The comic was commissioned by the FGIL as part of its anniversary celebrations in 2025. Rather than publishing a traditional commemorative brochure filled with photographs and official texts, the federation opted for a more original approach by releasing a graphic novel.
Spanning more than 78 pages, Angel tells the story of a young headmaster in a village in western Luxembourg in the 1930s who brings a breath of fresh air to the local school. However, not everyone is impressed by the teacher’s new ideas and methods. To write the story, he drew on historical facts true to the period and the region. While the events and setting are rooted in reality, the characters’ names were changed and the village anonymised, allowing the story to be told in a fictionalised form.
The story does not only shed light on the lives of teachers and the difficulties they sometimes faced in their private lives. It also shows how little has actually changed in the nearly 100 years since the events depicted in the book, particularly when it comes to gender roles, and how society as a whole has, in some respects, has failed to move forward.
This is a recurring theme in Angel’s comic strips, where he consistently seeks to weave contemporary issues into his work. He especially tells a story of civil courage and standing up in one’s own way, against hypocrisy, which can be found at many levels of society.
Teachers were chosen as the main figures as, throughout history, time and time again, teachers have stood up for democratic values. One example is their opposition in 1937 to the proposed Muzzle Law in Luxembourg, when teachers played a role in preventing the law from being adopted.
Titled Ongeschriwwe Gesetzer (“Unwritten Rules” in English), the comic was originally commissioned. However, from the very first illustration it becomes clear that the author did not wish to confine himself to a straightforward commission as Angel unmistakably adds his personal touch. In the opening image, readers will recognise characters who previously appeared in the first volume of the series De Rescht vun der Geschicht (“The Rest of the Story”), entitled Här a Meeschter (an equivalent to the UK’s Jeeves and Wooster).
Although the book was published to mark the 125th anniversary of the FGIL, it is by no means aimed solely at teachers. Anyone with an interest in both the larger as well as the lesser-known moments of Luxembourg’s history will find plenty to appreciate in its pages.
The book is available in libraries or online on FGIL’s website.
