Heck Welter

The concession was originally granted to the Heck family, but subsequently came into the possession of the Welter family by marriage. It commemorates several prominent figures in Luxembourg history.

Dr Michel Welter (1859-1924)
Michel Welter was born in Heiderscheid on 21 March 1859, into a family of modest means. He studied medicine at a number of European universities, before setting up a practice as a doctor in Esch-sur-Alzette in 1886. Spurred into action by the working classes' harsh living conditions, he entered the political arena. He was married to Anne Heck (1858-1939), and was the father of Marcel, Alice and Robert.

Elected as a deputy in 1897, Michel Welter co-founded the Association social-démocrate du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Social Democratic Association) in 1902 and, the following year, the Parti social-démocrate (Social Democratic Party) – the predecessor of the LSAP. A prominent figure in the Leftist Bloc between 1908 and 1912, he served as Director General for Agriculture, Industry and Commerce in the Thorn administration in 1916 and 1917, before going on to manage the Mondorf-les-Bains thermal spa. During World War I, he was a member of the Luxembourgish Soviet. In 1920, he regained his seat in the Chamber of Deputies, where he served until 1922. He died on 22 April 1924, and a monument in his honour was unveiled in Esch-sur-Alzette in 1927.

Alice Welter (1899-1918)
The daughter of Michel Welter, Alice Welter studied medicine in Munich and was a member of the Munich Soviet Republic, where she served as Kurt Eisner's secretary. She died of the Spanish Flu on 17 November 1918 at the age of 19. Her body was repatriated from Munich, and her funeral was held at the Notre-Dame Cemetery.

Marcel Welter (1889-1919)
Marcel Welter graduated as an engineer from the École technique supérieure in Aix-la-Chapelle, and worked in factories in Dudelange and Lamadelaine. He was married to Marguerite Gertrude Heinz, but died childless in Switzerland in 1919. His ashes were interred at the Notre-Dame Cemetery.

Robert Welter (1893-1978)
Robert Welter trained as an engineer in Liège, and worked for factories in Esch-sur-Alzette, and subsequently for HADIR in Saint-Ingbert. He was married to Marie-Louise Dondelinger, and was the father of Simone and Dr Roger Welter. Robert Welter authored several scientific articles, and was also a shareholder in Émile Schroell's printing business.

The Heck family
The concession originally belonged to Anne Heck. Her father was Rodolphe Heck (1827-1904), a jurist from Diekirch, who served as a magistrate, district commissioner, and subsequently adviser to the High Court of Justice. One of his daughters, Louise Alice Heck, was the wife of Émile Schroell (1863-1934), the editor of the Luxemburger Zeitung. Under Émile Schroell's stewardship, the newspaper would become one of Luxembourg's foremost liberal dailies. Émile Schroell's cousin, Paul Schroell, was the founder of the Escher Tageblatt. In 1911, Émile Schroell turned down the chance to merge their printing operations, thus safeguarding the independence of both newspapers. Émile Schroell, who held shares in ARBED, died in 1934, and was buried in the Welter-Heck family plot.