Monument of Remembrance, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

The Monument of Remembrance, usually known by the nickname of the Gëlle Fra (Luxembourgish for 'Golden Lady'), is a war memorial dedicated to the thousands of Luxembourgers who volunteered for service in the armed forces of the Allied Powers during World War I.

The centrepiece of the monument is a 21 metre-tall granite obelisk. Atop of the obelisk stands a gilded bronze statue of a lady, holding out a laurel wreath as if placing it upon the head of the nation. At the foot of the obelisk are two (ungilded) bronze figures, representing those Luxembourgish soldiers that volunteered to serve for France; one lies at the base of the statue, having died in service of his country, whilst the other sits, mourning his dead compatriot.

The sculptor of the three bronze figures was Claus Cito, a native Luxembourger. The model for the Gëlle Fra is unknown. The monument was opened in 1923.

During the First World War, Luxembourg pledged itself to neutrality, but was occupied by Germany, which justified its actions by citing military necessity. However, most Luxembourgers did not believe Germany's good intentions, fearing that Germany would annex their country in the event of a German victory; these claims were substantiated by Bethmann Hollweg's Septemberprogramm.

When Luxembourg was occupied by Nazi forces in World War II, the Germans dismantled the memorial on the 21st October 1940. Several portions of the memorial were rescued, and after the war, the monument was partially restored. The Gëlle Fra herself however remained unaccounted for until January 1980 when she was found hidden beneath the main stand of the national football stadium. Later additions were made to honor Luxembourger forces who had served in World War II and the Korean War.

The monument was not fully reconstructed and restored to its original design until 1984 and then finally unveiled to the public in the presence of Grand Duke Jean on the 23rd June 1985, Luxembourg's national holiday.

References:

Wikipedia

Statues in Luxembourg

User Reviews

Bob Vlaminck (2 months ago)
Christmas market at the moment, nice to visit

Rakesh Sharma (2 months ago)
I went there to see the xmas market, on a weekend, and the place was full of people and there were longs queues for everything, drinks or food. So better go on weekdays. But generally this place is not that crowded and gives you a nice view of Luxembourg city.

Ganesh Babu (6 months ago)
This is a war memorial and historic monument. Must see places in Luxembourg, very near to Notre-Dame Cathedral. One can have a beautiful, panoramic views of the surrounding places like, Canyon and historic town. Good spot for photography..

Vasco Baptista (6 months ago)
Nice place to visit in sunny days. You can also enjoy some refreshments on the local street food trucks and bars. There is also a sand mini beach. You can also enjoy the panoramic view of the bridge and the park

Nate (6 months ago)
It's a simple monument, but there are some good views from around there, and there's a small Christmas market here in mid Nov-Dec

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