© Julie Thilges
Luxembourg's 17th Iron Scout event combined physical challenges with historical education this weekend, as scouts walked 65km to raise funds while learning about their organisation's WWII resistance efforts and modern migration issues.
The event took place on Saturday, 10 May 2025, with participants tackling a 65-kilometre trek under this year's theme: World War II and Migration.
Organised by teams CaraPio (Dudelange) and RaRo (Niederanven), the event raised funds through sponsor pledges for each kilometre completed.
Proceeds will support three organisations: the Association for the Support of Immigrant Workers (ASTI), Ons Jongen a Meedercher, and Andamos!. The goal is to fund small-scale aid projects in South America.
To align with the theme, scouts attended educational workshops on 9 May. Jom Weber, a member of the Luxembourg Guides and Scouts (LGS) and workshop leader, highlighted the movement's wartime history.
© Julie Thilges
During WWII, Luxembourg's scouts were banned by the Nazis after being perceived as both a paramilitary group and a rival to the Hitler Youth. Weber noted their clandestine resistance efforts, including coded communications, which led to arrests and deportations. Archival records show 11 scouts were executed, six died in prison, and 14 never returned.
The Military Museum in Diekirch provided additional historical context, while a migration workshop took an interactive approach. Participants assumed migrant roles, making decisions based on their character's financial and physical constraints.
Jean-Joël Weiler of LGS explained that players could be "eliminated" for administrative errors – like incorrect paperwork – to simulate real-world obstacles faced by migrants.
