LUXEMBOURG
See also ROMAN CATOLIC HIERARCHY IN LUXEMBOURG 1871 - 1945
CITY OF LUXEMBOURG 1871 - 1945
GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG 1871 - 1890
In 1815, according to the final act of the Congress of Vienna the ancient Duchy of
Luxembourg - founded in the 10th century as a County and becoming a Duchy in 1354
- was united in a personal union with the Netherlands.
At the same time, as compensation for the lose of some territories to Prussia, it
was restyled Grand Duchy. (1)
(1) Originally it was governed as a province of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
It was only after the revolt in the southern provinces and the occupation
of most the Grand Duchy by the Belgian insurgents in 1830 that a separate
Luxembourg government was set up for the part remaining under Dutch rule.
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HEAD OF STATE
Grand Duke
Grand Duc
House of Nassau - Line of Otto
(ruled since 1815)
1849 - 1890 Guillaume III (Willem Alexander Paul
Frederik Lodewijk, Koning der Nederlanden) 1817 - 1890
Lieutenants of the King - Grand Duke in Luxembourg
1850 - 1879 Hendrik Willem Frederik,
Prins der Nederlanden,
brother of the King 1820 - 1879
1879 - 1890 none
Secretaries for the Affairs of the Grand Duchy
of Luxembourg (in Den Haag)
Secrétaires pour les Affaires du Grand Duché
du Luxembourg
Secretarissen voor de Aangelegenheden van het
Groot Hertogdom Luxemburg
1849 - 1882 Gustave d'Olimart
1882 - 1890 Hippolyte de Villiers
Regent during the final illness of the Grand Duke
1889 - 1890 Adolf Wilhelm Karl August,
of the House of Nassau -
Line of Walram, former Duke
of Nassau (2) 1817 - 1905
(2) He was regent from 03 1889 to 05 1889 and since 11 1890.
The regency in the Netherlands was different.
The House of Nassau split into two lines in 1255.
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MINISTERS
Prime Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Ministers of State - Presidents of the Government / Directors General of Foreign
Affairs
Ministres d'État - Présidents du Gouvernement / Directeurs Généraux des Affaires
Etrangères
1867 - 1874 Emmanuel Servais 1811 - 1890
1874 - 1885 Félix, Baron de Blochhausen 1834 - 1915
1885 - 1888 Edouard Thilges 1834 - 1915
1888 - 1890 Paul Eyschen 1841 - 1915
Ministers of Home Affairs
Directors General of the Interior
Directeurs Généraux de l'Intérieur
1870 - 1878 Nicolas Salentiny
1878 - 1890 Henri Kirpach
Ministers of Justice
Directors General of Justice
Directeurs Généraux de la Justice
1869 - 1874 Henri Vannerus
1874 - 1876 Alphonse Funck 1... - 1876
1876 none
1876 - 1890 Paul Eyschen s.a.
Ministers of Finance
Directors General of Finance
Directeurs Généraux des Finances
1870 - 1873 Georges Uveling
1873 - 1874 Victor de Roebe
1874 - 1876 Nicolas Salentiny*
1876 Félix, Baron de Blochhausen s.a.
1876 - 1882 Victor de Roebe
1882 Félix, Baron de Blochhausen* (2x)
1882 - 1890 Mathias Mongenast 1843 - 1926
GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG SINCE 1890
When King Guillaume III died in 1890 the personal union with the Kingdom of the
Netherlands was dissolved and Luxembourg became a fully sovereign and independent
state (3) which was occupied by Germany from 1914 to 1918 (4) and again from 1940
to 1944. (See here for more)
(3) The separation was due to different succession laws in both countries.
In Luxembourg the so-called "Salic Law" only allowed succession by males,
which was not the case in the Netherlands.
(The Salic Law was abolished in 1907)
(4) The end of WW I was followed by a troubled period, as several groups, having
different points of view on the future of post-war Luxembourg opposed each
other (partisans of the reigning Grand Duchess, of the House of Nassau -
but not of the reigning Grand Duchess, of the republic, of annexation to
Belgium or France).
Attempts to establish a République du Luxembourg were made :
- on Nov 09 1918 a by a Soviet formed in Luxembourg-City
Members of the Executive Committee
1918 -Aloys Kaiser
-Emile Mark
-Jean Schaak
- on Nov 11 1918 by a second Soviet at Esch-sur-Alzette
Members of the Executive Committee
1918 -Pierre Kappweiler
-Jacques Tillmany
-Jean Schaak s.a.
