In light of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, several events are currently being held to commemorate an offensive that had a severe impact on northern Luxembourg. The University of Luxembourg therefore launched a virtual exhibition at Neumünster Abbey this Thursday.
Research into the Second World War has intensified in recent years, shedding new light on Luxembourg's complex wartime history, according to Professor Christoph Brüll from the Centre for Contemporary and Digital History. His latest project is a virtual, multimedia exhibition that seeks to provide fresh perspectives on this significant period.
"The goal is to rethink the traditional categories of resistance, collaboration, and other established narratives," Brüll explains. "We have to approach history in a more dynamically and from multiple viewpoints, rather than viewing it through static timelines."
The exhibition's website features an interactive map of Luxembourg, marked with significant sites, from Esch Town Hall to Villa Pauly, Colmar Castle, and the Monastery at Pfaffenthal Mill. Each pin reveals the history of its location, enhanced by over 30 videos.
“These videos include testimonies from contemporary witnesses collected over the last 40 years through various Luxembourg projects. We also explored photo and film archives, such as those at the CNA, some of which required cataloguing before use,” Brüll adds.
In addition to the personal testimonies and archival imagery, the exhibition includes interviews with historians, animated films, and geo-referenced maps. Muriel Van Ruymbeke, another researcher on the project, helped uncover and curate these resources, primarily sourced from Luxembourg.
"The National Archives of Luxembourg, the Photothèque de la Ville de Luxembourg, and the Centre National de l'Audiovisual, to name a few, provided an incredible wealth of material. It was a moment of fantastic discovery," says Van Ruymbeke.
The exhibition focuses on the Rundstedt Offensive – also known as the Battle of the Bulge – Adolf Hitler's last major offensive. The battle claimed the lives of over 150,000 soldiers and 500 civilians from Belgium and Luxembourg. Although relatively well-documented, the exhibition adds news dimensions to this crucial moment in history.
Designed for a wide audience, including schoolchildren, the project aims to make Luxembourg’s wartime experiences more accessible, using storytelling and immersive technology to bring history to life.
Watch the full report in Luxembourgish:
