Kirchberg is a significant area of Luxembourg City, above all known for its banks and European headquarters. The area has also been praised as a model for urban development.

But Kirchberg was, once upon a time, a village.

A conference in Bourglinster delved into the history of Kirchberg's urban development.

Whilst not a constant source of interest to those interested in Luxembourg over the years, Kirchberg did remain fascinating for external parties.

We all know the Dräi Eechelen (the three Acorns) that make up the remainders of Fort Thüngen. The majority of the fortress was demolished following the 1867 Treaty of London, but these towers remain today.

If the Dräi Eechelen are the most obvious indicators of the strategic importance of Kirchberg, then the conference delved into a part of the area's history that is not as well known. Namely, the Nazi regime had plans to develop this area of Luxembourg City.

RTL

On Monday, the National Monuments and Sites organization (SSMN Le Service des sites et monuments nationaux) hosted a conference concerning the last 60 years of urban development and architecture on the Kirchberg plateau. This conference, led by John Voncken, belongs to the events planned for the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

Contrary to its current status as a growing and constantly developing area, Kirchberg used to be a village inhabited by largely by farmers and wild animals. The plateau was not easily accessible either - access from Luxembourg City meant you would have to go down into the valley and back up the other side. After all, the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge only opened in 1966.

Hubert Ritter, a German architect in the Reich, was charged with creating a general development plan for the city. Ritter did not appreciate the French architectural style and endeavoured to redesign the city with a more German appearance, befitting Nazi ideology.

Two interesting plans for the city included a large conference hall as well as a bridge in the same place as the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge.

The conference also looked at the establishment of Kirchberg as a banking and finance centre. The conference discussed the various banks' mentalities in moving to Kirchberg and examined the architectural ideas that competed with each other. Voncken, an architect by trade, praised the first building of the European Investment Bank.

Kirchberg will continue to evolve in a constant and quick manner. This is certainly an interesting concept for urban developers, in light of all that has happened in the last century.

Considering Kirchberg's international reputation today, it is fascinating that it has a legacy of Nazi development plans, even if they were not enacted.