Belgium, it actually became a part of Germany. Thousands of Luxembourgish people were forced to fight in the German army against there will. American soldiers liberated Luxembourg in Sept of 1941, and there are over 100 monuments honoring the Americans. Several streets are also named in honor of this.

-In December of 1941, the Battle of the Bulge broke out, and was fought largely in Northern Belgium and Luxembourg. Both the German and American militaries have monuments and graveyards honoring the battle. The differences are quite distinct, while the US' is very proud, and made of white marble, the Germans in a dull, brown concrete. Each German marker marks the death of 4 soldiers, in contrast the the US' 1 person per marker.

-In Lux, people speak French, German, and Luxembourgish. In the schools, kids are taught English and Luxembourgish, and mostly speak the small dialect of Luxembourgish amongst themselves. Never before have I seen so many people easily switch between languages, it is amazing and makes me feel very inadequate by comparison.

-Lux has the highest GDP per capita in the world. In the mid 20th century, it became very wealthy when iron was discovered, and although it has all been extracted, steel processing still occurs (Differdange, where school is, is the industrial center of the country). Banking has also created a great deal of prosperity, and many have moved their money to Luxembourg as trust in Swiss banks has declined.

-Lux is a very international place! Around 40% of the population was not born in the country, and over 30,000 commuters come to Lux every day to work- mostly residents of France, Belgium, and Germany. Two recent waves of immigrants- from Italy, and then Portuguese- add to this diversity. My family is Portuguese!

Ok, I will keep updating as I learn more. Hope you enjoy!

Care