Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-sur-Alzette (French: [ɛʃ syʁ alzɛt]; Luxembourgish: Esch-Uelzecht [ˌæʒ ˈuəltsəɕt] (listen); German: Esch an der Alzette [ˈɛʃ ʔan deːɐ̯ ʔalˈzɛt] or Esch an der Alzig) is the second city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the country's second-most populous commune, with a population of 35,040 inhabitants, as of 2018[update]. It lies in the south-west of the country, on the border with France and in the valley of the Alzette, which flows through the city. The city is usually referred to as just Esch; however, the full name distinguishes it from the village and commune of Esch-sur-Sûre which lies 45 kilometres (28 miles) further north. The country's capital, Luxembourg City, is roughly 15 km (9.3 mi) to the north-east. Esch was selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2022, alongside Kaunas and Novi Sad.
Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-Uelzecht (Luxembourgish) | |
|---|---|
The city seen from the Gaalgebierg park | |
Coat of arms | |
Map of Luxembourg with Esch-sur-Alzette highlighted in orange, and the canton in dark red | |
| Coordinates: 49°29′49″N 5°58′50″E / 49.4969°N 5.9806°ECoordinates: 49°29′49″N 5°58′50″E / 49.4969°N 5.9806°E | |
| Country | Luxembourg |
| Canton | Esch-sur-Alzette |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mischo Georges (CSV) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.35 km2 (5.54 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 81st of 102 |
| Highest elevation | 426 m (1,398 ft) |
| • Rank | 32nd of 102 |
| Lowest elevation | 279 m (915 ft) |
| • Rank | 84th of 102 |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 36,218 |
| • Rank | 2nd of 102 |
| • Density | 2,500/km2 (6,500/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 1st of 102 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| LAU 2 | LU0000204 |
| Website | esch.lu |
| Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
History
For a long time Esch was a small farming village in the valley of the Uelzecht river. This changed when important amounts of iron ore were found in the area in the 1850s. With the development of the mines and the steel industry the town's population multiplied tenfold in a couple of decades. In 1911 the steel- and iron-producing company ARBED was founded.[1] The development of the steel industry, especially in the south of the country, provided Luxembourg with sustained economic growth during the second half of the 19th century.[2]
In the 1970s, as a result of the steel crisis, the mines and many of the blast furnaces were shut down, the last one, in Esch-Belval, definitively halting its operations in 1997.[2] The blast furnaces were replaced by an electric furnace that is fed with scrap metal rather than iron ore.[3]
Today the industrial wastelands on Belval left behind by the steel industry, are being redeveloped and converted into a new, modern town quarter. New cultural buildings such as the cinema Kinepolis Belval[4] and the Rockhal, Luxembourg's biggest concert hall.[5]
The area around the old blast furnaces will host different structures of the University of Luxembourg, many research centres and the national archives.[6]
Places of interest
The Lankelz miniature railway operates on Sunday afternoons and public holidays from May to mid-October.[7]
Esch is home to the Conservatoire de Musique.[8]
The city has the longest shopping street in Luxembourg.[9]
Population
Government and politics
Local
Esch is governed by its communal council, consisting of 19 councillors. Elections take place to this body every 6 years, under a system of proportional representation. Currently the mayor is Vera Spautz, of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP).[11] The governing majority on the council consists of the LSAP and The Greens.[12]
| Party | Popular vote | Seats | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) | 38.48% | 9 | 0 | |
| Christian Social People's Party (CSV) | 19.22% | 4 | 1 | ||
| G | The Greens | 12.51% | 2 | 0 | |
| The Left | 10.89% | 2 | 1 | ||
| Democratic Party (DP) | 7.50% | 1 | 0 | ||
| Communist Party of Luxembourg (KPL) | 5.25% | 1 | 1 | ||
| Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) | 3.85% | - | 1 | ||
| Citizens' List | 2.30% | - | |||
| Total: | 19 | ||||
'G' denotes parties that went on to form the governing majority.
- 2017 elections
The most recent elections were held on 8 October 2017; the results are listed below.[14]
After the elections, a coalition agreement was signed between 3 parties, the CSV, the Greens, and the DP, who will form the new governing majority on the council. The designated new mayor is Tom Schlesser of Dei Lénk.[15]
| Party | Popular vote | Seats | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Christian Social People's Party (CSV) | 30.87% | 6 | 2 | |
| Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) | 27.86% | 6 | 3 | ||
| G | The Greens | 13.54% | 3 | 1 | |
| G | Democratic Party (DP) | 9.11% | 2 | 1 | |
| The Left | 9.53% | 2 | 0 | ||
| Communist Party of Luxembourg (KPL) | 4.14% | - | 1 | ||
| Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) | 3.29% | - | |||
| Pirate Party of Luxembourg | 1.66% | - | |||
| Total | 19 | ||||
Culture
Film production
In 2001, a Luxembourg film production company had depicted a 40,000 m2 and 15 meter high backdrop built for the feature film Secret Passage with John Turturro on the Terre Rouge, a site of a former steelwork in Esch-sur Alzette. The filmset represents the contemporary Venice of the 16th century with a 600 meter long copy of the Grand Canal and 118 house facades. The "Venice-sur-Alzette" was built for around 5 million Euro and was one of the largest open-air film sets in European film history.[16]
Between 2001 and 2007 many film productions used the gigantic filmset. Among others the feature films The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino and The Girl with the Pearl Earring with Scarlett Johansson were shot in Esch. In the summer of 2007, the filmset was torn down because the weather was affecting the buildings.
European Capital of Culture for 2022
The city of Esch-sur-Alzette was selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2022, alongside Kaunas and Novi Sad.[17]
Notable people
- Jean Ellis (1946–2006), emergency department physician and climber
- Maggy Stein (1931- 1999), sculptor
Transport
Esch is connected by the bus lines 1,2,3,4,5,7,12,13,15 and 17 of the communal public transport company T.I.C.E [18](tramways intercommunales du canton Esch/Alzette, intercommunal tramway of the canton Esch/Alzette), which maintenance depot and headquarter is situated in Esch, and by lines 307, 312, 313 and 314 of the R.G.T.R.[19]
Twin towns — sister cities
Esch-sur-Alzette is twinned with:[20]
References
- ^ . Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
- ^ a b . Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "History". 1 June 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Rockhal: Featured". www.rockhal.lu. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ^ "Welcome to Esch-sur-Alzette" 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, Luxembourg National Tourist Office. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ^ . 30 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-01-30. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 12 September 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Population par canton et commune". statistiques.public.lu. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Le Bourgmestre". Ville d'Esch-sur-Alzette. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "Le Conseil Communal". Ville d'Esch-sur-Alzette. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "Commune Esch sur alzette" (in French). Retrieved 2017-11-01.
- ^ "Esch-sur-Alzette" (in French). Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "Historic change: New CSV, DP and Greens coalition in Esch/Alzette". Wort.lu. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
- ^ "Das Mädchen mit dem Perlenohrring - Venedig Filmkulisse" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "European Capitals of Culture". Retrieved 2022-05-08.
- ^ "Linien und Fahrpläne (Gültig ab 5. Dezember)". www.tice.lu. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
- ^ "Bus". Mobilitéitszentral. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
- ^ "Affaires Internationales". esch.lu (in French). Esch-sur-Alzette. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
External links
- (in French) Official website of the town of Esch-sur-Alzette
- A large private collection of pictures of the town and its surroundings — articles in German, French and Luxembourgish
- HoloGuides : Esch/Alzette - photos, events, etc.
- FEATS Newsletter, December 1999 - discusses quite a few matters relating to Esch