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

town status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, city status ...

in south-western Luxembourg, west from the country's capital. It lies near the borders with Belgium and France and it is located in the

canton of Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette is a canton in southwestern Luxembourg. Its capital is Esch-sur-Alzette. Administrative divisions Esch-sur-Alzette Canton consists of the following fourteen communes: * Bettembourg * Differdange * Dudelange * Esch-sur ...

. 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 Lasauvage ( lb, Zowaasch) (German: — notionally only — Rohrbach) is a small town in the commune of Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg. Lasauvage was known as one of the few French-speaking towns in an otherwise Luxembourgish-speaking co ...

Niederkorn Niederkorn () is a town in the 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 Progrès Niederkorn, a fo ...

, 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, 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 Maison (French for "house") may refer to: People * Edna Maison (1892–1946), American silent-film actress * Jérémy Maison (born 1993), French cyclist * Leonard Maison, New York state senator 1834–1837 * Nicolas Joseph Maison (1771–1840), Ma ...

, an ancient

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

abbey dating back to 1235 and the Differdange Castle, located on a hill in the centre of the town, which dates from 1577 and is now used by Miami University. 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.

Populated places

*Differdange (commune seat) *

* Oberkorn * Fousbann

History

The Cistercian Era

The era of the

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 region of France and the present province of Luxembourg 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 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 Differdange Castle is one of the only remaining landmarks from the Renaissance 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 Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

. In 1794, the French Revolutionary Army 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 William IV (Guillaume Alexander; ''French: Guillaume Alexandre''; 22 April 1852 – 25 February 1912) reigned as the Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 17 November 1905 until his death. He succeeded his father, Adolphe. William was a Protestant, the ...

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

Geography

The town is located in the plateau of the river Chiers, a tributary of the river Meuse 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. Its territory borders France, through the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle in the basin of Longwy.

Population

Notable people

* Émile Krieps (1920–1998) a resistance leader, soldier, and politician *

Jean Portante Jean Portante (born 19 December 1950 in Differdange) is a Luxembourgish writer who resides in Paris. He has written novels, stories, plays, journalistic articles and poetry, and has been widely translated. Numerous books have been translated incl ...

(born 1950) a writer of novels, stories, plays, journalistic articles and poetry; resides in Paris *

Josiane Kartheiser Josiane Kartheiser (born November 28, 1950) is a Luxembourger journalist, novelist, and writer. She writes mainly in German but also in Luxembourgish. Biography Born in Differdange, Kartheiser matriculated from the Lycée des jeunes filles in ...

(born 1950) a journalist, novelist, and writer * Nico Helminger (born 1953) an author of poetry, novels, plays and libretti for operas *

Georges Hausemer Georges Hausemer (1 February 1957 – 13 August 2018) was a Luxembourgish writer who published short stories, novels, travelogues and non-fictional works and also translated a considerable number of works from French, English, Spanish and Luxembourg ...

(1957–2018) a writer of short stories, novels, travelogues and non-fictional works * Jean-Claude Hollerich S.J. (born 1958) the current archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luxembourg since 2011 ; Sport *

Étienne Bausch Étienne Bausch (17 June 1901 – 25 January 1970) was a Luxembourgian footballer. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games o ...

(1901–1970) a footballer, competed at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

Émile Kolb Émile Kolb (3 July 1902 – 1 September 1967) was a Luxembourgian footballer. He competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics and the 1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games ...

(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 hol ...

and

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

* Bernard Fischer (1902–1971) a footballer, competed at the

Paul Feierstein Paul Feierstein (27 January 1903 – 5 May 1963) was a Luxembourgian footballer. He competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics and the 1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Gam ...

(1903–1963) a footballer, competed at the

and

* Michael Maurer (1904–??) a boxer who competed in the

* Metty Logelin (1907–1999), a gymnast, competed at the

and the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

Arnold Kieffer Arnold Kieffer (30 September 1910 – 28 June 1991) was a Luxembourgian association football, footballer. He competed in the Football at the 1936 Summer Olympics, men's tournament at the 1936 Summer Olympics. References External links

...

