Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG 237

Luxembourg City’s vast fortress at the peak of its formidable glory around 1858

1600 1740 1880

2000 Grand Duke Henri

succeeds his father.

1914–18 Germany

occupies Luxembourg

1795–1814

Luxembourg

is ruled by

Revolutionary

France

1618–48

The Thirty

Years’ War

1714 Luxembourg is

assigned to Austria

European leaders at the Congress
of Vienna on 9 June 1815

1684–97 Louis

XIV of France

rules the Duchy;

Vauban fortifies

Luxembourg City

1815–40 The

Grand Duchy is

ruled by William I,

King of the

Netherlands

1839 The Grand Duchy

attains its current size

2006 Musée d’Art Moderne

Grand-Duc Jean opens

1940–45

Germany

occupies

Luxembourg a

second time

1957 Luxembourg is

one of the founder

nations of the EEC

replace the Holy Roman
Empire. The mighty fortress
of Luxembourg City was gar-
risoned by the Prussians.
After the Belgian Revolution
in 1830, William I lost control
of Belgium: this included,
under the 1839 Treaty of
London, the French-speaking,
western (Belgian) half of
Luxembourg. He retained the
eastern part, and the Grand
Duchy now assumed its
modern shape. The Dutch
kings William (Guillaume) I,
II and III remained grand
dukes of Luxembourg until

1890. The collapse of the
      Germanic Confederation in
      1867 led to an international
      crisis over Prussia’s claim to
      Luxembourg, but war was
      averted by the Second Treaty
      of London, under which the

AUTONOMY AND

OCCUPATION

In 1890, William III died

without a male heir. In the

Netherlands, his daughter

Wilhelmina could succeed,

but in Luxembourg, under

the ancient Salic Law of the

Franks, women were not

allowed to inherit the throne.

Instead, a relative, Duke

Adolphe of Nassau-Weilburg,

became grand duke, found-

ing the present dynastic line.

Salic Law was abandoned

by his son, William IV, who

passed on the title to his eld-

est daughter Marie-Adélaïde,

who became Grand Duchess

in 1912. Despite its neutral

status, Luxembourg was

invaded and occupied by the

Germans during World War I.

After the end of the war, in

1919, Marie-Adélaïde abdi-

cated in favour of her sister

Charlotte, who ruled as

FOUNDER OF THE EU

Luxembourg is a keen

advocate of international

cooperation. In 1950, it

formed part of the Benelux

Customs Union and in 1957,

it was one of the six found-

ing nations of the European

Economic Community, which

evolved into the European

Union. Today, Luxembourg

City is the location for vari-

ous EU institutions, including

the European Court of Justice

and the European Court of

Auditors. In 1964, Grand

Duchess Charlotte abdicated

in favour of her son Jean,

who had married Princess

Joséphine-Charlotte of

Belgium, thus linking the

two nations. In 2000, Grand

Duke Jean in turn abdicated

in favour of his son Henri.

states agreed to guarantee

Luxembourg’s independence

and neutrality. The Prussians

left Luxembourg City and

their fortress was dismantled.

In the last decades of the 19th

century, Luxembourg began

to prosper by exploiting its

high-quality steel, produced

in the south of the country.

2020

Grand Duchess until 1964.

During her reign, neutral

Luxembourg was again over-

run by the Germans, and in

1942 was formally annexed

to Germany. Conscription,

forced labour and other

oppression inspired a deter-

mined campaign of resistance.

In the bitter winter of 1944–5,

Luxembourg was the scene

of the devastating Ardennes

Offensive (see p231).

Grand Duke Henri