© Christoph Hochard
Rumelange is taking steps to protect six remaining pillars from a historic industrial funicular, aiming to preserve them as part of Luxembourg's heavy industry heritage through local and potentially national heritage designation.
These remnants once formed part of a historic funicular railway that transported iron ore from the French town of Etting to the steelworks in Differdange. While the bogies are long gone and the cables no longer in use, the pillars remain as silent testimony to Luxembourg's industrial past. When a seventh pillar was dismantled in October without prior consultation, local officials decided to act.
The local administration now aims to safeguard the remaining structures through a revision of the municipality's general development plan (PAG). Mayor Henri Haine explained that two options were being considered: the first involves local protection via changes to the PAG, which would be bundled with other planned adjustments, and the second would entail drafting a formal request to the Ministry of Culture and the National Institute for Architectural Heritage (INPA) in hopes of securing national protection status.
Haine stated that the municipality was initially proceeding with the PAG amendment route, which is expected to take over a year due to required studies. He also noted that not all the pillars are located on public land, as some stand on terrain owned by steel giant ArcelorMittal.
Haine explained with pride that the funicular in question, designed by Paul Wurth in 1899 and constructed in 1905 by German engineer Julius Pohlig, once stretched 12.7 kilometres across the landscape, supported by 144 pillars and used 500 bogies. He noted that it connected Etting, Rumelange, and Esch to the Differdange steelworks. At its peak, the system was built in just 10 months, Haine said.
The mayor expressed disappointment about the unannounced removal of one pillar in October, describing it as a regrettable erasure of local history and adding that no other town has been more shaped by iron ore transport than Rumelange. He also underscored that the municipality had previously made efforts to clear the area around the remaining structures, so passersby could better appreciate them.
Looking ahead to early 2026, Rumelange officials plan to launch the procedural steps to implement the PAG revision. These efforts reflect a broader push to preserve the memory of Luxembourg's mining and heavy industry heritage.
