Pit Péporté

Medieval Myths and the Building of National Identity: the Example of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The celebrations of the one-hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Luxembourg’s independence in 1989 took place in the context of several landmark moments for the European integration process: the Single European Act came into effect in 1987, the project of monetary union had just been accepted, and the Schengen agreement was under discussion. European integration was evolving, but it was counterbalanced by a heightened sensitivity for expressions of national identity, such as celebrations of the national past. That same year France celebrated the two-hundredth anniversary of the Fall of the Bastille, and Germany commemorated the fortieth anniversary of its Basic Law. Luxembourg answered by extolling its independence. The celebrations in 1989 were sponsored and financed by the government, including a major exhibition called ‘From State to Nationhood, 1839–1989. 150 Years of Independence’ [De l’Etat a la Nation, 1839–1989. 150 ans d’independance], designed by a committee of historians under the direct supervision of a commission of the state ministry. Although the exhibition was intended to focus on the previous 150 years of local history, considerable space was allocated to the medieval period.