The independence of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg has its origins in the Treaty of Vienna of 1815 and the subsequent Treaty of London of 1839. On the occasion of the Bicentenary of the Congress of Vienna, these two State-founding treaties were brought together for the first time. Loaned by the National Archives of Portugal and Belgium, they formed the centrepieces of an exhibition examining their implementation through to their recent commemorations. The events and figures selected revealed something of the spirit of a period of crisis. Thus, following the capture of the Fortress from the Austrian Netherlands by the French in 1795, Luxembourgers born under the Ancien Régime would live through multiple political changes: French Republic, Napoleonic Empire, occupation by the Allies, union of the Grand Duchy with the Netherlands, Belgian administration, finally leading to a certain form of autonomy. Key figures like Governor WILLMAR, Registrar of the Provincial States GELLÉ, President of the Superior Court of Justice MUNCHEN or Minister NOTHOMB all shaped the destiny of Luxembourg through their personal choices.
