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1554 Luxembourg explosion

Ammunition depot fires and explosionsExplosions in LuxembourgHistory of Luxembourg City
Couvent Knödler 1550
Couvent Knödler 1550

On 11 June 1554, lightning struck a Franciscan church in the city of Luxembourg, triggering the explosion of the gunpowder barrels stored in the church attic at the time. The flaming pieces of the church's roof were scattered, spreading fires around the city and destroying a large part of it, including the city hall and Franciscan convent. While the number of victims is unknown, apart from two monks that were in the church at the time of the explosion, a bubonic plague outbreak that summer caused further casualties. In the aftermath of the explosion, Dutch military engineer Sebastiaan van Noyen was tasked with establishing a reconstruction plan. While most of his suggestions failed to be implemented in the following decades due to the reluctance of citizens, his proposal of a central square known as the forum novum was eventually adapted into a smaller version, the Place d'Armes, inaugurated in 1671. The city hall was rebuilt in 1572, later becoming the modern-day Grand Ducal Palace.

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1554 Luxembourg explosion
Place Guillaume II, Luxembourg Ville-Haute

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N 49.610277777778 ° E 6.1316666666667 °
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Place Guillaume II 46
1648 Luxembourg, Ville-Haute
Luxembourg
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Couvent Knödler 1550
Couvent Knödler 1550
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Luxembourg City
Luxembourg City

Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg; French: Luxembourg; German: Luxemburg), also known as Luxembourg City (Luxembourgish: Stad Lëtzebuerg or d'Stad; French: Ville de Luxembourg; German: Stadt Luxemburg or Luxemburg-Stadt), is the capital city of Luxembourg and the country's most populous commune. Standing at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers in southern Luxembourg, the city lies at the heart of Western Europe, situated 213 km (132 mi) by road from Brussels, 372 km (231 mi) from Paris, and 209 km (130 mi) from Cologne. The city contains Luxembourg Castle, established by the Franks in the Early Middle Ages, around which a settlement developed. As of 31 December 2023, Luxembourg City has a population of 134,714 inhabitants, which is more than three times the population of the country's second most populous commune (Esch-sur-Alzette). The city's population consists of 160 nationalities. Foreigners represent 70% of the city's population, whilst Luxembourgers represent 30% of the population; the number of foreign-born residents in the city rises steadily each year.In 2022, Luxembourg was ranked as having the highest per capita GDP in the world at $137,950 (PPP), with the city having developed into a banking and administrative centre. In the 2019 Mercer worldwide survey of 231 cities, Luxembourg was placed first for personal safety, while it was ranked 18th for quality of living.Luxembourg is one of the de facto capitals of the European Union (alongside Brussels, Frankfurt and Strasbourg), as it is the seat of several institutions, agencies and bodies, including the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Auditors, the Secretariat of the European Parliament, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund, the European Stability Mechanism, Eurostat, as well as other European Commission departments and services. The Council of the European Union meets in the city for three months annually.

Place Guillaume II
Place Guillaume II

Place Guillaume II is a town square in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. The square lies to the west of Krautmaart and to the north of Boulevard Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the heart of Luxembourg's historic Ville Haute quarter. It is colloquially known as Knuedler, from the Luxembourgish language's word for 'knot', referring to the knot in the belt worn by Franciscan friars.The western half of the square is dominated by Luxembourg City Hall in the southwest, whilst the equestrian statue to former Grand Duke William II, after whom the square is named, is the prominent feature of the eastern half. Much of the square is ringed with trees, narrowing the open area (particularly around the statue). The square was originally the site of a Franciscan monastery, hence the colloquial name. However, in 1797, during the French Revolutionary Wars, the monastery was dispossessed by occupying French soldiers. In 1804, the visiting Napoleon presented Place Guillaume II to the city as a gift. In 1829, plans were put in place to build a new town hall on the square, based upon the plans of Belgian architect Justin Remont. That same year, the deconstruction of the former monastery was completed, the material from which was used in the new building.The town hall was completed in 1838, and first used by the city council, chaired by long-time Mayor François Scheffer. However, due to the ongoing Belgian Revolution, the official unveiling could not be held at the time. Instead, the town hall was officially unveiled on 15 July 1844 by Grand Duke William II, as was the statue in his likeness in Place Guillaume II.Place Guillaume II is used as an open air music venue, hosting the Rock um Knuedler rock concert each year since 1991. The Rock um Kneudler concerts are free to the public, and have been watched by audiences of up to 10,000. Since 1995, the concerts have been headlined by international acts, with the South African Johnny Clegg and the Italian Gianna Nannini topping the bill for the 2007 concert.