Cessange: Place de Roedgen

From mid-July to mid-September, Place de Roedgen will undergo a metamorphosis, becoming a place where people can meet, relax and discover a range of activities, right in the heart of the district.

Throughout the summer, everyone is invited to come and enjoy the free temporary installations.

Also, from Thursday to Sunday, the gardens will be the venue for a number of free events, such as workshops and live entertainment, promising a fun experience for all ages.

Main themes covered in the programme:

• Opportunities to meet others
• Culture and heritage
• Nature and biodiversity
• Children and families
• Sport and well-being

Cessange residents and visitors, do you know the history of the district, and this square in particular? Here are a few historical details to help you understand this unique Luxembourg City district.

Ancient origins

Historical records first make mention of Cessange in 1083, when Conrad I, Count of Luxembourg, bequeathed a farm, with outbuildings, known as Cecingin, to Munster Abbey. Over the centuries, the farm grew to become a village. However, as it was located outside the ramparts of the Fortress of Luxembourg, it was an easy target during the repeated armed conflicts. As such, the village struggled to grow and develop. On multiple occasions between the 16^th and 18^th centuries, Cessange was ransacked, looted and set on fire, and the number of households dropped. In 1794, the village was destroyed one last time by the French Revolutionaries, when they annexed the country.

Cessange was then integrated into the commune of Hollerich, and subsequently into Luxembourg City, following the merging of the communes of Rollingergrund, Hamm, Eich, Hollerich and Luxembourg in 1920.

From rural to urban

Cessange's transition gathered speed after 1945, with the construction of the city on both sides of the Zéissengerbaach stream, near to Place de Roedgen. Its beginnings as a village can still be seen in the importance attached to farms in the naming of places – for example, Fischerhaff, Tubishaff and Thommeshaff (the suffix "haff" meaning "farm"). The motorised bicycle maker Whizzer Cycles set up shop in 1950, at Fischerhaff, where Place de Roedgen now stands. Tubishaff, in Kohlenberg, made way for a housing estate, after it was destroyed by a fire in 1969.

Cessange's three main landmarks

Aside from its farms, Cessange was known for three other iconic buildings: the church, the school and the water tower. In the 18^th century, there was a chapel in the Jesuit monastery, almost where Place de Roedgen currently stands. However, after the abolition of the Society of Jesus by Pope Clement XIV in 1773, until a church was built in Cessange in 1901, the faithful had to make their way to Hollerich to go to mass. In 1959, Cessange became a parish, but it soon became apparent that the church was too small to accommodate the local congregation. For this reason, a new church was built, and consecrated in 1972. The old one was torn down, with the debris being used for the new church's forecourt.

For their education, Cessange's children had to travel to Hollerich. In 1863, there were 63 children from Cessange who attended school in Hollerich. The same year, the Municipal Council decided to build a school in Cessange, with a single classroom. A second classroom was added in 1921. It was not until 1961 that the large school that we know today was built; it has since been extended on a number of occasions.

A 712m³ water tower was built at the Tubishaff site between 1932 and 1933, with the overflow at a height of 328 metres.

Where does the name "Place de Roedgen" come from?

It comes from the old road which led to Roedgen. The Croix de Cessange motorway junction intercepted the old road. Today, Place de Roedgen marks the start of Rue de Roedgen