© Pierre Weimerskirch
A Luxembourg couple has been living in their car for months, struggling to survive after losing their jobs and finding themselves invisible to the social system.
'Without an address, you have no right to anything'
The 50-year-old man sums up his situation bluntly: "Without an address, you get nothing. No help, no unemployment benefits, nothing."
He lost his job after developing a disability:
"My contract ended, and my unemployment benefits ran out. Now I get nothing because I don’t have an address. Most people don’t understand that without an official address, you’re invisible to the system."
A life in the smallest of spaces
Daily life in the car is exhausting, he says, visibly worn down by the experience. The couple currently parks in a lot in Bettembourg that is – for now – still free. But fear is a constant companion.
"If the car breaks down or something happens, we have nothing left."
'We just want a small place to be together'
His partner, a 60-year-old violinist, once performed professionally, for example with the RTL Orchestra, and later with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg. After two fixed-term contracts, she wasn’t renewed.
"All we want is a small room where we can quietly be together. I don’t want to be separated from him. We’ve been together for over twenty years. I don’t want this situation to tear us apart."
© Pierre Weimerskirch
Despite everything, she clings to her passion.
"Every morning I take my violin and play a few notes. It helps against the negativity."
Their story is not the result of one single event, but of many setbacks piling up, leaving them trapped in a downward spiral.
Help from neighbours
Some, however, have noticed what was happening. Nico Maggipinto, a local resident, met the couple a few weeks ago while walking his dog.
"I saw them and immediately sensed something was wrong," he says. "I brought them some food, a few liters of diesel, whatever I could. But it can’t go on like this."
Out of concern, he contacted the media to raise awareness of their situation.
"It can’t be that people here in Luxembourg have to live in a car, without help, without perspective. I just hope the authorities or associations will step in to help."
To get in touch with the editorial team, send an email to dossier@rtl.lu, or to contact the journalist directly, write to pierre.weimerskirch@rtl.lu.
