LUXEMBOURGERS (LËTZEBUERGER) Verified listing

Luxembourg (Lucilinburhuc in 963, Lutcelenburc in 1056, “the little fortress,” Lëtzebuerg, Luxemburg) is home to a German-speaking community descended from the Rhenish Franks (1st–3rd centuries) and the Western Franks (6th century), rooted in Moselle Franconian, known as Lëtzebuergesch. French influence explains why French is an official language in this old land of Austrasia, a fact that has not been without consequences for Luxembourgish history: the bombardment of Luxembourg by the troops of Louis XIV at Christmas 1683, the repression of the Klëppelkrich or “War of the Cudgels” in 1798, and the threat of Belgian annexation in 1919.

The flag takes up the colours of the coat of arms: a red, crowned lion on a field barry of silver and azure. It is attested as early as 1288; its present form was fixed in 1845. The blue was lightened to avoid confusion with the flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Here we represent the Luxembourgers by the crown of the Luxembourgish lion in its specific design, placed above a crenellated motif that recalls the bars of the shield and the etymology of Lëtzebuerg. (The symbolism of the fortress is not confined to the capital but extends to the entire country, the Grand Duchy being par excellence a land of castles.)