First of all, the rocky promontory obtained by Siegfried was of obvious strategic interest and gave itself admirably to fortification.
The city of Luxembourg was to be a fortress city for almost a thousand years until being dismantled in Secondly, it would never be a large city: there were 5, inhabitants at the beginning of the 14th century, 8, by the end of the 18th century, 46, immediately after the First World War, and today there are , at the present day.
Siegfried was to build a veritable fortress on the promontory. Knights and soldiers were billeted there, while artisans and traders settled all around, the first group on top of the rocky outcrop and the others beneath it. Thus was created the distinction between the upper and the lower city. One is not able to talk of a proper city until the second half of the 12th century, when it became surrounded by remparts of stone.
Certain cities owe their origins to a religious sanctuary, to an abbey, to the passage of a river, or to a crossing of the ways. Luxembourg owes its origins to its precipitous location and to the military interest which it thus provoked. Since the year , when Count Siegfried acquired the rocky promontory overhanging the valley of the River Alzette which since the end of the Middle Ages has been called "The Bock", it has without doubt set strategic criteria.
The location gave itself admirably to fortification. The Count had a fortress built there, around which there took shape little by little a built-up area which only came to merit being called a city some two centuries later. Demographic pressures led in the 14th century to an extension of the city towards the West, with the construction of new ramparts to the extent of the Boulevard Royal today.
The urban area went from 5 to 23 hectares that is to say But it would be necessary to wait until the last third of the 19th century to see the city finally pass beyond this "barrier" of remparts created in the 14th century.
Just like so many cities in the Middle Ages, Luxembourg also became fortified. In this case on three sides - to the South, to the East, and to the North-east - it was surrounded by the deep valleys of the River Petrusse and the River Alzette. Augmented by the appropriate works, these heights were utterly invincible.
On the side opening out to the plain, to the West and North-west, mighty remparts were a barrier to access. The city did not succumb as a rule to siege prior to , the date when Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, seized it by surprise.
A new era was beginning for Luxembourg, which had been elevated to the status of Duchy in It was integrated into the territory of the Netherlands and drawn with them into the duel which the Valois-Bourbons and the Habsburgs indulged in during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
The political galaxy, in the same way as the increasing role played by artillery, was of great significance to the future of the city whose fate was a plaything of the major powers during the course of the s. In the strife which took place between Francis I and Charles V, the city changed hands four times before finally resting in those of the Habsburgs. The latter decided to review the entire defensive system.
After long and seemingly interminable works, which were drawn out over almost a century and a half, the fortified city had been transformed into a complete fortress. Vauban entirely redesigned the defences of the city, and made it into a formidable entity - formidable in the first meaning of the word, that is to say inspiring great fear and apprehension.
Luxembourg returned to the Habsburgs in , the city took on the nickname of "Gibraltar of the North" during the 18th century. After a long blockade, the city of Luxembourg was conquered, in , by the French Revolutionary troops.
Despite declaring its neutrality, Luxembourg was occupied by Germany during both World Wars. After renewed occupation in the Second World War, Luxembourg abandoned its neutrality and became a front-rank enthusiast for international co-operation.
Luxembourg's prosperity was formerly based on steel manufacturing. With the decline of that industry, Luxembourg diversified and is now best known for its status as Europe's most powerful investment management centre.
Head of state: Grand Duke Henri. The ruling Grand Duke of Luxembourg succeeded to the title in , on the abdication of his father Jean. He had already exercised the constitutional powers of the monarch since He later underwent officer training at Britain's Sandhurst Academy.
The head of state's constitutional role is largely ceremonial, and in parliament further restricted it by rescinding the monarch's right to veto legislation. Prime Minister: Xavier Bettel. Xavier Bettel formed a government in December after snap elections in October at which his Democratic Party, the Socialists and Greens emerged with a small majority over the largest overall group, the conservative Christian Social Party.
Luxembourgish, French, and German are the three official languages of the country. Portuguese is also widely spoken because of the large number of Portuguese people living in the country. Luxembourg's culture centers very much on eating and drinking, and the capital is the city with the most Michelin restaurants per capita in the world. Furthermore, Luxembourg is free of many chains that line the high streets of most big cities.
And until January 1, , the country will also remain Starbucks-free. Not counting the microbreweries, Luxembourg produces five beers: Mousel, Battin, Diekirch, Bofferding, and Simon, which are very popular throughout the country. It also produces a lot of wine, considering the size of the country. Luxembourg also produces some liquors that are commonly found in Europe, like Mirabelle and Kirsch. The castle in Beaufort, a village to the northeast of the capital, produces a blackcurrant liquor that Luxembourgers are very fond of.
Lower taxes on alcohol and petrol also lead people from all over Europe to travel to Luxembourg to purchase those goods. The small nation is, along with Brussels and Strasbourg, a power center of the European Union's institutions. The European Commission and the Secretariat of the European Parliament also have part of their buildings in the country, while the rest are located in Brussels.
The institutions, along with some big companies, make for an interesting mix of people from all over the world who come together in the tiny nation and ensure the grand duchy is known to at least a few people outside Europe. This partly explains the large number of people from surrounding countries coming to work in Luxembourg on a daily basis but living outside the nation more than , in Other big companies have their corporate headquarters for Europe in Luxembourg because of the tax breaks the country is known for.
If all else failed to convince you, the beautiful landscapes of the Luxembourgish countryside will appeal to your inner hiker. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts.
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