Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/509

 LUXXUBUBO

The diocese bIso poBsesseH several institutions for the sick and for educational purposes, and for those preparing to enter the priesthood there is a semi- nary in the capital. For higher education there is in the same city a flourishing athenteum in which the more advanced classes give the usual univer- sity instruction; o'mnasia and similar institutions enst in Diekirch, Echtemach, et«. Common school education haa been oblieatory since 1881. The schools (700, with 32,000 children) are non-sectarian and priests are allowed merely to give religious in- struction. Children may begin their secondary educa- tion only at the age of twelve years. The line which in most states divides the educated from the non- educated has been in this way bridged over, and social

distinctions arc less marked in Luxembui^ than else- where. Of Catholic organisations we will mention here only the Bonifatius-Verein, which since its es- tablishment in 1850 has collected 200,000 marks which has been almost entirely handed over to Ger- man mission stations. The riEhts of the Church and Hut people have been upheld (since 1847) by the rolendidly conducted journal "Luxemburger Wort "■. JUlong Uie lesser newspapers the " Hoselseitung," which appears in Grevenmacher, has a large circula- tion. The editors of the well-known periodicals "Btimmen aus Maria Lasch" and "Die Katholischen Uissionen" (Fathers Frick and Huonder, S.J.) direct them from Luxemburg.

The grand duchy is a constitutional monarchy, the eovereiRntv being vested in the House of Nassau, the eo-callcd Walramic line, according to the law of primogeniture. As the present grand duke, William, baa no son by his marriage with Maria Anna of Bra- gansa, the crown will re\-ert on his death {according to the law of 1907) to his eldest daughter, who likelier sisters belongs to the Catholic Church. The parlia- ment consists of 51 members elected for six years, Ulrt of which is chosen every three years. The Government consists of a president (minister) and three directors general, and is responsible to theCham- ber, but submits bills only after obtaining the opin- ions of fifteen councillors of state, nan^ by the

LUXUCBUBQ

muneB. Justice is administered by a supreme court, two circuit courts and a criminal court in every canton. The armed force (one company of volunteers, one com- pany of gendarmes) is concerned merely with the mun- t«nance of order. The financial system (modelled on the French both as to the coins and the weights and measures) is in flourishing condition. The national debt is small. Receipts and expenditures balance, bo that there is no lack of means for promotion of culture. The national tnlours are red, white, and blue. There are several orders, the most widely distributed being theOrderoftheCrownofOak(6classes,2medals). The capital of the grand duchy, ajso tslled LuxembuK, is very ancient, and was formerly stronrly fortified, but is now dismantled, and beautifully laid out. It is rich in fine ecclesiastical and secular buildings (churches, castles, government buildings, etc.), as well as in scientific institutions and industrial pluitfl. It has over 25,000 inhabitants. Among the other towns that of Echtemach is interesting for its primitive basilica, which contains the tomb of the Frisian apostle, St. Willibrord. The procession that takes place annually is luiioue and is the last of the

Springing processions, the origin of which seems doubtful.

The first written account of this country and people is found in the fifth book of Cs^sar's "Commentariide Bello Gallico". On the Lower Moselle and its tribu- taries dwelt at that time (53 b. c.) the powerful race of the Treviri, who, in alliance with the people under their protection (for example the Eburones under Ambiorix), at firat gave the Romans great trouble,' but tbev were soon compelled to yield to superior numberv andgraduallyattainedtbehighestciviluation. Under Emperor Constantine (323-337) Trier (Augusta Tn- virorum) became the capital of the province Belgica prima, and later the residence <rf the prefects of Gaul. The Christian Faith was introduced at a very early period. Since 316 the town was the see of a Dishop. As more than half ai the subsequent Duchy of Lor- reine belonged for centuries to the Diocese of Trier, it is a logical conclusion that the Christianization of the Ardennes proceeded principally from there. During the Germanic migration the north-eastern provinces <rf the Roman Empire suffered greatly. Devastated and depopulated, they were occupied by the victori- ous Franks. In the division of Charlemagne's em- pire (843) the provinces in question fell to the share of the Emperor Lothair. In the middle of the tenth century (963?) the feudal lord, Siegfried, who held rich possessions in the Forest of Ardennes, acquired the Castcllum Lticihni (supposed to have been built by the Romans) with the lands in its vicinity, and styled himself Graf von LUtselburg. From the mamage of this pe&i and good man de- scended Empress Saint Cumgunde, wife f^ Henry II, the Saint.

The last of Siegfried's male descendants, Conrad II, died alwut 1126. His dominions passed first to the counts of Namur and subsequently to Ermesinde, who reined from II96 to 1247. She was especially noted for the impulse she gave to religious life by the foun- dation of monasteries. Her son and successor, Henry V (1247-81), showed the influence of his noble mother. He took part in Saint Louis's crusade against Tunis. His successOT, Henry VI, remained until nearly 1288 at war near Woringen. His wife, Beatrice, had borne him two sons, both of whc»n attained the highest honours and excellence: Baldwin, afterwards Arch- bishop of Trier, and Henry, who obtained the Roman imperial crown as Henry VII (1309). The advance- ment of the reigning tamily brou^t no advantage to the country, as the counts wandered farther and farther from home, and concerned themselves only with the affaits of tha Empire or the Kingdom of Bo-