Gëlle Fra Monument (Golden Lady)

Inaugurated on 27 May 1923, the ’Monument du Souvenir’, best known as ‘Gëlle Fra’ (Golden Lady), is located facing the residence of the French ambassador. The monument underlines the participation of volunteers from Luxembourg in the allied armies during the First World War.

During the Second World War, the Nazi occupation authorities pulled the monument down. It’s eventual destruction on 21 October 1940  had been preceded by three days of protests by numerous Luxembourgers. Among them were many students from the nearby ‘Athenaeum’. A taskforce of Gestapo responded with brutal arrests. Over 60 protesters were taken to the ‘Villa Pauly’ and subsequently beaten up and interrogated.

After the war the complete reconstruction of the ‘Gëlle Fra’ was delayed for many reasons, mainly financial. In the 1950’s a reconstruction of the base with the two soldiers was accomplished after considerable discussions.

In 1984-1985, the monument was reconstructed in its original form. On the base of the memorial are four small plaques which were added to commemorate its destruction.

The monument was designed by Luxembourgish sculptor, Claus Cito, from Bascharage. The memorial depicts a gold-plated female figure on a stone obelisk, holding a crown of laurel in her outstretched hands. On the ground level are two young soldiers, one sitting and mourning the other who is stretched out, dead.

Today, the monument symbolises freedom and resistance for the Luxembourg people. It is also the military memorial for Luxembourgers who volunteered in the allied armies and gave their lives for the independence of Luxembourg during the two World Wars, the War in Korea, the Spanish Civil War, and as members of UN missions.