Dr. Richard Waxweiler wrote "Incidentally there was a statement in this group last week that Luxembourg belonged to Belgium. This has never been true! Luxembourg used to be an part of the German Empire. The name Luxembourg is derived from the old German word for it: Luetzelburg, that means small castle. Only Belgium was founded (made) in 1830 as a result of a power play between the great powers in Europe: England, France and Germany. The territories were the German-Austrian Netherlands. It were in danger to be invaded and incorporated by the French again (the French are always hungry, aren't they). To hinder that the state of Belgium was founded. So it was an artificial foundation. The name Belgium is derived by the name of an old German tribe which lived there." Yes, but.... let us remember these things. Luxembourg was, as a whole, once part of the kingdom of the Netherlands when it was created in 1815. When Belgium was created when the predominantly French portions of Holland rebelled against the house of Orange in 1830, Luxembourg was partitioned. The western 2/3rds of the country remained with Belgium, and the Eastern 1/3rd chose to become a part of Prussia, and it was occupied by Prussian troops who held it for the King of Holland until 1839. William II and William III, kings of Holland, became grand dukes of Luxembourg (I.E., what was not Belgian Luxembourg), and a concordat was reached whereupon the death of William III, Willhemenia, his daughter would become queen of Holland and another relative, Adolph, would become grand duke of an independent Luxembourg. His granddaughter, Marie-Adele firstly tried to stop German troops in W.W.I at the border by parking her car across the main road. (She was politely escorted back to her castle). But, in 1917, she paid a state visit to Bavaria, where she announced the engagement of her youngest sister to a German prince, I BELIEVE, the son of the Kaiser. After the war was over, she was denounced as a collaborationist, forced to abdicate, and join a convent. Her next youngest sister, Charlotte, took the throne, which she held until her abdication in the early 1960's in favor of the current Grand Duke, Jean. Charlotte's first challenge as ruler was in 1922, when a referendum on whether Luxembourg would remain independent or join with Belgium was taken, and the plebiscite defeated. It is ironic to note that today, the Luxembourgeoise Franc is valued as equal to the Belgian Franc, and that the wife of Hereditary Duke Henri (Heir to the throne) is a daughter of the Royal House of Belgium. I got some of my information from http://www.rootsweb.com/~luxwgw/luxchron.htm , a chronology of Luxembourg. Write if you want cuss me out, Stephen