A rose in honour of Lily Unden
On Wednesday, 16 September 2026, the College of the Mayor and Aldermen of Luxembourg City, together with the board of directors of the non-profit organisation Patrimoine Roses Luxembourg, hosted a ceremony to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the inauguration of the Princess Amalia monument. The highlight of the event was the naming of a new rose in honour of the Luxembourg painter and poet Lily Unden (1908–1989).
Following a welcome address by Luxembourg City Mayor Lydie Polfer, the historian Robert L. Philippart – one of the founding members of Patrimoine Roses Luxembourg – recounted the history of Princess Amalia. Born in 1830, Amalia Maria da Gloria of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenbach was the first wife of Prince Henry of the Netherlands, who served as the governor the Grand Duchy from 1850 to 1879. Owing to her generosity and her commitment to helping the poor, Amalia was popular with the Luxembourg public. She was also a well-known supporter of Luxembourg's independence, at a time when it was threatened by the ambitions of Napoleon III.
Isabelle Schlesser, a descendant of the Unden family, then paid tribute to Lily Unden's remarkable life and courage. At the start of the First World War, young Lily Unden and her family moved back to the Mühlenbach district in Luxembourg City. After earning a diploma in fine arts, she joined the Cercle Artistique Luxembourgeois, where she regularly exhibited her paintings and drawings. As a member of the Resistance, Lily Unden was arrested in 1942 and deported to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. After she was freed, she moved to New York to further her art training, before returning to Luxembourg, where she taught art at various schools. She also wrote poetry, in which she recounted her memories of the time she spent as a prisoner of war. In addition to the many honours she received for her role in the Resistance, Lily Unden was awarded the Actioun Lëtzebuergesch Dicks-Rodange-Lentz Silver Plaque.
The new rose variety, named "Petite Lily", was then presented by the breeder, Ann Velle-Boudolff of Lens Roses. Inspired by Lily Unden, this miniature rose variety is characterised by its many bright pink flowers and its olive-green foliage. With its elegant appearance, its generous blooms, and its remarkable vitality, the "Petite Lily" symbolises Lily Unden's resilience, her strength of character and her ability to overcome adversity. It is a particularly fitting tribute to her life and personality.
Isabelle Schlesser's children, Marie and Brieuc Alesi, then officially named the rose. The official ceremony closed with the signing of the rose-registration certificate, followed by a speech by Patrimoine Roses Luxembourg's president, Nicole Trossen.
The guests were then invited to attend a reception hosted jointly by the City of Luxembourg and Patrimoine Roses Luxembourg.
