Luxembourgers in Chicago are an ethnic group in the Chicago area.[1]
History
editThe first Luxembourgers to come to Chicago immigrated in either 1842[2] or 1846[3] along Ridge Road[4] in Edgewater[5] which was just north of Chicago at the time. In 1871, just after the Great Chicago Fire parishioners of St. Michael's Church in Chicago formed the first Luxembourgish-American organization in the United States, the Luxemburger Unterstützungsverein (Luxembourg Mutual Aid Society).[6] Other organizations followed such as the Luxembourg Brotherhood. Many Luxembourgers were Roman Catholics, and the first initial wave of immigrants lived alongside Germans in places like Old Town, later seeking to distinguish themselves from the Germans.[7] After the fire, they moved further north to areas like Rogers Park.[8] In 1880, there were approximately 500-700 Luxembourgers in Chicago[9] and by 1900, that number had ballooned to about 16,000.[10] The majority of the immigrants came from the Moselle river area,[11] which borders Germany.
Chicago has the largest population of ethnic Luxembourgers outside of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg itself.[12]
Many Luxembourgers became involved in the growing of plants in greenhouses, so much so that by 1910, most of the 100 greenhouses in Chicago were owned by Luxembourgish Americans.[14][15][16] Some are still in operation to the present day.[17]
Cultural institutions
edit- St. Gregory the Great church[18] founded in 1904.
- St. Michael Church[19]
- Angel Guardian Orphanage, which later closed in 1975 and gave a portion of its land to Misericordia Home
- Luxembourg Brotherhood of America holds the following events each year:
- An annual Mass celebrating Our Lady of Consolation, Patroness of Luxembourg.
- Sauerbraten Dinner in the Spring.
- The National Convention in May.
- The Schobermesse / National Day in June[20][21][22][23][24] based on the Schueberfouer holiday started in 1340 by John the Blind in Luxembourg.
- Luxembourg Independent Club of Chicago[25]
- Luxemburger Zeitung, later known as the Luxembourg Weekly, began publication in Chicago in 1899, with national subscription by mail beginning in 1902. It is still published, under the name Luxembourg News of America.[26]
- Luxembourg-American Social Club was founded in Chicago in 1960[27]
Notable people
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Lewis, Paul (1984-11-12). "LUXEMBOURG LOVES U.S.; SENDS DUKE TO SAY SO". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ "Luxembourgers". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ "Luxembourg's history: Luxembourgish immigration to Chicago". www.rtl.lu (in Luxembourgish). Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ Krieps, Roger (2013). Luxembourgers in America. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-1491080740.
- ^ "How Luxembourgers Shaped Chicago and Edgewater (Past) | Edgewater Historical Society".
- ^ "Luxembourg's history: Luxembourgish immigration to Chicago". www.rtl.lu (in Luxembourgish). Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "The Luxembourg trail in America's Midwest". Luxembourg Times. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ Documents. Illinois History illinois.gov [dead link ]
- ^ Krieps, Roger (2013). Luxembourgers in America. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. p. 60. ISBN 978-1491080740.
- ^ "Luxembourg and NATO - 1949". NATO. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ Krieps, Roger (2013). Luxembourgers in America. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. p. 62. ISBN 978-1491080740.
- ^ Lewis, Paul (1984-11-12). "LUXEMBOURG LOVES U.S.; SENDS DUKE TO SAY SO". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ "The Luxembourgers who left for America". luxembourg-times-online. 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- ^ "The Luxembourg trail in America's Midwest". Luxembourg Times. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ Irving, Cutler (1973). Chicago. SIU Press. ISBN 978-0-8093-8795-3.
- ^ "Edgewater Historical Society Explores How Luxembourgers Shaped Chicago". Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society. 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ Moore, Taylor (2019-07-31). "Glass house people". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ "St. Gregory the Great Church". MARY, MOTHER OF GOD PARISH. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ "Cardinal of Luxembourg to celebrate mass at St. Michael Church". st-mikes.org. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Luxemburger Volksfest – Beten & Bofferding - So lief die "Fouer" in Chicago". L'essentiel (in German). 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "1948 - Schobermesse". Chicago Tribune. 1948-09-03. p. 27. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "Zender Rogers Park Ebert's Grove Luxembourg - Newspapers.com". Chicago Tribune. 2 September 1912. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ Yumpu.com. "Luxemburger Schobermesse - Luxembourg American Heritage ..." yumpu.com. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "1941 - Schobermesse article - Newspapers.com". Chicago Tribune. 24 August 1941. p. 88. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "Luxembourgers in America (European Reading Room, Library of Congress)". www.loc.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ "Luxembourgers in America (European Reading Room, Library of Congress)". www.loc.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ "Luxembourgers in America (European Reading Room, Library of Congress)". www.loc.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ "City Council Follies". 10 October 1996.