Lamp Unto Luxembourg Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge, which took place between the winter of 1944 and the spring of 1945, was fought in both Luxembourg and Belgium. It was Germany's last crucial offensive after their defeat at the battle of Normandy. The territory where the Battle of the Bulge was fought was in the area known as Ardennes.

This geographic area covers most of Belgium and Luxembourg, with a small part of it in France and Germany. Walking the Main Square in Bastogne, Belgium on a Sunday afternoon in the late 1990s, it was hard to imagine that Bastogne had been ravaged by war throughout the centuries.

It gladdened my heart to see Bastogne families walking happily, Mom, Dad, children and pet dog. Only an Eisenhower tank memorial near the entrance to the square reminded me of the atrocities of war. We shopped for Belgian chocolates, of course.

Answer: Victor Hugo

While in exile from France, French author Victor Hugo resided in the town of Viandan, Luxembourg. He later had a summer house there. The statue of Victor Hugo stands aside the bridge over the River Our. From that vantage point, you can look up to a very high hill. Almost to the top of the hill is the Castle of Viandan, and beyond it, much higher up, the rocky outcrop of the hill. From this vantage point, if you do not want to climb up to the castle, you can use the chairlift which can take you up instead. Summertime concerts are held in the castle, which has been restored. I found this one of the most charming towns in Luxembourg.

Answer: Patton

Visiting the American Cemetery right outside Luxembourg City, in the small town of Hamm, is quite a moving experience. Row upon row of white grave stones, marking the casualties of the Battle of Bastogne, face their commanding officer, General George C. Patton.

The headstone of Patton faces his fallen troops of which there are 5076 in headstone count. Patton's headstone is flanked by two flags. When I first viewed this cemetery, an elderly couple stood by the balustrade looking down at the graves.

The man, seemingly a veteran of World War II, stood there holding his wife's hand, tears sliding down his face.

Answer: To visit the German Cemetery

Sandweiler, Luxembourg is a small town approximately a mile from the American Cemetery in Hamm. The American Grave and Burial Service collected the bodies of both American and German victims of war from all over Luxembourg. Those American victims were brought to Hamm and the German victims to Sandweiler for burial. Many of the German soldiers were unidentified or incomplete records of them were found. The Federal Republic of Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg signed an agreement in 1952 to provide for German,(individual and some mass), grave sites to be created. Sandweiler was the first cemetery for the German victims of World War II to be established outside the Republic of Germany. The Sandweiler cemetery was officially opened in 1955.
Transportation by train was provided by the German government for family members of the soldiers and for a representative amount of school children to attend the opening ceremony.
Immediately after visiting the American Cemetery in Hamm, we drove to The German Cemetery in Sandweiler. This cemetery in its solitude and unpretentiousness was also very moving. The sign posted before entering the cemetery requested that those buried there be remembered as husbands, fathers, and sons. My favorite quotation about war is: "There are no unwounded soldiers in war". (Anonymous)

Answer: All of these are true

Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy and in 2011 Henri, the Grand Duke, was the head of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. His palace is in the middle of the town in Luxembourg City and is called the Grand Ducal. In 2011, by some counts, Luxembourg was the third richest country in the world by per capita income. With the decline of the steel industry, which was once Luxembourg's main industry, the development of Luxembourg banking system has become, along with tourism, Luxembourg's main industry.

Answer: France, Belgium, Germany

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a landlocked, triangularly shaped country. It is bordered by Belgium to the north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Besides being neighbors, the four countries of Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Germany have some major things in common. All four countries belong to the European Union and have adapted the Euro as their official currencies.
Christianity is the major religion in each country; however Islam is the second major religion in Belgium. Lutheranism after Catholicism is second in Germany.
France has three major religions other than Christianity, which are Judaism, Islam and Buddhism.

