commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
of
Habscht
Habscht is a commune in central Luxembourg, in the canton of Capellen.
It was established on 1 January 2018 from the amalgamation of the communes of Hobscheid and Septfontaines.Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
, and its administrative centre. As of 2005, the town has a population of 1,532.
Name
Eischen takes its name from the river
Eisch
The Eisch () is a river flowing through Belgium and Luxembourg, joining the Alzette on its left in Mersch
Mersch ( ) is a commune and town in central Luxembourg, capital of the canton of Mersch. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers ...
, which flows through the town. Its etymology goes back to the Celtic word isc or ysche, meaning water. Since the 13th century, the town is mentioned in various chartas, with different spellings (e.g. Eysch, Eske, Yxen).
Geography
Eischen is situated in the west/south-western part of Luxembourg. Surrounded by forests on all sides, it borders to the east on the small town of Hobscheid, with which it forms an administrative unity, to the south-east, a road leads to the town of
Steinfort
Steinfort ( ) is a commune and town in western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Capellen.
, the town of Steinfort, which lies in the north of the commune, has a population of 2,184. Other towns within the commune include Hagen, Kleinbetti ...
, to the south and west, it borders on the Belgian Province de Luxembourg and to the north lies the small hamlet of Gaichel. The river Eisch runs through the centre of town from west to east, approximately following the road to Hobscheid.
History
The area around Eischen has been populated at least since Gallo-Roman times. In the first centuries AD, the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
established a fortified settlement a few kilometres west of Eischen, across the border to
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
Excavations
In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
in and around Eischen have brought to light
Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...
graves from the 2nd century AD.
During the early
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, the Roman settlement evolved into the fortified Karlsbierg. This
fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
politically and economically dominated the area around Eischen.
In 1216, the countess
Ermesinde
Ermesinde is a civil parish in the municipality (''concelho'') of Valongo, in continental Portugal, northeast of Porto. The population in 2011 was 38940,Abbey of Clairefontaine, which soon invigorated the religious and economical life in the area. The countess released the inhabitants of Eischen from
serfdom
Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which develop ...
. The town is first mentioned in 1247, in Ermesinde's testament. During the following centuries, property rights concerning the extended forests between Eischen and Clairefontaine were a source of constant quarrel between the town inhabitants and the monastery.
In 1839, the French-speaking part of Luxembourg came under Belgian rule. This turned Eischen into a border town, separating it from Clairefontaine and the town of Arlon, which now belonged to the new state of
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
In 1880, the town's railway station was inaugurated. The railway line running through Eischen connected Petingen in the south to
Ettelbruck
Ettelbruck ( lb, Ettelbréck , german: Ettelbrück ) is a commune with town status in central Luxembourg, with a population of inhabitants.
History
Until 1850, both Erpeldange and Schieren were part of the Ettelbruck commune as well, but both ...
in the north of the country. It was abandoned in 1969. The area of the former railway station in still known as ''Op der Gare'' (or, in English, ''At the station'').
The church
In the 1860s, the new parish
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chris ...
of Eischen was erected by Jean Fournel. The church is now a predominant architectural feature of Eischen. It is situated on a hill overlooking the town. The main tower stands 53 m tall, flanked by two slender round sidetowers. The main entrance portal, reminiscent of the neo-romance architectural style, is crowned by a relief representing Saint Peter as keeper of the keys to Heaven.
The vast, high nave of the church's interior is separated from the lower aisles by an arcade. The three-sided main altar presents rococo-style gold ornaments in between which are placed the three figures of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Jesus. The side altars are built in a similar style, with the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus in the left side altar, and a statue of Saint Joseph to the right.Norbert THILL: ''Pfarrkirche Eischen''. Eischen: Kirchenfabrik. 2001
The local holiday, or kermesse, is celebrated on the first Sunday in August, on the feast day of the patron saint of the town, Saint Peter.
Trivia
* To the north of the town lies the hamlet of Gaichel. It is renowned for its
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
course, which is located partly on Luxembourgish and partly on Belgian territory.
* The chapel of Rentert was built in the 17th century. It belongs to the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
of Eischen, even though it lies on Belgian territory.
* The area around Eischen is ideally suited for hiking. A hiking and bicycle trail leads from Steinfort through the forest to Eischen.
* The popular social network, Facebook, has a group called "I'm an Eischen".