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Princess Alix of Luxembourg

1929–2019

Born
24 Aug 1929, Berg Castle
Country of birth
Luxembourg
Died
11 Feb 2019, Château de Belœil
facts
7
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Berg Castle

    Birth, Berg Castle

  2. Child born: Prince Michel, 14th Prince of Ligne

    Birth, Château de Belœil

  3. Child born: Wauthier de Ligne

    Birth, Château de Belœil

  4. Child born: Princess Anne of Ligne

    Birth

  5. Child born: Princess Christine of Ligne

    Birth, Belœil

  6. Child born: Princesse Sophie de Ligne

    Birth

  7. Child born: Prince Antoine de Ligne

    Birth

  8. Child born: Princesse Yolande de Ligne

    Birth

  9. Died · Château de Belœil

    Death, Château de Belœil

What was it like?

The world around Berg Castle, 1929: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Princess was born the same year as Hebe Camargo, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly.

Born the same year

  • Hebe Camargo

    Brazilian recording artist, television host, actress and singer (1929–2012)

  • Audrey Hepburn

    British actress (1929–1993)

  • Grace Kelly

    American actress and Princess consort of Monaco (1929–1982)

  • Lev Yashin

    Player for U.S.S.R (1929–1990)

  • Martin Luther King Jr.

    American Baptist minister and civil rights leader (1929–1968)

  • Anne Frank

    German-born Dutch Jewish diarist and Holocaust victim (1929–1945)

Fashion
Around 1925–1925

Colourful Sunday attire for milkmaids

On Sunday mornings, young women working as milkmaids would dress in colourful outfits to leave behind their everyday work clothes.

Around 1923–1923

Pride in household linens and curtains

Luxembourgish housewives took immense pride in their household linens, often comparing the ornate lace curtains in their windows to delicate personal undergarments.

Music

The Hämmelsmarsch invited people to fairs

To invite residents to local fairs, musicians paraded through the streets playing the Hämmelsmarsch, a song that helped them collect financial donations.

Wooden rattles replaced bells during Easter week

During Holy Week, church bells traditionally flew to Rome, so children used wooden rattles and drums to announce services and collect treats.

Getting around

The rural Charly railway connection

The narrow-gauge railway known as Charly, which linked Luxembourg City to Echternach over 46 km, was a vital part of the country's extensive rail network that saw many rural areas connected by train.

Around 1900–1924

Bus travel to Kirchberg

A private bus service between the railway station and Kirchberg operated twice on weekdays and four times on market days or Sundays, with a journey time of 30 minutes.

Daily life

Vocational schooling for young women

Young women attended domestic schools to learn cooking, ironing, and sewing, with the school in Luxembourg-Ville expanding in 1906 due to high demand.

Around 1900–1924

Lack of basic home amenities

Around 1900, many simple homes in Luxembourg lacked basic amenities like running water, gas, electricity, and indoor toilets. People often relied on outdoor latrines characterized by a simple heart-shaped cutout in the door.

Food
Around 1930–1958

Increased dairy consumption

By 1958, milk consumption had reached 125 liters per person, up from 100 liters in 1930, while butter consumption rose from 8 kg to 12.5 kg per person during the same period.

Prices and wages
Around 1922–1922

Price of bread in 1922

In August 1922, the price of a 5-pound loaf of bread was 2.25 francs in Luxembourg City, while it cost 2.10 francs in surrounding areas like Esch-sur-Alzette.

Work

Common Jobs and Child Labor

Many workers balanced industrial labor with agricultural work, while others were employed in the steel industry, textile, tobacco, or service sectors. Child labor in these fields persisted, with 339 children still officially employed in 1938.

Struggles with Living Costs

Rising living costs were a major struggle, as seen when residential rents increased from 19 to 22 francs between 1918 and 1919, making it impossible for some families to pay. Conciliation offices were created to manage the resulting disputes between landlords and tenants.

News and letters
Around 1900–1924

Affordable postcards for communication

Postcards were a popular and affordable means of communication, costing half the price of a letter to send.

Around 1900–1924

Demanding mail carrier workdays

City mail carriers sometimes worked 11 to 12 hours a day, carrying hundreds of newspapers and letters on their delivery rounds.

During their lifetime

  1. 1935

    First electric railway line opened

    On May 5, 1935, the national railway company opened Belgium's first electric line between Brussels-Nord and Antwerp-Central.

  2. 1940

    1940 German invasion of Luxembourg

    Luxembourg declared its neutrality in September 1939, but was invaded and occupied by German forces on 10 May 1940.

  3. 1944

    Operation Gutt currency reform

    Following the liberation of Brussels in October 1944, the government carried out Operation Gutt to exchange existing banknotes and curb post-war inflation.

  4. 1950

    Rapid growth in private car ownership

    Between 1950 and 1972, the number of private and commercial vehicles in Luxembourg surged from 8,000 to over 100,000.

  5. 1956

    First nuclear chain reaction achieved in Belgium

    Belgium successfully achieved its first controlled nuclear chain reaction at the BR 1 research reactor in Mol.

  6. 1956

    Electrification of major railway lines

    In 1956, the Luxembourg rail network was modernized with the solemn inauguration of electrification on the lines connecting to Brussels and Metz.

Family

Parents

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.