   #copyright

Luxembourg (city)

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

   Coordinates: 49°36′42″N, 06°07′48″E


                                    Luxembourg
                                    Lëtzebuerg

            Coat of arms of Luxembourg

                                      Location of Luxembourg in Luxembourg

                              District                          Luxembourg
                                Canton                          Luxembourg
                                 LAU 2                          LU00011001
                                                                Geography
                                  Area
                             Area rank                          51.46 km²
                                                                4th of 116
                         Highest point
                    Highest point rank                               402 m
                                                              =56th of 116
                          Lowest point
                     Lowest point rank                               230 m
                                                              =45th of 116
                                                               Population
                    Population ( 2005)
                       Population rank                              76,420
                                                                1st of 116
                       Density ( 2005)
                          Density rank                         1,485 /km²
                                                                2nd of 116
                           List of communes of Luxembourg

   The city of Luxembourg (as its French name; sometimes Luxemburg as its
   German name; in Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg), commonly known as
   Luxembourg City, is a commune with city status, and the capital of the
   Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the
   Alzette and Pétrusse rivers in southern Luxembourg

   As of 2005, the commune of Luxembourg City has a population of 76,420,
   which is almost three times the population of the second most populous
   commune. The city's metropolitan population, including that of
   surrounding communes of Hesperange, Sandweiler, Strassen, and
   Walferdange, is 103,973. Luxembourg City lies at the heart of Western
   Europe, situated 188 km (117 miles) from Brussels, 289 km (179 miles)
   from Paris, 190 km (118 miles) from Cologne.

   Luxembourg City is one of the wealthiest cities in the world, having
   developed into a banking and administrative centre. Luxembourg is a
   seat of several institutions of the European Union, including the
   European Court of Justice, the European Court of Auditors, and the
   European Investment Bank.

History

   In the Roman era, a fortified tower guarded the crossing of two Roman
   roads that met at the site of Luxembourg city. Through an exchange
   treaty with the abbey of Saint Maximin in Trier in 963, Siegfried I of
   the Ardennes, a close relative of King Louis II of France and Emperor
   Otto the Great, acquired the feudal lands of Luxembourg. Siegfried
   built his castle, named Lucilinburhuc ("small castle"), on the Bock
   Fiels ("rock"), mentioned for the first time in the aforementioned
   exchange treaty.

   In 987, the Archbishop of Trier, Egbert ( 977- 993), blessed five
   altars in the Church of the Redemption (today St. Michael's Church). At
   a Roman road intersection near the church, a marketplace appeared
   around which the city developed.

   The city, for reasons of its location and natural geography, has
   through history been a place of strategic military significance. The
   first fortifications were built as early as the 10th century. By the
   end of the 12th century, as the city expanded westward around the new
   St. Nicholas Church (today the cathedral of Notre Dame), new walls were
   built that included an area of 50,000 m².

   In about 1340, under the reign of John the Blind, new fortifications
   were built that stood until 1867.
   The reconstructed Fort Thüngen, formerly a key part of Luxembourg
   City's fortifications, now on the site of the 'Mudam', Luxembourg's
   museum of modern art.
   Enlarge
   The reconstructed Fort Thüngen, formerly a key part of Luxembourg
   City's fortifications, now on the site of the ' Mudam', Luxembourg's
   museum of modern art.

   In 1443, the Burgundians under Philip the Good conquered Luxembourg.
   Luxembourg became part of the Burgundian, and later Spanish and
   Austrian empires. By the 16th century, Luxembourg was one of the
   strongest fortifications in Europe. Subsequently, the Burgundians, the
   Spanish, the French, the Spanish again, the Austrians, the French
   again, and the Prussians conquered Luxembourg.

   In the 17th century, the first casemates were built; initially, Spain
   built 23 km of tunnels, starting in 1644. These were then enlarged
   under French rule by Marshal Vauban, and augmented again under Austrian
   rule in the 1730s and 1740s. By the late eighteenth century,
   Luxembourg's fame as an impregnable fortress was such that it became
   known as the Gibraltar of the North, second to only Gibraltar itself.

   In 1795, Luxembourg was annexed into the French Republic as part of the
   département of Forêts, with Luxembourg City as its préfecture. Under
   the 1815 Treaty of Paris, which ended the Napoleonic Wars, Luxembourg
   City was placed under Prussian military control as a part of the German
   Confederation, although sovereignty passed to the House of
   Orange-Nassau, in personal union with the United Kingdom of the
   Netherlands.
   The Gëlle Fra monument commemorates those that volunteered for service
   in the armed forces of the Allies in World War I.
   Enlarge
   The Gëlle Fra monument commemorates those that volunteered for service
   in the armed forces of the Allies in World War I.

   After the Luxembourg Crisis, the 1867 Treaty of London required
   Luxembourg to dismantle the fortifications in Luxembourg City. Their
   demolition took sixteen years, cost 1.5m gold francs, and required the
   destruction of over 24 km (15 miles) of underground defences and
   40,000m² (10 acres) of casemates, batteries, barracks, etc.
   Furthermore, the Prussian garrison was to be withdrawn.

   When, in 1890, Grand Duke William III died without any male heirs, the
   Grand Duchy passed out of Dutch hands, and into an independent line
   under Grand Duke Adolphe. Thus, Luxembourg, which had hitherto been
   independent in theory only, became a truly independent country, and
   Luxembourg City regained some of the importance that it had lost in
   1867 by becoming the capital of a fully independent state.