(1910–1991) a footballer, competed in the

Fernand Ciatti Fernand Ciatti (27 March 1912 in Differdange – 9 October 1989) was a boxer from Luxembourg. Ciatti was member of the Luxembourg Olympic team at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany ...

(1912–1989) a boxer, competed at the

* Julien Darui (1916–1987) a French football goalkeeper *

Gusty Kemp Gustave "Gusty" Kemp (24 February 1917 – 14 April 1948) was a Luxembourger footballer who played as a midfielder for the Luxembourg national football team The Luxembourg national football team (nicknamed the ''Red Lions''; lb, Lëtzeb ...

(1917–1948) a footballer, played 20 times for the national team and competed at the

Paul Anen Paul Anen (3 February 1918 – 29 May 1978) was a Luxembourgian épée fencer. He competed at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known ...

(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 (1919–2017) a fencer, competed in three

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

Nicolas May Nicolas May (30 September 1927 – 12 January 2006) was a Luxembourgian footballer. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as L ...

(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 Josy Stoffel (27 June 1928 – 9 March 2021) was a Luxembourgish gymnast. He was born in Differdange. He participated in five consecutive editions of the Summer Olympic Games (1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964), but never won a medal. Nonetheless, St ...

(born 1928) a retired gymnast, competed in five consecutive

in 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960 & 1964 *

Rudy Kugeler Rudy Kugeler (born 11 August 1928) is a Luxembourgian fencer. He competed in the team épée event at the 1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ...

(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 Fernand "Ferd" Lahure (28 March 1929 – 23 March 2019) was a Luxembourgian football goalkeeper. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarsp ...

(born 1929) a footballer, competed in

Fernand Backes Fernand Backes (born January 30, 1930, in Differdange) was a boxer from Luxembourg. Backes was member of the Luxembourgish Olympic team at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capi ...

(born 1930) a boxer, competed at the

François Konter François "Bitzi" Konter (20 February 1934 – 29 August 2018) was a Luxembourgian professional footballer. Club career Konter started his career at local team Chiers Rodange but played much of his club football in Belgium, for RSC Anderlech ...

(1934–2018) a footballer, played 77 games for the national side *

Roger Menghi Roger Menghi (born 13 August 1935) is a Luxembourgian fencer. He competed in the individual épée event at the 1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights en ...

(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 Phi ...

Roby Hentges Robert "Roby" Hentges (born 15 September 1940) is a former Luxembourgian cyclist. He competed in the individual road race at the 1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Ga ...

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

Alain Anen Alain Anen (born 24 May 1950) is a Luxembourgian fencer. He 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 ...

(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 (1836–1917) a United States Representative from New York *

Yvonne Useldinger Yvonne Useldinger (née Hostert; 6 November 1921 – 11 February 2009) was a Luxembourgian politician. Life Yvonne Hostert was born in Differdange, and became in 1937 a member of the Young Socialists. In 1938 she joined the Communist Party of Lux ...

(1921–2009) a politician *

Marcelle Lentz-Cornette Marcelle Lentz-Cornette (2 March 1927 – 29 January 2008) was a Luxembourgish politician for the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). Outside politics, she was a schoolteacher. Political career Marcelle Lentz-Cornette was born in Niederkorn, ...

(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 Johny Lahure (24 March 1942 – 23 November 2003) was a Luxembourgish politician. He served as the Minister for the Environment from 1994 until 1998, under both Jacques Santer and Jean-Claude Juncker. In this capacity, as Luxembourg was chairi ...

(1942–2003) a politician. *

Félix Braz Félix Braz (born 16 March 1966) is a Luxembourgish politician who served as Second Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 2018 to 2019. A member of the Greens, Braz also served as Minister of Justice in the Bettel-Schneider coalition governme ...

(born 1966) a politician, the current Minister of Justice

Twin towns — sister cities

Differdange is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: * Ahlen, Germany * Chaves, Portugal * Fiuminata, Italy * Longwy, France * Oxford, United States *

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...

, 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