Differdange ( lb, Déifferdeng or (locally) ; german: Differdingen) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

with town status in south-western

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

, west from the country's capital. It lies near the borders with

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and it is located in the canton of Esch-sur-Alzette. With a population of around 26,000, Differdange is the country's third largest city. It is also the main town of the commune, and other towns within the commune include Lasauvage,

Niederkorn Niederkorn () is a town in the Communes of Luxembourg, commune of Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg, on the Chiers river (), from which it takes its name. As of March 31, 2020, the town has a population of 7,272. Niederkorn is home to FC P ...

, Fousbann, and Oberkorn. Differdange is an industrial town that was home to much of Luxembourg's steel production, much of its development occurred during its heyday. Today, Differdange still remains an important industrial center, with

ArcelorMittal ArcelorMittal S.A. is a Luxembourgian multinational steel manufacturing corporation headquartered in Luxembourg City. It was formed in 2006 from the takeover and merger of Arcelor by Indian-owned Mittal Steel. ArcelorMittal is the second la ...

, the world's largest steel producer, retaining the ARBED steel plant in the town. Notable landmarks in Differdange include the Maison de Soins de Differdange, an ancient Cistercian

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...

dating back to 1235 and the

Differdange Castle Differdange Castle (french: Château de Differdange), located on a hill in the centre of Differdange in southern Luxembourg, was built in 1577 although an earlier fortified castle of Differdange dates from around 1310. Today's residential château ...

, located on a hill in the centre of the town, which dates from 1577 and is now used by

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...

. As such, Differdange is home to Miami University's Dolibois European Center, the University's European campus branch where students study abroad. Differdange is also home to football team

FC Differdange 03 Foussballclub Differdange 03 is a football club based in Differdange, Luxembourg. History Differdange 03 was formed in 2003 as an amalgam of two clubs from the city of Differdange: FA Red Boys Differdange and AS Differdange. When the clubs mer ...

Populated places

*Differdange (commune seat) * Lasauvage *

* Oberkorn * Fousbann

History

The Cistercian Era

The era of the Cistercian cathedrals and abbeys was in full swing during the thirteenth century and Differdange did not deviate from this pattern. In 1235, Alexandre de Soleuvre founded the abbey of Differdange, which he donated to the order of Cîteaux. Initially, the Cistercian abbey welcomed only sisters from the nobility of Luxembourg. Subsequently, women from the

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

region of France and the present

province of Luxembourg Luxembourg (french: Luxembourg ; nl, Luxemburg ; german: Luxemburg ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; wa, Lussimbork), also called Belgian Luxembourg, is the southernmost province of Wallonia and of Belgium. It borders on the country of Luxembourg to the ea ...

in Wallonia also made their vows at Differdange. In 1552, the abbey was plundered and sacked by French soldiers. However, it was during the French invasion of Luxembourg that the abbey and the town experienced real raids and innumerable rampages. The last

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...

to direct the convent was Marie-Madeleine de Gourcy, who held office until 1796. After her mandate, the Order was then formally dissolved. The Abbey of Differdange was auctioned off in 1797 and subsequently be bought by the commune of Differdange in 1929. In 1981 following its purchase by government of Luxembourg, the Differdange Abbey was transformed into a hospital and health center.

The Renaissance Era

The

is one of the only remaining landmarks from the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

period in the area. Although it has no known origin since all traced manuscripts have disappeared, squire listed was Wilhelm de Differdange, named in documents dating from 1310. The castle is probably the earliest example in Luxembourg of a château built entirely in the Renaissance style. It was intended as a residence and a fortification. Differdange's descendants were extinguished in 1400 with the death of his last grandson. In 1552, the castle underwent a disastrous fire, It was eventually restored and occupied by Anna of Isenburg. In 1794, the

French Revolutionary Army The French Revolutionary Army (french: Armée révolutionnaire française) was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipme ...

committed atrocities in Differdange and slaughtered many unarmed civilians before pillaging and burning the city.

The Iron City

Beginning in 1830, Luxembourg's steel industry evolved from and artisan stage to an industrial stage. In 1896, two blast furnaces were erected in Differdange with the name of ''"Société Anonyme des Hauts-Fourneaux de Differdange"''. Subsequently, eight other blast furnaces were built, allowing the production of steel beams known at the time as ''"Differdinger"''. On August 4, 1907, Differdange received its town status by William IV of Luxembourg. During the 20th century, the industrial boom was at its peak, and the population of Differdange rose from less than 4,000 in 1890 to almost 18,000 by 1930. In 1967, the ''"Société des Hauts-Fourneaux and Aciererie de Differdange"'' merged with several steel companies in Belgium and France to form

ARBED The Aciéries Réunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange ( French; literally "United Steelworks of Burbach-Eich-Dudelange"), better known by its acronym ARBED, was a major Luxembourg-based steel and iron producing company. Created in 1911 after the me ...

, Luxembourg's largest steel company, which had numerous factories in Differdange.

Geography

The town is located in the plateau of the river

Chiers The Chiers (; lb, Kuer, german: Korn) is a river in Luxembourg, Belgium and France. It is a right tributary of the Meuse. The total length of the Chiers is aproxamately , of which in France. The source of the Chiers is near Differdange, i ...

, a tributary of the river

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

which takes its source in the section of Oberkorn. Differdange has an altitude of 293 meters, the highest point of the municipality being at 427,1m at ''Koufeld''. The commune spreads over 2,215

hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...

