Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Our Lady Kathedral Notre-Dame Cathédrale Notre-Dame Kathedrale unserer lieben Frau
Our Lady of Luxembourg
Religion
Affiliation	Catholic Church
Province	Archdiocese of Luxembourg
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Status	Active
Location
Location	Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Baroque Gothic
Groundbreaking	1613
Completed	1938

Nave of the cathedral

Organ gallery and stained glass

The cathedral quire

Tomb of John of Bohemia

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is a beautiful church in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. It's the only cathedral in the whole country! It started as a church for the Jesuits, a group of priests, way back in 1613.

This church is a great example of late gothic architecture. But it also has many Renaissance features and decorations. In the late 1700s, the church received a special image of Our Lady of Consolation. She is considered the patron saint of both the city and the nation.

About 50 years later, the church was named the Church of Our Lady. Then, in 1870, Pope Pius IX made it a cathedral. This means it became the main church for the area.

Near the cathedral, there is a special monument. It is called the National Monument to the Resistance and to the Deportation. The main part of this monument is a bronze statue. It is called The Political Prisoner and was made by Lucien Wercollier.

The main altar inside the cathedral holds the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is known as Our Lady of Consolation in Luxembourg. The cathedral was made bigger and improved between 1935 and 1938.

History of the Cathedral

Early Beginnings with the Jesuits

In 1603, a group of Jesuit priests from Belgium came to Luxembourg City. They opened a college there. Many young people from Luxembourg studied at this college until 1773.

The first stone of the church was placed on May 7, 1613. Father François Aldenard led this project. Ulrich Job, from Lucerne, was the builder. He also helped decorate the columns. The Jesuit church was officially opened on October 17, 1621. It was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

A German sculptor named Daniel Muller helped make the church beautiful. He created the organ tribune, which is where the organ sits. The decorations are made of alabaster. This material was popular with Dutch Renaissance artists. These decorations show early Baroque angels playing music.

Becoming a Parish Church

The Jesuits left the city in 1773. In 1778, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria gave the church to Luxembourg City. It became the new parish church. It was named "Saint Nicolas et Sainte Thérèse." This was helpful because the old parish church was small and old. It was torn down in 1779. That is why a statue of St. Nicholas is above the cathedral entrance today. In 1801, the church was renamed and dedicated to Saint Peter.

Becoming a Cathedral

On March 31, 1848, the church was given the name "Notre-Dame." This happened under Jean-Théodore Laurent. His successor, Nicolas Adames, updated the inside of the church. He changed its Baroque style to a neo-Gothic look starting in 1854.

Luxembourg became a bishopric on June 27, 1870. A bishopric is an area led by a bishop. When this happened, Pope Pius IX made the Notre-Dame Church into the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Cathedral Architecture

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is a great example of late gothic architecture. But it also has many Renaissance features and decorations.

Expanding the Cathedral in the 20th Century

The cathedral was made bigger and expanded from 1935 to 1938. This expansion changed how Luxembourg City looked. It was planned and overseen by Hubert Schumacher, a Luxembourgish architect.

The new parts of the church connect to the older sections from 1613–1621. This makes the church feel very spacious and look unified. It was a challenge to make the new parts fit with the old Gothic style. The goal was to make the church blend well with nearby buildings. These included the old Athénée building and the national library.

The Cathedral Towers

The cathedral has three towers.

• The west tower was part of the original Jesuit church. It holds the church bells.
• The east tower was added later.
• The central tower stands over the middle part of the church.

The east and central towers were added when the cathedral was expanded from 1935 to 1938. The central tower is shorter than the others. It has a wide, pyramid-shaped base and a narrow peak covered with copper.

On April 5, 1985, the west tower caught fire. This happened during work on the roof. The church bells were destroyed in the fire. These bells were named Virgin Mary, Willibrord, Peter, and Cunigunde. When the tower fell, it also damaged part of the main roof. The tower was repaired by October 17, 1985.

Burials in the Crypt

The crypt is a special underground room in the cathedral. It holds the remains of important people from Luxembourg's history. These include Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses.

Here are some of the people buried there:

• John of Bohemia (1296–1346): His remains were moved here in 1945.
• Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1894–1924)
• Marie Anne, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1861–1942): She was the wife of William IV.
• Felix, Prince Consort of Luxembourg (1893–1970): He was the husband of Charlotte I.
• Prince Charles (1927–1977)
• Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1896–1985)
• Joséphine Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1927–2005): She was the wife of Jean I.
• Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1921–2019)

See also

In Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora (Luxemburgo) para niños

• Roman Catholic Marian churches
• List of Archbishops of Luxembourg
• List of Jesuit sites