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Lëtzebuerg
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5146
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4th
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402
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=56th
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230
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=45th
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76,420
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2005
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1st
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1,485
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2nd
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Luxembourg
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Luxembourg
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The city of (), is a
Commune with
City Status , and the
Capital of the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg . Located at the conjunction of the
Alzette and
Pétrusse rivers, it is a banking and administrative center. The city is located at
{Link without Title} .
In the
Roman era, a fortified tower guarded the crossing of two
Roman Roads that met at the site of Luxembourg city. Through an exchange treaty with the abbey of
St. Maximin in
Trier in
963 ,
Sigfrid I of the
Ardennes , a close relative of King
Louis II Of France and Emperor
Otto I The Great of the
Holy Roman Empire , acquired the feudal lands of Luxembourg. Sigfrid built his castle, named ''Lucilinburhuc'' ("small castle"), on the
Bock , mentioned for the first time in the aforementioned exchange treaty.
In
987 , the
Archbishop Of Trier ,
Egbert (
977 -
993 ), blessed five altars in the Church of the Redemption (today
St. Michael 's Church). At a Roman road intersection near the church, a marketplace appeared around which the city developed.
The city, for reasons of its location and natural geography, has through history been a place of strategic military significance. The first fortifications were built as early as the
10th Century . By the end of the
12th Century , as the city expanded westward around the new
St. Nicholas Church (today the cathedral of
Notre Dame ), new walls were built that included an area of
50,000 M&2 .
In about
1340 , under the reign of
John The Blind , new fortifications were built that stood until the dismantlement of
1867 , when the Duchy of Luxembourg attained independence and asserted neutrality. This neutrality was disregarded by
Germany on the occasions of both
World War I and
World War II when Luxembourg was invaded. In
1952 the city became the headquarters of the
European Coal And Steel Community .
In
1443 , the
Burgundians under
Philip The Good conquered Luxembourg. Luxembourg becomes part of the Burgundian, and later
Spanish and
Austrian empires. By the
16th Century , Luxembourg was one of the strongest fortifications in Europe. Subsequently, the Burgundians, the Spanish, the French, the Spanish again, the Austrians, the French again, and the
Prussians conquered Luxembourg. The Austrians, who occupied Luxembourg from
1715 to
1795 , further expanded the fortifications to withstand a possible French assault.
In the
17th Century , the first
Casemates were built: 23 km of galleries and rooms. They served as storage places for artillery, shelters from enemy fire and allowed the movement of troops between the inner and outer fortifications.
Places of interest include the
Neogothic Cathedral of Notre Dame, the fortifications, the grand-ducal palace, the Gëlle Fra (war memorial), the casemates, the Neumünster abbey, the Place d'Armes, the Adolphe Bridge and the city hall. The city is the seat of a university,
Radio Luxembourg , and several institutions of the
European Union , including the
European Court Of Justice , the secretary general of the
European Parliament , the
European Court Of Auditors and the
European Investment Bank , the preponderance of which are located in the area of the city known as
Kirchberg .
The World War II Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial is located within the city limits of Luxembourg. This cemetery is the final resting place of 5,076 American military dead, including General
George S. Patton . There is also a memorial to 371 Americans whose remains were never recovered or identified.
