The LRE Foundation is proud to announce the recent addition of the Luxembourgish Directorate General for Tourism to its network of members across Europe. A key institution in a country with a painful yet proud WWII history and heritage.
In May 1940, Nazi Germany occupied Luxembourg, and in 1942 they annexed the country. The occupation was long and harsh, leading to extensive resistance, with Luxembourgish soldiers joining Allied units until the country’s liberation in 1944.
Together, the LRE Foundation and the Directorate General for Tourism will work to develop the Liberation Route network and hiking trails in Luxembourg, connecting it to the existing European-wide system that follows in the footsteps of the Allied Forces in their advance to liberate continental Europe from Nazi occupation. The goal is to highlight the country’s many remembrance sites and its rich history and heritage through an innovative and sustainable tourism product. The two institutions will also work together on a promotional campaign to raise awareness of the Luxembourgish past and WWII involvement, placing it in a wider European landscape.
Rémi Praud, Managing Director of LRE Foundation, said of the new membership: “This collaboration will bring incredible value to the LRE Foundation and its network. We have already started our work together, and it is a pleasure to collaborate with such a prominent institution with clear values and goals regarding memory transmission and remembrance. This connection allows us to include even more stories linked to such an important part of WWII history.”
Lex Delles, Luxembourg’s Minister for Tourism, emphasizes in this context that “the conflicts of the 20th century have shaped Luxembourg’s contemporary identity. As a founding member of the European Union, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg defends the values of freedom, solidarity, tolerance, and pluralism. Memory transmission and remembrance are a duty. Therefore, remembrance tourism is one of the government’s priorities. In this context I warmly welcome the collaboration with the LRE Foundation.”