. Its territory borders France, through the department of

Meurthe-et-Moselle Meurthe-et-Moselle () is a department in the Grand Est region of France, named after the rivers Meurthe and Moselle. It had a population of 733,760 in 2019.Longwy Longwy (; older german: Langich, ; lb, label= Luxemburgish, Lonkech) is a commune in the French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France. The inhabitants are known as ''Longoviciens'' ...

Population

Notable people

Émile Krieps Émile Krieps (4 January 1920 – 30 September 1998) was a Luxembourgish resistance leader, soldier, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Krieps served in cabinets under Pierre Werner and Gaston Thorn. For his services in the Sec ...

(1920–1998) a resistance leader, soldier, and politician * Jean Portante (born 1950) a writer of novels, stories, plays, journalistic articles and poetry; resides in Paris * Josiane Kartheiser (born 1950) a journalist, novelist, and writer *

Nico Helminger Nico Helminger (born 1953) is a Luxembourg author who has written poetry, novels, plays and libretti for operas. In 2008, he was awarded the Batty Weber Prize for his literary work."Helminger, Guy", ''Luxemburger Lexikon'', Editions Guy Binsfeld, ...

(born 1953) an author of poetry, novels, plays and libretti for operas * Georges Hausemer (1957–2018) a writer of short stories, novels, travelogues and non-fictional works *

Jean-Claude Hollerich Jean-Claude Hollerich, S.J. (born 9 August 1958) is a Luxembourger prelate of the Catholic Church, who has served as the Archbishop of Luxembourg since 2011. He has been the president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European ...

S.J. (born 1958) the current archbishop of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luxembourg The Catholic Archdiocese of Luxembourg ( la, Archidioecesis Luxemburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, comprising the entire Grand Duchy. The diocese was founded in 1870, and i ...

since 2011 ; Sport * Étienne Bausch (1901–1970) a footballer, competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics * Émile Kolb (1902–1967) a footballer, competed at the

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China holds ...

and 1928 Summer Olympics *

Bernard Fischer Bernard Fischer (30 May 1902 – 1 January 1971) was a Luxembourgian footballer. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games ...

(1902–1971) a footballer, competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics * Paul Feierstein (1903–1963) a footballer, competed at the

and 1928 Summer Olympics * Michael Maurer (1904–??) a boxer who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics * Metty Logelin (1907–1999), a gymnast, competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1936 Summer Olympics * Arnold Kieffer (1910–1991) a footballer, competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics * Fernand Ciatti (1912–1989) a boxer, competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics *

Julien Darui Julien Darui (16 February 1916 – 13 December 1987) was a French football goalkeeper, who had stints as a coach after his playing career. International career Darui was born in Luxembourg during World War I, to parents of Portuguese and Italia ...

(1916–1987) a French football goalkeeper * Gusty Kemp (1917–1948) a footballer, played 20 times for the national team and competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics * Paul Anen (1918–1978) a fencer, competed at the 1948 and

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

Jean-Fernand Leischen Jean-Fernand Leischen (21 August 1919 – 20 April 2017) was a Luxembourgian fencer who competed in three Summer Olympic Games, competing in the men's individual and team épée events at each one. His best was result was fourth at the team ...

(1919–2017) a fencer, competed in three Summer Olympics * Nicolas May (1927–2006) a footballer, competed in the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

* Josy Stoffel (born 1928) a retired gymnast, competed in five consecutive Summer Olympics in 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960 & 1964 * Rudy Kugeler (born 1928) a fencer, competed in the team épée at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

* Ferd Lahure (born 1929) a footballer, competed in

* Fernand Backes (born 1930) a boxer, competed at the

* François Konter (1934–2018) a footballer, played 77 games for the national side * Roger Menghi (born 1935) a fencer, competed in the individual épée event at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 P ...

* Roby Hentges (born 1940) a former cyclist, competed in the individual road race at the

* Alain Anen (born 1950) a fencer, competed in the individual and team épée events at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

; Politics *

Nicholas Muller Nicholas Muller (November 15, 1836 – December 12, 1917) was an American banker and politician who served four different stints as a United States representative from New York during the late 19th and early 20th century. In all, he served five ...

(1836–1917) a United States Representative from New York * Yvonne Useldinger (1921–2009) a politician * Marcelle Lentz-Cornette (1927–2008) a politician *

Fred Sunnen Fred Sunnen (11 April 1939 in Differdange – 22 February 2014) was a Luxembourgian politician for the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). He was a member of the national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies, having been first elected in the ...

(1939–2014) a politician * Johny Lahure (1942–2003) a politician. * Félix Braz (born 1966) a politician, the current Minister of Justice

Twin towns — sister cities

Differdange is twinned with: *

Ahlen Ahlen (; Westphalian: ''Aulen'') is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 30 km southeast of Münster. Ahlen is part of the District of Warendorf and is economically the most important town in that district. Ahlen is part of the larger ...

, Germany * Chaves, Portugal *

Fiuminata Fiuminata is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona and about southwest of Macerata. The municipal seat is in the ''frazione'' of Massa. Fiuminata borders the foll ...

, Italy *

Longwy Longwy (; older german: Langich, ; lb, label= Luxemburgish, Lonkech) is a commune in the French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France. The inhabitants are known as ''Longoviciens'' ...

, France *

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, United States * Waterloo, Belgium

References

External links

*
Commune of Differdange official website
Cities in Luxembourg Communes in Esch-sur-Alzette (canton) Towns in Luxembourg Miami University {{Esch-geo-stub