This document provides information about culture and integration in Luxembourg. It defines culture and discusses some key cultural aspects of Luxembourg society, including its three official languages, literature, music, films, architecture, holidays and traditions. It notes that Luxembourgish, French and German are the official languages, with Luxembourgish being the first language of the country. It highlights some famous Luxembourg authors and discusses traditions such as Dräikinneksdag on January 6th.

2. Discuss in your group
What is ‘culture’?
How to integrate
through culture?

3. Terminology
cul·ture n.
1. a. The arts, beliefs, customs,
institutions, and other products of
human work and thought considered as
a unit, especially with regard to a
particular time or social group:
Edwardian culture; Japanese culture.
b. These arts, beliefs, and other products
considered with respect to a particular
subject or mode of expression: musical
culture; oral culture.
c. The set of predominating attitudes
and behavior that characterize a group
or organization: a manager who changed
the corporate culture.

4. More
elements
The way of thinking, seeing things
and perceiving others
Clothing habits, food and
environment habits
The stereotypes of what is good or
bad, normal or abnormal, the role
tasks of women and men
Verbal and non-verbal
communication…
Question: What is a ‘Luxembourger’?

5. Which cultural aspects of Luxembourg
society do you know?
Cette photo par Auteur inconnu est soumise à la licence CC BY-NC-ND

6. Values and
integration
The guiding values are translated
into ways of being and acting (rules
that define everyone’s rights and
duties, laws, constitution…)
Social solidarity is a mutual
commitment based on shared
values as well as rights and duties,
it represents the common basis
The Welcome and Integration
Contract as a means to enforce the
social contract

7. There are 3 official (working) languages in Luxembourg.
Luxembourgish is the first language of the country and the language required at state
level. Rapidly increasing due to dual citizenship.
French more used in legislative and most widely spoken language.
German more used in the press and in the first few years at school / teaching done in
German or French.
Key dates:
1829 - first text written in Luxembourgish
1896 - first speech in Luxembourgish by a member of parliament (C.M.Spoo)
1984 - declared official national language by law in 1984
1996 - First ‘State of the Nation’ speech in Luxembourgish by Prime Minister Juncker
1999 - official spelling reform
2017 - NEW dual citizenship law for foreigners who have lived at least 5 years in the
country. Language test required.
Something unique:
the languages
situation

8. Let’s talk about
culture
www.culture.lu

9. Cultural life in the Grand Duchy is marked by the
country's openness to the world, the number of its
top-quality cultural infrastructures, its exceptional
natural settings, its multilingualism in every field
and its festivals and traditions. The result is an
amazing diversity of production in literature, art,
architecture and music.

10. Literature(s)
Over the centuries, this has resulted in a unique linguistic environment,
featuring the association and coexistence of three languages:
Luxembourgish, German, and French. Multilingualism is an underlying
feature of Luxembourg literature and influences the route taken by
Luxembourgish writers.
Luxembourgish literature is not singular but plural, as it is produced in
three languages - or even four, if English-language writers are included.
This polyphonic production is given the collective term
'Luxemburgensia', a concept which covers all literary works and printed
documents that are either written by Luxembourg nationals, or
produced in the Grand Duchy, or are about the Grand Duchy,
regardless of the language used.

11. Some well-known authors
Michel Rodange « de Rénert »
Guy Rewenig (first novel ever in Luxembourgish in
1985)
Roger Manderscheid
Nico Helminger
Josy Braun
Lambert Schlechter
Marc Angel (comics) Festival international de BD de
Contern

12. De Rénert
As the title shows, we are not dealing with an
animal story, but with a satirical mirror image of
Luxembourg’s social sphere. Conversely, Rodange,
who was an avid follower of Luxembourgian
social-political news, transposed his criticism and
social skepticism to the animal society in which his
fox ‘Renert’ lives.
‘Renert’ behaves like a human being, with all its
self-centeredness and aggressivity. In defiance of
the rules of law and morality he intelligently
evades all those who want to chastise him, and
while he is maliciously feeding on his fellow
animals, he does not fail to unveil his compatriots’
weaknesses and blatant hypocrisy.
In contrast to the clever fox, Rodange draws a
sluggish and unregaled lion (a figure that stands
for the monarchy) which is unable to keep his
royal house in order.

13. MichelLentz(May21,
1820–September8,
1893)wasa
Luxembourgishpoet.He
isbestknownforhaving
writtenOnsHémécht,the
nationalanthemof
Luxembourg.

14. Festival
of comics

15. Music
From participating in amateur choirs and local wind
ensembles and brass bands to the boom in rock bands,
including taking music lessons at the local music school
or conservatoire, many people in the Grand Duchy have
made music at least at some point in their lives.
Luxembourgers also enjoy going to concerts of all
kinds, and flock to open-air music festivals
Wide offer of musical performances (some venues
Philharmonie, Rockhal, Den Atelier,...)

16. Festivals
Festival de Wiltz (tous genres)
Festival international d’Echternach (Jazz et classique)
Festival Rock-a-Field
Festival Rock um Knuedler
Fête de la musique (21st June)

18. Films and audiovisual
Luxembourg has certainly found its place in the world of
audiovisual production, judging by the many awards
received at major international festivals by Luxembourgish
film-makers, and other evidence of its considerable
evolution.
The national audiovisual production industry employs some
600 people as professionals, of which about 20 are directors,
as well as producers, artists, technicians... Today, there are
about 20 production companies in Luxembourg, of which
about half a dozen regularly produces feature films, as well
as animation studios and about thirty companies offering
specialized services.

19. Architecture and arts
A museum designed by Ming Pei and a medieval manor house, a
Place de l'Europe designed by Ricardo Bofill and Vauban's military
fortifications — architecture in the Grand Duchy is all about
coexistence, with a mixture of well-preserved remains and
surprising modern creations.
The Luxembourg art scene was inward-looking for a long time, but
has become highly internationalized in recent years. New
exhibition venues and museums opened in the 1990s and 2000s
have been a great success with the public.

20. Cette photo par Auteur inconnu est soumise à la licence CC BY-SA

21. Holidays
and
traditions
What do Luxembourgers celebrate on
6th January?
2nd February?
23rd June ?
6th December?
Any special event at Pentecoste?
What is ‘Bretzelsonndeg’?

22. Some traditions
Dräikinneksdag (6/1)
Liichtmëssdag (2/2)
Fuesend
Buergbrennen
Bretzelsonndeg
Ouschteren et Éimaischen
Fêtes du raisin et du vin
Oktav
Notre-Dame de Fatima
Gënzefest à Wiltz
Procession dansante
d'Echternach
National Feierdag
Schueberfouer
Saint-Nicolas
Chrëschtdag

23. Which celebration is this?

24. This one?

25. When do we eat this?

26. Where does this event take
place?

27. What are these children
doing?

28. What are these parades?

29. Who is this little bird?

30. Who are they?

31. Any similar customs or
traditions in your own
country?

32. Eat&Drink
Some traditional dishes
Judd mat Gaardebounen
Träipen / Kuddelfléck
Gromperekichelcher
and white wine or beer
Gudden Appetit!

33. Your feedback is required now
Thank you and
my best wishes ;)