© Violetta Caldarelli
Despite the mobilisation of over 100 firefighters a fortnight ago, the flames ravaged the building housing the sugar refinery, with only the walls surviving.
The old brewery, near the Diekirch railway station and listed as a national heritage site, was due to be integrated into the "Dräieck Dikrech" housing project, but experts will now have to decide what to do with the more than 150-year-old ruins. The police are also investigating the case, and the theory of arson has not yet been ruled out.
Many people in the town are deeply affected as the building was an integral part of the landscape and many have personal memories related to the iconic building. The loss is not only historical but emotional for the whole region.
However, there is still hope that the remains of this architectural witness to Luxembourg's industrial history can be preserved and restored. Our colleagues at RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg report (in Luxembourgish) on the fire:
