Cents: Cité Jardinière

Whether you live in Cents or are just passing through, do you know the history of this neighbourhood – and of this particular site? Here are a few key facts to help you better understand this area, which is currently a bit out of the way, but will soon become a central hub for sustainable mobility in Luxembourg City.

The Cents-Fetschenhof Plateau under the Ancien Régime

We are here on the heights overlooking the former game reserve. Despite its medieval origins, it is best known for having been incorporated into the vast estate of the castle built for the Governor of the Duchy of Luxembourg, Pierre-Ernest de Mansfeld (1517–1604), between 1563 and 1604. The game reserve, enclosed by a long wall that is still visible on 18^th-century maps, encompassed not only what is now Neudorf but also extended up to the Kirchberg and Cents plateaus. The site of the current allotment gardens, for example, is still located within what used to be called the Déiregaart.

The wall had several gates, one of which was named after Octavian, son of Mansfeld, who died at age 29 in 1591 during a siege. The Octavian Gate, located on the heights of Fetschenhof, gave its name to the Tawioun trail.

On the Fetschenhof plateau stood a large farm, as well as, along the road to Trier, one of Luxembourg's three gallows, which belonged to Munster Abbey.

For several centuries, the plateau was primarily shaped by the development of its fortifications. Following the construction of the first military fortifications on the Rham Plateau during the Middle Ages, the defensive system was gradually extended eastward with the construction of the Rubamprez, Rumigny and Moulin forts.

The curve at the beginning of Rue de Trèves, an otherwise straight road, dates back to 1794. It bypasses the artillery position built by the Austrians following an attack by French revolutionaries from the Fetschenhof plateau, after which the farm of the same name was set on fire. It was not until the 1830s, under the Prussian garrison, that this position was reinforced and Fort Fetschenhof was built; it was later renamed Fort du Moulin in honour of the Prussian fortress commander Friedrich Ferdinand Jakob du Moulin.

The long road from village to city district

After the conquest of the Duchy of Luxembourg in 1795, the French revolutionaries incorporated the territory into the municipality of Sandweiler. Despite the decision in 1867 to dismantle the fortress, the urban development of the plateau progressed slowly. In 1873, Fetschenbour, Zens and Tavioun became part of the new municipality of Hamm, which merged with Hollerich, Eich, Rollingergrund and the City of Luxembourg in 1920. But until the 20^th century, the plateau retained its rural character, with farms and a few artisans. It was in this peaceful setting that the Carmelite sisters settled in 1937.

The transformation of the rural area into an urban neighbourhood really began in the 1960s, particularly with the construction of the Cité Henri Fromes. The population grew rapidly: 246 residents in 1947, 433 in 1960, 1,114 in 1970 and 2,505 in 1981. Cents currently has a population of 6,600. The growing population created a need for new infrastructure: schools, shops, a community centre and a church along the main thoroughfare, Rue de Trèves. The church was consecrated in 1980.

The first allotment gardens were created in the 1980s by Coin de Terre et Foyer near Rue Paul Albrecht, but the plot had to make way for housing. The current allotment gardens were developed by the City of Luxembourg from 1999 onwards and officially inaugurated in June 2002.