The Constituent Assembly of Luxembourg was a

constituent assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

called in 1848 in

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 ...

to write and pass a new national constitution. The Grand Duchy had been administratively separate from the

United Kingdom of the Netherlands The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...

since the Belgian Revolution in 1830, but remained in

personal union A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...

with the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The first constitution had been passed in 1841 under William II, but it was a very conservative document, affirming the autocracy of the

King-Grand Duke The designation of King-Grand Duke was held by the three monarchs of the House of Orange-Nassau that ruled Luxembourg and the Netherlands in personal union, between 1815 and 1890. These monarchs thus held the titles of King of the Netherlands and G ...

.Thewes (2006), p. 7 With the outbreak of the

Revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...

, William changed from a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

to a

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

, allowing for the preservation of the monarchy in the face of an upsurge in liberal sympathies. On 24 March, a

Grand Ducal decree The Grand Duke of Luxembourg ( lb, Groussherzog vu Lëtzebuerg, french: Grand-duc de Luxembourg, german: Großherzog von Luxemburg) is the monarchical head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it w ...

called for the establishment a commission of fifteen to investigate how to preserve the government.Mersch (1972), p. 483 On 30 March, they agreed, by thirteen votes to none (with two abstentions), to call a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution, and this was accepted by the King-Grand Duke on 1 April. Elections to the assembly were held on 19 April 1848. The assembly met for the first time on 25 April,Thewes (2006), p. 14 in the temporary seat of government,

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 ...

, as

Luxembourg City Luxembourg ( lb, Lëtzebuerg; french: Luxembourg; german: Luxemburg), also known as Luxembourg City ( lb, Stad Lëtzebuerg, link=no or ; french: Ville de Luxembourg, link=no; german: Stadt Luxemburg, link=no or ), is the capital city of the Gr ...

was deemed too dangerous in the revolutionary atmosphere. On 29 April, they moved back to Luxembourg City, using the recently constructed Luxembourg City Hall. The assembly adopted a constitution on 23 June, and it was given consent by the King-Grand Duke on 10 July. The constitution adopted was similar to the liberal

constitution of Belgium The Constitution of Belgium ( nl, Belgische Grondwet, french: Constitution belge, german: Verfassung Belgiens) dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility ...

, which had been written by the National Congress during the Belgian Revolution. The only substantive difference was the non-inclusion of a senate, which the King-Grand Duke urged to check the power of the new Chamber of Deputies. A senate, the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

, would eventually be created in 1856, with William III handing down a new (conservative) constitution against the wishes of the Chamber. The constitution entered into force on 1 August 1848, with a new government under the former governor,

Gaspard-Théodore-Ignace de la Fontaine Gaspard-Théodore-Ignace de la Fontaine (6 January 1787 – 11 February 1871)Thewes (2011), p. 15 was a Luxembourgish politician and jurist. He led the Orangist movement and was the first Prime Minister of Luxembourg, serving for four months, fr ...

, taking office until

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...

could be held to the first Chamber of Deputies. These were held on 28 September 1848.Thewes (2006), p. 16 The Chamber took session on 3 October, and a new, permanent government, under

Jean-Jacques Willmar Jean-Jacques Madeleine Willmar (6 March 1792 – 20 November 1866) was a Luxembourgian politician and jurist. An Orangist, he was the second Prime Minister of Luxembourg, serving for five years, from 6 December 1848 until 23 September 1853. ...

, took office on 8 December 1848, completing the promulgation of the constitution.

Footnotes

References

* * {{Revolutions of 1848 Revolutions of 1848 1848 in Luxembourg 1848 conferences

See also

Footnotes

References