   Despite Luxembourg's best efforts to remain neutral in the First World
   War, it was occupied by Germany on 2 August 1914. On 30 August, Helmuth
   von Moltke moved his headquarters to Luxembourg City, closer to his
   armies in France in preparation for a swift victory. However, the
   victory never came, and Luxembourg would play host to the German high
   command for another four years. At the end of the occupation,
   Luxembourg City was the scene of an attempted communist revolution; on
   9 November 1918, communists declared a socialist republic, but it
   lasted only a few hours.

   In 1921, the city limits were greatly expanded. The communes of Eich,
   Hamm, Hollerich, and Rollingergrund were annexed into Luxembourg City,
   making the city the largest commune in the country (a position that it
   would hold until 1978).
   The European Court of Justice is one of several European Union
   institutions and agencies to have been established in Luxembourg City
   since 1945.
   Enlarge
   The European Court of Justice is one of several European Union
   institutions and agencies to have been established in Luxembourg City
   since 1945.

   In 1940, Germany occupied Luxembourg again. The Nazis were not prepared
   to allow Luxembourgers self-government, and gradually integrated
   Luxembourg into the Third Reich until it annexed the Grand Duchy, on 30
   August 1942. Luxembourg City was liberated on 10 September 1944.

   After the war, Luxembourg ended its neutrality, and became a founding
   member of several inter-governmental and supra-governmental
   institutions. In 1952, the city became the headquarters of the High
   Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community. In 1967, the High
   Authority was merged with the commissions of the other European
   institutions; although Luxembourg City would no longer be the seat of
   the ECSC, it would play host to some part-sessions of the European
   Parliament until 1981. Luxembourg remains the seat of the European
   Parliament's secretariat, as well as the European Court of Justice, the
   European Court of Auditors, and the European Investment Bank.

Geography and climate

   Luxembourg City straddles several valleys and outcrops, making the
   city's layout more complicated.
   Enlarge
   Luxembourg City straddles several valleys and outcrops, making the
   city's layout more complicated.
   The main train station in Luxembourg City, in the quarter of Gare.
   Enlarge
   The main train station in Luxembourg City, in the quarter of Gare.
   Luxembourg City's climate is characterised by mild temperatures and
   high precipitation.
   Enlarge
   Luxembourg City's climate is characterised by mild temperatures and
   high precipitation.

   Luxembourg City lies on the southern part of the Luxembourg plateau, a
   large Early Jurassic sandstone formation that forms the heart of the
   Gutland, a low-lying and flat area that covers the southern two-thirds
   of the country.

   The city centre occupies a picturesque site on a salient, perched high
   atop precipitous cliffs that drop into the narrow valleys of the
   Alzette and Pétrusse rivers, which find their confluence at Luxembourg
   City. The 70 m- (230 foot) deep gorge cut by the Alzette is spanned by
   many bridges and viaducts, including the Adolphe Bridge, the Grand
   Duchess Charlotte Bridge. Although Luxembourg City is not particularly
   large, its layout is complex, as the city is set on several levels,
   straddling hills and dropping into the two gorges.

   The commune of Luxembourg City covers a total area of over 51 km², or
   2% of the Grand Duchy's total area. This makes the city the
   fourth-largest commune in Luxembourg, and by far the largest urban
   area. Luxembourg City is not particularly densely-populated, at under
   1,500 people per km²; large areas of Luxembourg City are maintained as
   parks, forested areas, or sites of important heritage (particularly the
   UNESCO sites), while there are also large tracts of farmland that lie
   within the city limits.

Quarters of Luxembourg City

   Luxembourg City is subdivided into twenty-four quarters, which cover
   the commune in its entirety. The quarters generally correspond to the
   major neighbourhoods and suburbs of Luxembourg City, although a few of
   the historic districts, such as Bonnevoie, are divided between two
   quarters.

Climate

   Luxembourg City has a mild continental climate, marked by high
   precipitation.
   Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
   Mean daily maximum temperature ( °C) 3 4 10 14 18 21 23 22 19 13 7 4
   Mean daily minimum temperature ( °C) -1 -1 1 4 8 11 13 12 10 6 3 0
   Mean total rainfall ( mm) 61 65 42 47 64 64 60 84 72 53 67 81
   Mean number of rain days (0.25mm+) 20 16 14 13 15 14 14 15 16 15 19 20
   Average sunshine (hours per day) 1 2 5 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 1 1
   Source: BBC Weather

Places of interest

   The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial, at Hamm, is the final
   resting place of 5,076 military personnel, including General Patton.
   Enlarge
   The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial, at Hamm, is the final
   resting place of 5,076 military personnel, including General Patton.

   Places of interest include the neogothic Cathedral of Notre Dame, the
   fortifications, the Grand Ducal Palace, the Gëlle Fra war memorial, the
   casemates, the Neumünster Abbey, the Place d'Armes, the Adolphe Bridge
   and the city hall. The city is the home of the University of Luxembourg
   and Radio Luxembourg.

   Luxembourg City is also the seat of several institutions of the
   European Union, including the European Court of Justice, the
   secretariat of the European Parliament, the European Court of Auditors
   and the European Investment Bank. The majority of these institutions
   are located in the Kirchberg quarter, in the northeast of the city.

   The Second World War Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial is
   located within the city limits of Luxembourg. This cemetery is the
   final resting place of 5,076 American military dead, including General
   George S. Patton. There is also a memorial to 371 Americans whose
   remains were never recovered or identified.

Twin towns

     * United Kingdom Camden, the United Kingdom
     * France Metz, France

Photos of Luxembourg City

   Looking down into the valley, to the left the Bock Fiels and remains of
   the castle, to the right Neumünster Abbey

   Looking up from the valley (seen from parts of the third city wall),
   Neumünster Abbey on the left

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg_%28city%29"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
