Luxemburg, an independent grand-duchy of Europe, wedged in between France, Prussia, and Belgium. It consists of a plateau, furrowed with valleys, and connecting together the uplands of Lorraine, the Forest of Ardennes, and the Eifel; nearly all its streams flow to the Moselle, which for some 20 miles forms its eastern border. The country is well wooded, yields wheat, flax, hemp, and rape-seed, grows wine (1½ million gallons in good years), and is rich in iron ore. The extraction and smelting of this mineral is, next to agriculture, the principal occupation. But leather, gloves, pottery, cloth, paper, sugar, beer, and spirits are manufactured. Area, 998 sq. m.; pop. (1871) 197,528; (1890) 211,088, nearly all Catholics, and of Low German stock, though French is the language of the educated classes. For commercial purposes Luxembourg is included in the German customs union. The dignity of grand-duke belongs to the head of the House of Orange-Nassau, and as such was held by the kings of Holland from 1815 to 1890, when, on the death of King William III. without male issue, it passed to Adolf, Duke of Nassau. The little state is ruled by a House of forty-five Representatives. The head of the government is the minister of state, with whom are associated directors of finance, justice, and internal affairs.—The Belgian province of Luxembourg, which down to 1839 formed part of the grand-duchy, lies contiguous to this last on the west; it constitutes the south-eastern extremity of the kingdom of Belgium. In its physical features and its main product it differs little from its neighbour-state, the grand-duchy. Area, 1706 sq. m.; pop. (1891) 212,041. Chief town, Arlon.—The history of the grand-duchy of Luxembourg begins with the history of the city. On the site of this there stood in the 8th century a castle, which in 738 was given by Charles Martel to the abbey of Treves. The founder of the first line of counts was Siegfried, who in 963 acquired the castle of Lucilinburch or Lützelburg (i.e. Luxembourg). In 1136 the countship passed to the Counts of Namur. The fourth Count Henry was elected emperor as Henry VII. in 1308, and his son John became king of Bohemia. In 1354 the title was raised from count to duke. In 1444 the duchy was united with Burgundy, and shared the history of that state down to 1659, but it was reckoned a member of the German empire. From 1659 to 1713 Luxembourg was held by the French king. It was again annexed by the French in 1795, and two years later made the department of Forêts. But in 1815 the Vienna Congress created it a separate state, a member of the German Confederation, but gave it to William I. of Holland. And this position was again declared definitive of the eastern section in 1839. By the London treaty of 1867 it was made a completely independent state, and the Prussian garrison withdrew from the fortress of Luxemburg.—LUXEMBURG, the capital of the grand-duchy, by rail is 42 miles N. of Metz and 32 SW. of Treves. Its situation has often been compared to that of Jerusalem: the city stands on a rocky platform, connected with the neighbouring country only on the west, and elsewhere engirt by a steep valley, 200 feet deep, in which nestle the industrial suburbs of Klausen, Pfaffenthal, and Grund. The intermediate gorges are crossed by fine viaducts. The Spaniards, Austrians, French, and Dutch, who successively held possession of the town, so increased and strengthened its fortifications, hewn, like those of Gibraltar, in great part out of the solid rock, that in the beginning of the 19th century it was considered to be, with the exception of Gibraltar, the strongest fortress in Europe. But they were demolished in accordance with the treaty of London of 1867, and the site of the walls has been laid out as beautiful gardens. There are in the town the ruins of Count Mansfeld's palace and the cathedral (built in 1613). Pop. (1875) 15,954; (1890) 18,187.
See works by Coster (1869), Schötter (1882), Werveke (1886), Eyschen (1889), and Pfips (1894), all in German; and one in French by Gläserer (1885).