Wiltz - History

History

One of the main features of the town is Wiltz Castle which belonged to the former Counts of Wiltz. This castle, which is situated on 600 acres (2.4 km2) of lawns and gardens, contains hundreds of rooms. It was completed in 1727, and the final Count died in 1793. It served as a private girls school from 1851 until 1950, and became a retirement home after that. Plans are in place to make it into a museum. The industrialisation of Wiltz was advanced in the late 19th and early 20th century by the leather industry, namely by IDÉAL Tannerie de Wiltz S.A. belonging to the Adler & Oppenheimer trust.

During World War II, Wiltz was at the center of intensive battles between Allied and German forces in 1944. Previously, in 1942, a general strike had been initiated in Wiltz, that spread throughout the country, and remains one of the proudest moments of Luxembourg national history. These events took their toll on the Wiltz population, and Wiltz was named Martyr Town after the war. A monument representing a lighthouse was erected to commemorate the victims of the repression following the 1942 General Strike. The relief on the monument is by Luxembourg's best-known modern sculptor Lucien Wercollier.