Foreword

THE YEAR 1839 HAS AN eminent place in the collective memory of the people of Luxembourg despite the complexity of its historical background. It was the date of the independence of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
The date 1839 is closely linked to another turning point in Luxembourg history: in 1815 the Great Powers decided at the Congress of Vienna to create the Grand Duchy, an autonomous state with a personal link to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, then consisting of Belgium and Holland, with the status of a member of the German Confederation. That, at least, was the theory of the arrangement. In reality, and contrary to the stipulations of the Congress of Vienna, William I of the House of Orange-Nassau incorporated the Grand Duchy into his kingdom and treated it like a simple province of the Netherlands.
In 1830 the people of Belgium rebelled against the unpopular regime of William I and succeeded in breaking away from the Netherlands. Luxembourgers in their great majority joined in the upheaval.
Once more the Great Powers, meeting in London, consulted. Their conclusions were spelled out in the so-called Treaty of the Twenty-Four Articles of October 14, 1831. The territory of Luxembourg was divided in halves: the western (French-speaking) portion was assigned to the new Kingdom of Belgium; the eastern (German-speaking) part was to constitute the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, still in personal union with the sovereign of the Netherlands. However, due to the obstruction of William I, the stipulated division could not be put into effect until 1839, as provided in yet another document, the Treaty of London of April 19, 1839.
The year 1839 recalls, therefore, a painful event, the division of a population which had lived together for more than six centuries.
The same year was one in which, for the first time in their long history, Luxembourgers were thrown back on their own resources. They could look only to themselves. That was a novelty.
The name of Luxembourg appears in history for the first time in 963 A.D. with the term "Lucilinburhuc," which means little castle. The County, and later Duchy, of Luxembourg was located on the western border of the German Empire of the High Middle Ages.
Part of the territory conquered by neighboring Burgundy in 1443, Luxembourg became an element of the Netherlands, which then was a confederation of principalities joined together by the person of the sovereign. The ruler was from the Hapsburg family of Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries and from that of Austria in the 18th century. Twice during this time span Luxembourg became part of France for short periods. The first occurred (l684-1697) during the reign of Louis XIV; the second during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic period (1795-1814).
The Congress of Vienna (1815) brought, in theory, independence. In fact, Luxembourg was once more integrated into the Netherlands (Belgium and Holland). The Belgian Revolution (1830) brought separation from Holland while maintaining the link with Belgium. In sum, it was the arrangement that was found in the old Low Countries of the 18th century.
Consequently, in comparison with a past which had featured some form of association with other states, 1839 represents a break with tradition.
The significance of 1839 also lies in the innovations which the year 1839 brought. The new Grand Duchy of Luxembourg confronted two major tasks:
- A government had to be created. With abundant energy but limited means, Luxembourgers established an administration which was quite satisfactory. The small government established then still brings the administration and the citizenry of the country into close contact today.
- The government had to have substance. In this respect, important contributions derived from memories of the past and the economic development of the country. A unifying factor proved to be the Luxembourgish tongue, despite the constant use of French and German in writing. The law of 1984 which made Luxembourgish the national language of the Grand Duchy was merely the logical outcome of a long evolution.
The severance of dynastic links with the Netherlands (1890), following the death of William III without a male heir, resulted in the transfer of the crown of the Grand Duchy to the Nassau-Weilburg family.
From that time on, Luxembourg has had its own dynasty, which has come to symbolize the sovereignty of the nation. From Grand Duke Adolphe to his great-grandson, the present Grand Duke Jean, the House of Nassau has been the house of Luxembourg.
The partition of 1839 reduced the Grand Duchy to its present size of 2,586 square kilometers or 999 square miles, too little to guarantee economic survival. That is why Luxembourg has always had to seek broader economic horizons, from the time of the Customs Union with Germany (1842-1918), the Belgo-Luxembourg Economic Union (since 1921), BENELUX (since 1944), and the European Union (from 1952 onward). The selection of Luxembourg as one of the three seats of the European institutions is testimony to the outward-looking approach of Luxembourg, which has been accompanied by a deepening sense of national identity.
From the end of the German Confederation (1866-1867), Luxembourg has been, in effect, free of any political bond with another country. An authentic national feeling has developed, finding its most significant expression in the resistance of the people of Luxembourg to the Nazi occupier in World War II. Thanks to the work of its native-born population as well as the numerous foreign nationals working and living inside its borders, Luxembourg has become, in its 150 years of independence, a prosperous nation.

GILBERT TRAUSCH,
Directeur du Centre d'Etudes
et de Recherches Européennes Robert Schuman