- on Jan 10/11(?) 1919 by some of the members of the Luxembourgian Chamber
who declared the House of Nassau for deposed and established a Comité de
Salut Public to govern the "Republic".
Members of the Comité de Salut Public
1919 Émile Servais (Chairman)
Robert Brasseur
Gaston Diedrich
... Ikhausen
Émile Mark s.a.
Maurice Pescatore
Jean-Pierre Probst
Joseph Thorn
As the two other attempts this one also failed, French troops - present
in the country since the end of the war - dispersing the crowd gathered
before the Chamber.
As to the relation to Belgium and France, this matter was settled in 1922
when Luxembourg joined Belgium in an economic and financial union.
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HEADS OF STATE
Grand Dukes / Grand Duchesses
Grand Ducs / Grandes Duchesses
Formal style By the Grace of God, Grand Duke/Duchess of Luxembourg, Duke/
Duchess of Nassau, Count/Countess Palatine of the Rhine, etc ...
(Par la Grace de Dieu, Grand Duc/Grande Duchesse du Luxembourg,
Duc/Duchesse de Nassau,, Comte/Comtesse Palatin(e) du Rhin,
etc ... (5))
(5) For instance, other styles for Grand Duchess Charlotte included :
Princesse de Bourbon-Parma, Comtesse de Sayn, Königstein Katzenelnbogen et
Dietz, Burggravine de Hammerstein, Dame de Mahlberg, Wiesbade, Idstein,
Merenberg, Limbourg et Epstein.
House of Nassau - Line of Walram
1890 - 1905 Adolphe I, before Regent s.a.
Regent due to high age of the Grand Duc
1902 - 1905 Guillaume Alexandre, son 1852 - 1912
1905 - 1912 Guillaume IV Alexandre s.a.
Lieutenant-Representative / Regent during
the illness of the Grand Duke
1908 - 1912 Marie Anne (Marie-Anne du
Carmel Henrique Thérèse
Adélaïde Jeanne Caroline
Agnès Sophie Eulalie
Léopoldine Elisabeth
Bernardine Michelle Gabrielle
Raphaëlle Françoise d'Assise
et de Paule Ignace Gonzague)
de Bragance°, spouse 1861 - 1942
1912 - 1919 Marie-Adélaïde° (Marie Adelaide Thérèse
Hilde Antoinette Wilhelmine), daughter,
abdicated after the end of the republican
episode 1894 - 1924
Regent during the minority of the Grand Duchesse
1912 Marie Anne de Bragance° (2x)
1919 - 1964 Charlotte° (Charlotte Aldegonde Elise
Marie Wilhelmine), sister of Marie-Adélaide
in exile 1940 - 1945 1896 - 1985
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MINISTERS
Prime Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Ministers of State - Presidents of the Government / Directors General of Foreign
Affairs
Ministres d'État - Présidents du Gouvernement / Directeurs Généraux des Affaires
Etrangères
1890 - 1915 Paul Eyschen s.a.
1915 Mathias Mongenast* s.a.
1915 - 1916 Hubert Loutsch 1879 - 1946
1916 - 1917 Victor Thorn 1844 - 1930
1917 - 1918 Léon Michel Kauffmann 1869 - 1952
1918 - 1925 Emile Reuter 1874 - 1973
1925 - 1926 Pierre Prüm 1886 - 1950
1926 - 1936 Joseph Bech 1887 - 1975
Ministers of State - Presidents of the Government / Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Ministres d'État - Présidents du Gouvernement / Ministres des Affaires Etrangères
1936 - 1937 Joseph Bech s.a.
Prime Ministers
Ministers of State - Presidents of the Government
Ministres d'État - Présidents du Gouvernement
1937 - 1953 Pierre Dupong, in exile 1940 - 1944 1885 - 1953
Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Ministres des Affaires Etrangères
1937 - 1959 Joseph Bech, in exile 1940 - 1944 s.a.
Ministers of Defence
Ministers of the Armed Force
Ministres de la Force Armée
1937 - 1947 Pierre Dupong, in exile 1940 - 1944 s.a.
Ministers of Home Affairs
Directors General of the Interior
Directeurs Généraux de l'Intérieur
1890 - 1910 Henri Kirpach
1910 - 1915 Pierre Braun
1915 Ernest Leclere
1915 - 1916 Jean-Baptiste Sax
1916 - 1918 Léon Moutrier
1918 - 1921 Emile Reuter s.a.
