© Marc Zimer
A physics teacher's recent journey through the US's Midwest highlights a broader mission to preserve the cultural links between Luxembourg and the vast diaspora formed by 19th-century emigration.
Driven by poverty in a 19th-century agrarian society, tens of thousands of people emigrated from Luxembourg to North America. Today, their descendants are estimated to number over one million in the United States, and a network of associations on both sides of the Atlantic works to maintain cultural ties.
This ongoing effort was highlighted by the recent five-week journey of Marc Zimer, a physics teacher from Junglinster secondary school and a member of the Roots and Leaves Association. He travelled across the Midwest, visiting US associations founded by citizens of Luxembourgish descent.
Zimer noted that while the Luxembourgish language has largely faded in the US, he encountered two elderly individuals in Wisconsin who could still speak it. While they spoke slowly at first, they were able to hold a normal conversation after a while, he reported. He dates the decline of the language to about 80 years ago, explaining that Luxembourgish immigrants often settled near German communities. Schools were conducted in German until a post-World War II shift to English prompted a full assimilation into the English-speaking mainstream.
Further illustrating this assimilation, Zimer cited cases in Chicago where Luxembourgish immigrants married into German families to avoid ostracisation.
To strengthen modern-day connections, an exchange programme for secondary school students links approximately 10 schools in Luxembourg with partners in the US. The initiative has reportedly received largely positive feedback from participating students in both countries.
The student exchange programme reveals a mutual fascination between the cultures. According to Zimer, Luxembourgish students, immersed in an environment long familiar from films, are welcomed "very warmly" by their US host families. Conversely, US students visiting Luxembourg are frequently impressed by the country's deep history and its iconic castles.
Although not a requirement, many of the participating US teenagers have Luxembourgish ancestry. They often use their stay to visit the specific towns and villages their families originally emigrated from. Throughout the school year, the students – typically 12 to 14 per participating Luxembourgish school – maintain contact via regular video calls and collaborate on joint projects in subjects like art and history.
Efforts to strengthen ties extend beyond the classroom. Several historical trails are currently being developed in the US to highlight sites of Luxembourgish heritage. One trail is being set up in Chicago in cooperation with Loyola University.
Zimer explained that these trails are designed to mark places connected to Luxembourgish immigrants, including buildings they constructed. The routes can be explored either on foot or by car.
Another trail is under development around Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, where approximately 20 stone houses built in the traditional Luxembourgish style still stand today. This project aims to involve the current residents of these homes. The Wisconsin trail is expected to be completed by August 2026.
The cultural exchange will culminate in several events that year. An exhibition about the project is scheduled for March 2026 at the Diekirch secondary school. Additionally, from 7–9 August 2026, the Luxembourg American Cultural Society will host the 40th edition of its Luxembourg Fest in the town of Belgium.
