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Diekirch

Diekirch (French pronunciation: [dikiʁʃ]; German pronunciation: [ˈdiːkɪʁç]; Luxembourgish: Dikrech [ˈdikʀəɕ] ⓘ or (locally) Dikrich [ˈdikʀiɕ]; from Diet-Kirch, i.e. "people's church") is a commune with town status in north-eastern Luxembourg, in the canton of Diekirch and, until its abolition in 2015, the district of Diekirch. The town is situated on the banks of the Sauer river.

Diekirch
Dikrech (Luxembourgish)
Commune
Flag of Diekirch
Flag
Coat of arms of Diekirch
Coat of arms
Map of Luxembourg with Diekirch highlighted in orange, and the canton in dark red
Map of Luxembourg with Diekirch highlighted in orange, and the canton in dark red
Coordinates: 49°52′05″N 6°09′24″E / 49.8681°N 6.1567°E / 49.8681; 6.1567
Country Luxembourg
CantonDiekirch
Government
 • MayorCharles Weiler
Area
 • Total
12.42 km2 (4.80 sq mi)
 • Rank87th of 100
Highest elevation
396 m (1,299 ft)
 • Rank54th of 100
Lowest elevation
187 m (614 ft)
 • Rank20th of 100
Population
 (2023)
 • Total
7,295
 • Rank21st of 100
 • Density590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
  • Rank15th of 100
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
LAU 2LU0000603
Websitediekirch.lu

The town's heraldic shield, showing a crowned lion on a castle, was granted in 1988. It is based on the town's 14th-century seal and arms.[1]

In 1977, Diekirch became the first town in Luxembourg to have a pedestrian zone.

Diekirch is home to a brewery of national importance carrying the town's name.

Three secondary schools are located in Diekirch: Lycée classique de Diekirch, Lycée technique hôtelier Alexis Heck and Nordstadlycée.[2]

The town is home to the national operational headquarters of the Luxembourgish Army at the Haerebierg Military Centre (located on the hill Herrenberg) and the National Museum of Military History, reflecting Diekirch's pivotal role in the Battle of the Bulge, a major battle of World War II. It was here that the river Sauer was crossed on the night of January 18, 1945, by the US 5th Infantry division.

The town is also the seat of one of the six regional headquarters of the Grand Ducal Police and one of Luxembourg's two judicial districts.

History

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The town received its name, according to old sources, when Charlemagne in the late 8th century resettled Saxons, in order to bring them under his control. One of the centres of these settlements was in the area of Diekirch. In order to convert the pagan Saxons to Christianity, a church was built, which gave the settlement its name: "Diet-Kirch" ("people's church"). In Old Franconian, thioda (Old High German: "diota" – the people). Þeudō is a reconstructed word from Germanic, which plays a role in the etymology of the term "Deutsch".

In the 14th century, John, the blind king of Bohemia, fortified it, surrounding the place with a castellated wall and a ditch supplied by a stream. It remained more or less fortified until the beginning of the 19th century when the French, during their occupation, levelled the old walls and substituted avenues of trees.[3]

In the course of extensive excavation in the 1960s, it was shown that the St. Laurence church is a Roman building. In the early 20th century, wall ruins and mosaics were found north of the town center. Archaeological investigations in 1992–1993, 1999, and 2008 enabled the reconstruction of a large Roman villa, which extended over all the land of the medieval town and was abandoned in the early 5th century.

 
LTC Laura Miller, Commander of the 492nd Civil Affairs Battalion with Paul Binsfeld, the Luxembourg honorary Consul prior to the Marche Internationale de Diekirch event in Buckeye, Arizona 2022.

Sport

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Diekirch hosts the "International March of Diekirch", a 20 km up to 40 km road walking event. Held since 1968, it is open to both the military and civilians, with finishers earning the Medal of the "Marche de L’Armée", a Luxembourgish Army award. The marches of 2020 and 2021 were canceled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, and held as a virtual event in 2022, with the distances walked in different locations across the world. The march drew significant interest from service members across NATO countries. This included the United States Army, with the 492nd Civil Affairs Battalion based out of Buckeye, Arizona hosting the largest individual marching event in the United States that year. In 2023 the march returned to being only held as a live event in Diekirch.[4][5][6]

Diekirch has an annual cross country running competition — the Eurocross — which is an IAAF permit meeting and attracts world-class runners, with Gabriela Szabo and Irina Mikitenko among past winners.[7]

Mascot

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The town's mascot is the donkey. There is a donkey fountain in the centre of Diekirch. The yearly cavalcade (carnival procession) is held under the sign of the donkey.

Population

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[8]

Notable people

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Paul Eyschen

Sport

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Twin towns — sister cities

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Luxembourg

Diekirch is twinned with:[9]

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  • Diekirch city centre 
    Diekirch city centre
  • The Old Church of St Lawrence was built on a Gallo Roman base 
    The Old Church of St Lawrence was built on a Gallo Roman base
  • The Wirtgensschlass or Schloss Wirtgen is nowadays used as one building of the conservatory of music. 
    The Wirtgensschlass or Schloss Wirtgen is nowadays used as one building of the conservatory of music.
  • Detail of one of the donkey fountains in the city centre 
    Detail of one of the donkey fountains in the city centre
  • Fountains in the municipal park 
    Fountains in the municipal park
  • The Sauer river flows through Diekirch. 
    The Sauer river flows through Diekirch.

References

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  1. ^ "Diekirch". ngw.nl. 9 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Nordstad-Lycée Diekirch NOSL". NOSL.
  3. ^   One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Diekirch". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 209.
  4. ^ Winkie, Davis (2022-12-23). "Army reinstates foreign footmarch awards after backlash, review". Army Times. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  5. ^ "Marche Internationale de Diekirch". www.marche.lu. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  6. ^ "492nd Civil Affairs Battalion conducts Rising Phoenix Battalion March, Marche Internationale de Diekirch". DVIDS. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  7. ^ "Eurocross 10.2 km (men) + 5.3 km (women) Diekirch LUX". arrs.run.
  8. ^ "Population par canton et commune". statistiques.public.lu. Archived from the original on 2016-09-12. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  9. ^ "La ville". diekirch.lu (in French). Diekirch. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
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