1921 - 1925 Joseph Bech s.a.
1925 - 1926 Pierre Prüm s.a.
1926 - 1936 Norbert Dumont
Ministers of the Interior
Ministres de l'Intérieur
1936 Norbert Dumont s.a.
1936 - 1937 Nicolas Braunshausen
1937 - 1938 Etienne Schmit
1938 - 1945 Joseph Bech* (2x), in exile 1940 - 1944
1945 Robert Als
Ministers of Justice
Directors General of Justice
Directeurs Généraux de la Justice
1890 - 1915 Paul Eyschen s.a.
1915 Victor Thorn s.a.
1915 - 1916 Jean-Baptiste Sax
1916 - 1917 Victor Thorn (2x)
1917 - 1918 Léon Moutrier
1918 - 1921 Auguste Liesch
1921 - 1923 Guillaume Leidenbach
1923 - 1925 Joseph Bech s.a.
1925 - 1936 Norbert Dumont
Ministers of Justice
Ministres de la Justice
1936 Norbert Dumont s.a.
1936 - 1937 Etienne Schmitt s.a.
1937 - 1940 René Blum
1940 - 1947 Victor Bodson, in exile 1940 - 1944
Ministers of Finance
Directors General of Finances
Directeurs Généraux des Finances
1890 - 1915 Mathias Mongenast s.a.
1915 - 1916 Edmond Reiffers
1916 - 1918 Léon Michel Kauffmann s.a.
1918 - 1925 Alphonse Neyens
1925 - 1926 Etienne Schmit
1926 - 1936 Pierre Dupong s.a.
Ministers of Finance
Ministres des Finances
1936 - 1953 Pierre Dupong, in exile 1940 - 1944 s.a.
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ADMINISTRATORS OF OCCUPIED LUXEMBOURG DURING WWI AND WWII
ADMINISTRATORS DURING WW I
In 1914 German troops occupied Luxembourg, formally only to protect the country's
neutrality and independence against a possible French attack, but in fact to secure
the railroads, which were very important for German communications.
GERMAN ADMINISTRATORS
Originally there was no central authority for the German troops present in the Grand
Duchy (some garrisons guarding the railroads, but mostly troops on their way to the
French front). As this caused problems to the Luxembourgian government - which had
to deal with each commander separately - it requested itself for a German central
representative office.
Commander of the German Forces in Luxembourg and Plenipotentiary of the Quartermaster
General (6)
Befehlshaber der deutschen Truppen in Luxemburg und Beauftragter des General-
Quartiermeisters
(Formally directly dependent of the German Imperial Headquarters)
1915 - 1918 ... von Tessmar
LUXEMBOURG ADMINISTRATORS
The Luxemburgian authorities continued in office.
(6) In 1918, at the end of the war, the style simply became Beauftragter des
General-Quartiermeisters.
Formally the German representative was not to intervene in internal affairs
of Luxembourg.
At first this rule was fairly well respected but later there were several
interventions, like the breaking of the strike at Rumelange by German troops
in 1917.
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ADMINISTRATORS DURING WWII
GERMAN ADMINISTRATORS
In 1940 Luxembourg was once again occupied by German troops.
Military Administrators
At first the commander of the invading forces was in charge.
Later a military administration, subordinated to the German Military Commander in
Belgium and Northern France was established.
Commander-in-Chief of Army Group A
Oberbefehlshaber der Heeresgruppe A
(also in Belgium and France)
1940 GenCol. Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt 1875 - 1953
Feldkommandant
1940 MajGen. Otto Gullmann 1887 - 1963
Oberfeldkommandant
1940 MajGen. Carl August Schumacher 1896 - 1967
Civil Administrator
Military rule was soon replaced by a civil administration directly dependent of the
German Führer. A rigid policy of Germanization was forced upon the Luxembourgers
and all German political organizations and laws replaced the Luxembourg ones.
Head of the Civil Administration
Chef der Zivilverwaltung
1940 - 1944 Gustav Simon 1900 - 1945
Party Leaders
In 1940 the Volksdeutsche Bewegung was founded as the only authorized Luxembourg
political party. It collaborated closely with the German NSDAP - which also started
its activities in Luxembourg as early as 1940 - and many of its members also joined
this party.
Chairman of the VdB
1940 - 1945 Damian Kratzenberg 1878 - 1945(?)
