How did Luxembourg become militarised in the wake of the 1839 Treaty of London? How was the Luxembourg contingent formed to serve in the army of the German Confederation, but under the authority of Dutch officers? How were these soldiers and officers, often foreigners, recruited and billeted across the country? What was the political, economic and social impact of these procedures on Luxembourg society at the time? All these questions, closely linked to the history of the fortress, are at the heart of our new exhibition, which illustrates the emergence of the Luxembourg army.
Following the final act of the Congress of Vienna on 9 June 1815 and the end of the French regime, the presence of the military in the Grand Duchy contributed to the formation of the State. Following the Treaty of London of 19 April 1839, which recognised the separation of the Kingdoms of the Netherlands and Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Duchy of Limburg, governed by the King of the Netherlands, were jointly required to provide a federal contingent for the army of the German Confederation, of which the King Grand Duke was a member.
This Luxembourg contingent developed alongside the 6,000-strong Prussian garrison of the federal fortress and was stationed outside the fortress town in Diekirch, Ettelbruck and Echternach. It initially consisted of 1,319 soldiers, divided between a battalion of chasseurs à pied, a cavalry squadron and an artillery detachment. In 1846, the artillery and cavalry were abolished and only the chasseur units remained.
Following the dissolution of the German Confederation in 1866 and the Treaty of London of 11 May 1867, the federal contingent was abolished and the law of 18 May 1868 created the Luxembourg Corps of Chasseurs, made up of 18 officers and 587 non-commissioned officers and men responsible for maintaining order and internal security, and stationed in Luxembourg City. In 1881, the Corps des Volontaires luxembourgeois was created, laying the foundations of the Luxembourg army along with the Corps de Gendarmerie.