One of the major differences for Luxembourg, which is one of the smallest countries in Europe, is that it is surrounded by France, the third largest country in Europe and Germany the seventh largest country in Europe.
Although I did not visit the largest cities in the bordering countries of Luxembourg, I felt so privileged to travel to some delightful towns, such as Thionville in France, Trier in Germany, Boulogne in Belgium and the three cities of Luxembourg, Viandan, Ecternach, and Remich.

Answer: Trier

Trier is the oldest city in Germany and is six miles from the Luxembourg border. Founded by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 16 B.C., it was a popular place for Roman Emperors to stay. Constantine the Great resided in Trier and erected a cathedral which is today Germany's oldest one. Evidence of Roman fortifications is represented by the Porta Nigra (black gate) which was built in 180. A.D.

We drove to Trier from Luxembourg on a misty day, hoping the sun would appear.
Sadly it did not. The rains came gently but did not spoil the Harvest Festival parade which consisted of large horse-drawn farm wagons replete with the fruits and vegetables of the summer crops. Young girls in native farm dress walked beside the decorated horses and wagons. The wagons went through the Porta Nigra to the square beyond it. We decided, because of the weather to take the tour bus trip through Trier.

It really became just a bird's eye view of a magnificent old city and we promised ourselves to return someday.

Answer: French

In Luxembourg, French is the official language of the authorities, of parliamentary documents, proposed bills, court procedures and administrative and judicial acts. All of these are held and written in French. French and German are the official languages of Luxembourg, with Luxembourghish (the native language) being spoken in the home, shops, and some churches. On my visit to Luxembourg, restaurant menus were in French, street signs in Luxembourgish as well as in German. German is the main language for instruction in elementary schools, with an introduction to French as well.

In one small town, I attended a Roman Catholic Mass and the service as well as the sermon was in Luxembourgish. Ninety-five percent of the native citizens of Luxembourg are Roman Catholic. Needless to say, I could follow the Mass, but the sermon was surely a different story!

Answer: Vineyards

Remich is a delightful riverside town on the Moselle (Mosel) River.
Vineyards dominate the landscape around Remich, and it was a pleasure to take a walk on the hills surrounding this small town. Remich is one of the many small towns along the the Moselle (Mosel) from which Luxembourg wines are produced.
Remich has a lovely two mile long park bordering the Moselle(Mosel)River. This charming city is very picturesque with the vineyards sloping down to the river. the trees and walkways of the two mile-long park along the river bank and the boats sliding up and down to pick-up or discharge tourists paint an idyllic landscape. Many of the Luxembourg wines come from the vineyards of Remich. A short distance from Remich, you can visit the Caves de Martin, where sparkling wines are made in the same manner as the Benedictine monks.

Answer: Ecternach

The town of Echternach is the oldest town in Luxembourg. It was founded in the seventh century by St. Willibrord, who established the Abbey of Echternach which is the oldest Abbey in Luxembourg.

Echternach, another lovely city of Luxembourg, is in the eastern part of Luxembourg, on the Sauer River. The River is the border between Ecternach and Germany. Not far from Echternach is a portion of Luxembourg called the Mullerthal, or nicknamed "The Little Switzerland" of Luxembourg.

Driving into Echternach on our first visit to it, we were at once delighted
with the character and charm of this city. Our hotel, Le Pavillion, was one of many that bordered the main street off the town square. Walking down this street, restaurants were touting their wares, in particular, so many had a large sign outside their door saying, "Les Moules est ici" (the mussels are here). Continuing on, at the end of the street was a lovely park, with a man-made lake, and benches to sit and relax. At dinner time in our hotel restaurant, the tables were filled with diners of all nationalities. It was a great experience to meet the friendly Luxembourg natives and watch, listen, and learn from all other countries who were there. Taking center stage though, was the waiter, who with a smile on his face, carried a huge tureen of steaming mussels. The diners matched his smile as the redolent smell of the sauce permeated the room and we all eagerly waited to taste them. It was one of those memories for me which I shall never lose, just because it me gave such pleasure.