NSDAP Gauleiter of Koblenz/Trier - Moselland
1940 - 1945 Gustav Simon s.a.
Higher SS and Police Leaders
Hohere SS und Polizeiführer (HSSPF)
(responsible for public security and war against the resistance)
1940 - 1943 SS-Obergruppenf. Theodor Berkelmann,
HSSPF of Westmark until 1943,
of Rhein-Westmark in 1943 1894 - 1943
1943 - 1944 SS-Gruppenf. Jürgen Stroop, HSSPF of
Rhein-Westmark 1943 - 1945 1895 - 1952
LUXEMBOURG ADMINISTRATORS
After the departure of the Grand Duchess and the government, power was taken over by
an Administrative Commission (Commission Administrative) including major Luxembourg
administrative officials and chaired by Albert Wehrer (1895 - 1967), the Secretary
- General of the Luxembourg ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At first this commission continued to function under German occupation, but as it
refused to fully collaborate with the new rulers, it was disbanded and its president
arrested.
LEADERS OF THE RESISTANCE
In 1944 the four Luxembourgian resistance movements, set up in the previous years,
united into a new organization called UNION.
Chairman
Président
1944 - 1945 François Schammel
ALLIED REPRESENTATIVES
At the Liberation in Sep 1944, a SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary
Force) Mission was sent to the country to serve as a liason office between the
headquarters, the allied forces operating there and the Luxembourg authorities. (7)
and to administer the country in cooperation with these Luxembourg authorities until
the country was considered "save". (8)
Head of the SHAEF Mission - Luxembourg
1944 Brig. Stanley Oswald Jones (UK) (9) 1895 -
Luxembourg Delegate to the SHAEF Mission - Luxembourg
1944 Maj. George Schommer
Head of the Civil Affairs Section
1944 ...
As a further pogression of the Allies was stopped by German resistance, the SHAEF
Mission - Luxembourg was abolished in Oct 1944.
A small civilian staff (the Luxembourg Civil Affairs Detachment) continued however
to function under the direct authority of the Civil Affairs section of the US 12th
Army Group.
Head of the Luxembourg Civil Affairs Detachment
1944 - 1945 Col. Frank E. Fraser
In Apr 1945 the SHAEF Mission - Luxembourg was revived.
Head of the SHAEF Mission - Luxembourg
1945 MajGen. Sir George Watkin Eben
James Erskine (UK), since 1944
also Head of the SHAEF Mission
- Belgium 1899 - 1965
Luxembourg Delegate to the SHAEF Mission - Luxembourg
1945 ...
Delegate of the Head of the SHAEF Mission - Belgium in Luxembourg and Head of the
Civil Affairs Section
1945 Col. Frank E. Fraser s.a.
(7) At first Félix Marie Vincent, Prince Consort du Luxembourg, Prince de
Bourbon-Parma (1893 - 1970) was appointed representative of the Grand
Duchess and Head of the reconstructed Luxembourg administration.
As this was unconstitutional, he was nearly immediately replaced by his
son, Crown Prince Jean Benoit Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe
Marc d'Aviano (1921 - ....) who remained in office until the return of
the Grand Duchess and the government in Apr 1945.
(8) In Dec 1944 - Jan 1945 part of the country was briefly reoccupied by the
Germans during the so-called Von Rundstedt Offensive/Battle of the Bulge.
Commander of the 7th Army
Befehlshaber der 7. Armee
(Subordinated to the Commander-in-Chief West)
1944 - 1945 Gen. Erich Brandenberger 1892 - 1955
(9) Until the arrival of Jones on Sep .., SHAEF authority in Luxembourg was
represented by the commanders of the armies operating in the area and
their Civil Affairs sections :
- The US 12th Army Group with :
- the 1st US Army (also in Belgium)
(More information will be found under ALLIED ADMINISTRATIONS DURING WWII -
to be added)
CITY OF LUXEMBOURG 1871 - 1945
The town of Luxembourg developped around the castle of the same name erected in the
10th century and was the capital of the country ever since.
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CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Mayors
Bourgemestres
1869 - 1873 Jean Mersch-Wittenauer
1873 - 1875 Charles Simonis
1875 - 1890 Emmanuel Servais s.a.
1890 - 1894 Alexis Brasseur
1894 - 1904 Emile Moussel
1905 - 1914 Alphonse Munchen
1914 - 1918 Léandre Lacroix
1918 - 1920 Luc Housse
1921 - 1946 Gaston Diderich
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