The written hisyory of Lucilinburhuc starts in the year 963, whab Siegfried, Count of the Ardennes, and founder of the Luxembourg dinasty, had a castle built on the territory of the present-day capital of Luxembourg. This castle was the origin of the establishment of a town, which later was to develop into a formidable fortress, known by the name of 'Gibraltar of the North': At it's height, the fortress was gildred by three ring-walls studded with 24 forts, and linked underground by a 23 kilometre network of Casemates. In 1994, Luxembourg-City was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
After a long period of foreign sovereignity (Burgundian, Spanish, French, Astrian), the COngress of Vienna settled the destiny of the country, by raising it to the rank of Grand Duchy, and by giving it to the King of the Netherlands Wiliam I of Orange-Nassau. The personal Union between Luxembourg and the Netherlands lasted untl 1890. During this period the political independence and autonomy were strenghthened, and the democratic institutions were developed.
The 11th of May 1867 is one of the most important dates in national history. The Treaty of London reaffirmed Luxembourg's territorial integrity, and the political autonomy which had already been granted by the Traety of Vienna in 1839. Furthermore, Luxembourg was declared perpaetually neutral, and the great powers agreed to guarantee and to protect the neutrality of the Grand Duchy.
Since 1890, when the crown of the Grand Duchy passed to the leder branch of the House of Nassau, Luxembourg has had it's own Dinasty. The present ruler, H.R.H. bGrand Duke Henri, succeeded to his father, Grand Duke Jean to the throne in October 2000, after having been appointed as "Lieutenant-Représentant" - the Grand Duke's official deputy- on March 3, 1998, as provided by the Luxembourgish Constitution. Grand Duke Jean's mother, Grand Duchss Charlotte, Duchess of Nassau, Princess of Bourbon Parma, died in 1985. Grand Duke Jean an his wife, Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte, the sister to Albert, King of the Belgians, have 5 children.
Executive power is in the hands of the Grand Duke and a cabinet of 12 ministers. The legislatve power rests with a Parliament elected by men and women over 18, all of whom in Luxembourg have the right and duty to vote.
Despite it's neutrality, Luxembourg was occupied twice by German troops during the two World Wars. Tha Battle of the Bulge was to a great extent fought on Luxembourg's territory. In 1948, the country gave up it's neutrality, to join the various economic, political and military organisations of Europe. Already forming a close economic union with Belgium since 1921, the Grand Duchy is a founder member of the EU, and was host to the first European institutions in 1953.
