Description
This monument commemorates the execution in 1790 of 27 rebels (Klëppelkricher) on the glacis of the Porte Neuve during the peasant revolt. However, archaeological excavations carried out in 2016 were unable to confirm whether the men were buried at the Notre-Dame site. The rebels opposed the republican and anti-clerical regime and were revolting against the abolition of the privileges of the Ancien Régime and the incorporation of Luxembourg into France as the Département des Forêts. They did not want to be conscripted into the French armed forces. The uprising subsequently spread to several provinces of the former Austrian Netherlands. Portrayed by romantic historiography as patriots defending Luxembourg, the rebels are celebrated in literature, in various monuments, and in postage stamps.
Inaugurated on 29 October 1972 at the initiative of publisher François Mersch and co-financed by the members of "Auto-Revue", this monument was designed by art education professor Edmond Lux. The location was chosen to mark a connection with the former Glacis Chapel, which was destroyed by the Revolutionaries and has since been buried beneath this site. The monument consists of a block of slate from the Martelange quarries and a large cast-iron plaque produced by the Arbed-Dommeldange foundry. It features slate slabs from the slate quarries at Asselborn, hometown of one of the insurgents, Michel Pintz, who is thought to have been the last rebel executed here. The image of the oak tree and the choice of materials symbolise not just strength and resilience but also the sense of unity among the rural, urban and industrial communities. The monument was taken down during the construction of the tram, before being restored and relocated in a leafy setting within the cemetery. This relocation enabled the historical cemetery enclosure to be returned to its original positioning while also creating a space for quiet reflection by the monument.
