Clemency, Luxembourg

Clemency Kënzeg
—  Commune  —
Eastern view
Coat of arms
Map of Luxembourg with Clemency highlighted in orange, the district in dark grey, and the canton in dark red
Country	Luxembourg
District	Luxembourg
Canton	Capellen
Government
- Mayor	Daniel Hautus
Area
- Total	14.53 km2 (5.6 sq mi)
Area rank	88th of 116
Highest elevation	395 m (1,296 ft)
- Rank	63rd of 116
Lowest elevation	311 m (1,020 ft)
- Rank	107th of 116
Population (2009)
- Total	2,137
- Rank	52nd of 116
- Density	147.1/km2 (380.9/sq mi)
- Density rank	46th of 116
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
LAU 2	LU00009002
Website	clemency.lu

Clemency (Luxembourgish: Kënzeg, German: Küntzig) is a commune and town in south-western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Capellen, which is part of the district of Luxembourg.

As of 2006^[update], the town of Clemency, which lies in the south-west of the commune, has a population of 1,823. The commune also includes the village of Fingig. Clemency is a rural community close to the Belgian border.

Clemency church

Location

The commun is located on the Belgian border at the source of the River Eisch. At an altitude of 395 m, its highest point is in the village of Fingig. Clemency, situated on the junction of the CR 101 and the CR 110 is 21 km west of Luxembourg. It is 5 km from the E25 motorway to Luxembourg and Brussels. The area is partly forested but mostly agricultural with mixed farming. There are fishing ponds between Clemency and Fingig as well as a marshy nature reserve, the Neidriesch, where there is a colony of crested newts, a protected species.^[1]

Celtic tomb

The history of Clemency goes back to the 1st century BC when the Treveri, a Celtic tribe, inhabited the region around Titelberg, a large oppidum near Rodange. A Celtic funeral chamber measuring 4.30 m by 4.20 m, the largest Gallic tomb ever found, was recently discovered at Clemency. From the offerings in the tomb, it was obviously the burial place of a Celtic nobleman. These included ten wine amphorae, an Italic bronze basin, an oil lamp from Campania, an iron grill and some 30 Gallic pots. There was also a chimney from an iron smelter in the chamber testifying to the deceased's association with iron production.^[2]

An ancient parish

Although today's high-steepled church was built in 1726, records indicate that the community and its parish are far older. Information from the Pétange tourist office explains how one Karl Martell offered Clemency and Pétange to St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier, in 723. A document dated 1140 reports that Pétange belonged to the parish of Clemency. This apparently continued to be the case for several hundred years.^[3]

The old railway

The old Clemency railway station

In 1873, the Prince Henri railway was opened. It took passengers and goods from Pétange to Steinfort via Clemency. After it was extended in 1880 to run as far as Ettelbruck, a total distance of 52 km, it became known as the Attert Line. The railway, which operated until 1967, mainly for transporting iron ore and coke for the mining operations in the region. Today the old line has been converted into a cycle track.^[4]

The castle

Clemency Castle

Clemency also has a small residential castle located close to the church in the centre of the town. Built in the 1660s, Clemency Castle had fallen into disrepair but in 2009 extensive renovation work was completed. As a result, the castle is now open to the public from time to time.^[5]

Clemency today

Clemency continues to be primarily an agricultural community although it has recently been expanding as a residential area in view of its proximity to the E25 motorway. A few small companies have also been established there. It is also a good centre for walking and cycling, particularly as it is on the P12 cycle track from Lamadelaine to Colmar-Berg.^[6]

Twinning

•  Austria: Gaflenz in Steyr-Land, Austria.

Footnotes

1. ^ Sentier Forestier Clemency from Administration des Eaux et Forêts. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
2. ^ Clemency L'âge du Fer récent from Luxembourg's National Museum of History and Art. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
3. ^ L'église de Pétange from S.I. Pétange. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
4. ^ La ligne ferroviare de l'Attert from Steinfort Commune, Brochure. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
5. ^ "Le château de Clemency a repris la vie en douceur", L'Essentiel, 9 April 2009. (French) Retrieved 10 April 2011.
6. ^ Piste cyclable de l'Attert. Retrieved 26 November 2007.

Coordinates: 49°36′N 5°53′E / 49.6°N 5.883°E / 49.6; 5.883