Germany and Luxembourg compared

Entangled histories

10 events in which either nation’s sourced chronicle names the other — including under earlier names of the same state. Each is the same record, with the same sources, as on its own chronicle; nothing here was written for this page.

1. 1815

   Congress of Vienna creates the Grand Duchy

   Luxembourg was raised to a Grand Duchy under William I of the Netherlands in personal union, placed within the German Confederation with a Prussian garrison, and lost an eastern slice to Prussia in a second partition.

   Politics & Power · from the Luxembourg chronicle · The Grand Duchy, the Second and Third Partitions, and Neutrality · The history of the Nassau dynasty

2. 1839

   Treaty of London: the cession to Belgium

   The 1839 Treaty of London partitioned the Grand Duchy a third time, ceding its larger French-speaking western half to the new kingdom of Belgium while confirming the independence of the German-speaking remainder.

   Politics & Power · from the Luxembourg chronicle · The Grand Duchy, the Second and Third Partitions, and Neutrality · The history of the Nassau dynasty, History of the city of Luxembourg

3. 1842

   Entry into the Zollverein

   The reduced Grand Duchy joined the German customs union in 1842, binding its economy closely to the neighbouring German territories for the rest of the century.

   Economy & Trade · from the Luxembourg chronicle · The Grand Duchy, the Second and Third Partitions, and Neutrality · Luxembourg (1914-1918)

4. 11 May 1867

   Treaty of London: neutrality and the razing of the fortress

   After the Luxembourg Crisis between France and Prussia, the powers guaranteed the Grand Duchy's perpetual neutrality, withdrew the Prussian garrison and ordered the fortress dismantled, a demolition completed in 1883.

   Politics & Power · from the Luxembourg chronicle · The Grand Duchy, the Second and Third Partitions, and Neutrality · The history of the Nassau dynasty, History of the city of Luxembourg

5. 2 Aug 1914

   German invasion in the First World War

   German forces occupied neutral Luxembourg on 2 August 1914 to control its railways for the advance on France, holding the country until November 1918 despite its formal protest.

   War & Rupture · from the Luxembourg chronicle · Two World Wars and the End of Neutrality · Occupation of Luxembourg (1914-1918), Luxembourg (1914-1918)

6. Jan 1919

   Abdication of Marie-Adelaide

   Criticised for her conduct under the German occupation, Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide abdicated in January 1919 in favour of her sister Charlotte, who reigned until 1964.

   Politics & Power · from the Luxembourg chronicle · Two World Wars and the End of Neutrality · Occupation of Luxembourg (1914-1918), The history of the Nassau dynasty

7. 10 May 1940

   Second German invasion and annexation

   The Wehrmacht overran Luxembourg on 10 May 1940; the government and Grand Duchess fled into exile, and the territory was placed under a German civil administration aimed at its full integration into the Reich.

   War & Rupture · from the Luxembourg chronicle · Two World Wars and the End of Neutrality · Occupation and Annexation during the Second World War: the Case of Luxembourg, Luxembourgers general strike against Nazi occupation, 1942

8. 31 Aug 1942

   Conscription and the general strike

   When the occupier imposed German citizenship and Wehrmacht conscription in August 1942, a general strike spread from 31 August, the first in Nazi-occupied Europe; the Germans declared martial law and executed twenty-one strikers.

   War & Rupture · from the Luxembourg chronicle · Two World Wars and the End of Neutrality · Luxembourgers general strike against Nazi occupation, 1942, Occupation and Annexation during the Second World War: the Case of Luxembourg

9. 16 Dec 1944

   Liberation and the Battle of the Bulge

   Allied forces liberated Luxembourg in September 1944, but the German Ardennes offensive launched on 16 December 1944 overran the north of the country, which had to be liberated a second time before war's end.

   War & Rupture · from the Luxembourg chronicle · Two World Wars and the End of Neutrality · The Battle of the Bulge, Luxembourgers general strike against Nazi occupation, 1942

10. 1951

    Founding member of the ECSC

    Following the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950, Luxembourg joined Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands and West Germany as a founding member of the European Coal and Steel Community, operating from 1952.

    Politics & Power · from the Luxembourg chronicle · A Founder of the New Europe · The Schuman Declaration, 9 May 1950, The history of the European Union, 1945-59