Campus
Walferdange
The CAMPUS WALFERDANGE is as well a
part from my serie of TradiCaches at sites of the University of
Luxembourg.
The University of Luxembourg,
established on August 2003, is located at three sites,
comprise today three
faculties
1. The Faculty of Science, Technology
and Communication
2. The Faculty of Law, Economics and
Finance
3. The Faculty of Language and
Literature, Humanities. Arts and Education
At the Campus
Walferdange reside the Faculty of Language and Literature,
Humanities, Arts and Education and occupies a picturesque site that
is rich in history: Walferdange Castle.
The leafy location was originally
occupied by the stud farm that the King and Grand Duke William I
built between 1824 and 1828 in order to breed his horses. He never
set foot in Luxembourg and was highly unpopular. After the Belgian
Revolution of 1830 and William`s abdication, the buildings remained
empty. When his son William II came to Luxembourg in 1841, he
proposed to turn it into a royal residence for his visits to the
Grand Duchy. He stayed here on several occasions.
But the castle is above all
associated with the name of his successor`s second-in-command and
younger brother, Prince Henry and his wife Amalia of Saxe-Weimar.
The royal couple came to live here in 1853 and was much loved by
the people of Luxembourg. The buildings were extended, the inside
luxuriously refurbished and the gardens enlarged. Good Prince Henry
was very generous to the Commune of Walferdange; for instance he
had gifts distributed to children in the area each Christmas. It's
even said that it was on such an occasion that he caught the
measles that killed him in 1879.
The building remained empty after
Henry`s death. The commune used it to house a fire pump and a small
post office. In 1891, the Grand-Duke Adolphe reclaimed the castle
as his summer residence and totally refurbished it. A huge park was
laid out with greenhouses; the orangery was reconverted into
accommodation.
The castle was used for various
different purposes in the 20th century; It was a teacher training
college, an army barracks and an educational institude before
becoming the University. BU there are constant reminders of its
past as a royal residence, such as the restored fountain in the
main courtyard and the name given to the cultural centre (Prince
Henry) and some local clubs such as the famous Residence Walfer
Basketball Club.
source: www.uni.lu
Have fun.