Holzem
Encyclopedia
Communes of Luxembourg
The communes of Luxembourg are the lowest nation-wide administrative division in Luxembourg. They conform to LAU level 2.Within the hierarchy of administrative subdivisions, communes come directly below cantons, which are directly below districts. Communes are often re-arranged, being merged or...
of Mamer
Mamer
Mamer is a commune and town in south-western Luxembourg. It is located west of Luxembourg City. The commune includes the town of Mamer, and also the smaller communities of Capellen and Holzem. Mamer is situated on the river Mamer, a tributary of the Alzette...
, in southwestern Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. , it has a population of 581 of which 406 are Luxembourgers. Holzem still has a distinctly rural atmosphere but in recent years a number of small companies have been established there.
Location
Holzem is situated on the River MamerMamer River
The Mamer is a river flowing through Luxembourg, joining the Alzette at Mersch. It flows through the towns of Mamer and Kopstal. The river is a tributary to the Moselle river....
3 km (2 mi) west of Mamer to which it is connected by the CR 101 road. Unlike neighbouring Mamer
Mamer
Mamer is a commune and town in south-western Luxembourg. It is located west of Luxembourg City. The commune includes the town of Mamer, and also the smaller communities of Capellen and Holzem. Mamer is situated on the river Mamer, a tributary of the Alzette...
and Capellen
Capellen
Capellen is a town in the commune of Mamer, in south-western Luxembourg, 12 km west of Luxembourg City. , the town has a population of 1,336...
which both lie on Roman roads, Holzem has always been a quiet agricultural community. The PC 13 cycle track from Kleinbettingen
Kleinbettingen
Kleinbettingen is a small town in the commune of Steinfort, in western Luxembourg. As of 2005, the town has a population of 855....
to Strassen
Strassen, Luxembourg
Strassen is a commune and town in central Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Luxembourg, which is part of the district of Luxembourg.In 2011, the town of Strassen has a population of 7500 citizens....
passes through Holzem.
History
Holzem's history appears to date back to the 5th century when FranksFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
occupied the area. The first written references are to be found in documents drafted in 1023 for Emperor Henry II (1000–1024) which refer to Hulcinesheim and Hukinesheim meaning the home of the Hulcin family.
In 1428, a document from Luxembourg's magistrates informed Munster Abbey
Neumünster Abbey
Neumünster Abbey is a public meeting place and cultural centre, located in the Grund district of Luxembourg City in southern Luxembourg. After the original Benedictine Abbey on the Altmünster Plateau had been destroyed in 1542, the monks built a new abbey or Neumünster in 1606 in the Grund...
that Claes and Johann Hentzenson of Holtzem as serfs of the abbey are to be relieved of taxes.
During the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, Holzem like many other villages in Luxembourg, suffered under the Croats with a reduction in population from about 80 in 1635 to only about 30 in 1659.
In 1684, during the Siege of Luxembourg
Siege of Luxembourg (1684)
In the 1684 Siege of Luxembourg, by Louis XIV of France in 1684, an action that caused alarm among France's neighbours and resulted in the formation of the League of Augsburg in 1686. In the ensuing war France was forced to give up the duchy, which was returned to the Habsburgs by the Treaty of...
, Marshall Créqui
Créquy family
-Origins:Créquy , is a French family which originated in Artois, and took its name from a small lordship of Créquy, in the present Pas-de-Calais...
transported the inhabitants of Holzem to Longwy
Longwy
Longwy is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are known as Longoviciens.-Economy:Longwy has historically been an industrial center of the Lorraine iron mining district. The town is known for its artistic glazed pottery.-History:Longwy initially...
.
Today's church was built in 1785 although regular services had already been held for many years in Holzem's chapel. Indeed, back in 1528, the Mamer priest had been instructed to hold mass in Holzem every Sunday.
Economy
Farming is now of secondary importance in Holzem as manufacturing and service companies have increasingly become established to the north of the town along the Route de Capellen. Activities range from woodworking and building materials to precision tools and industrial valves. There is also a supplier of large-scale heating, plumbing and alarm systems as well as one or two smaller companies in management and IT services.Facilities and services
Holzem has few local facilities apart from a Chinese restaurant, a café and a modern Salle des Fêtes which serves as a meeting place, concert hall and exhibition centre. There is a regular bus service to Mamer and Luxembourg. The A6 motorwayA6 road (Luxembourg)
The Autoroute 6, abbreviated to A6 or otherwise known as the Arlon motorway , is a motorway in southern and western Luxembourg. It is long and connects Luxembourg City, in the south, to Kleinbettingen, in the west...
from Luxembourg to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
can be joined at Mamer.