Member Article

Balmoral International Group Discovered "The Mystery of Gréngewald"

Luxembourg is rich in natural resources as it is with its history and culture that even their forestry has its own bit of a story as any other part of the country itself. Balmoral International Group Luxembourg welcomes you o the lush preserves of Gréngewald.

Covering an area of about 45km2, Gréngewald is one of the biggest forests in Luxembourg. 25% of which is still owned by the Grand Duke’s family. The forest has been a very relevant component of the Grand Duchy since it became a sovereign state in 1839 until it was reaffirmed in 1867.

Gréngewald is a popular hiking destination and was declared a national monument in April 1966 due of the many historical and cultural remains that can be found in the forest.

As a look back, the dukes and duchesses of the country had had a lot of stories and the trees and the greenery itself are the dumb witness to whatever mystery the forestry brings.

Dutch King Wilhelm II sold 6.62 km2 of the forest in order to raise money to cover war damages and restore the economic development in the country in 1846. Two years later about 22.3 square kilometers was also sold off, but the remaining 7 km2 could not be sold at a reasonable price, resulting in King Wilhelm II deciding to keep the land for himself.

Following the very close union between Luxembourg and the Netherlands in 1890, Gréngewald found a new owner, Queen Wilhemina of the Netherlands who, the following year, sold the forest to the Grand Duke Adolphe (Grand father of Grand Duchess Charlotte), meaning that Gréngewald once again became Luxembourgish.

In 1934 (during the world-wide financial crisis) the Grand Ducal family was forced to sell off bigger parts of the Grünewald and even Colmar-Bierg, the primary residence of the Grand Duchess (and today the Grand Duke), to the state at a far lower price than the property was deemed worth. Rumour had it, that Prince Félix, Grand Duchess Charlotte’s husband, needed money to pay off a gambling debt, however this was later denounced publicly by Jean-Claude Juncker as false.

In 2006 the Grand Duke wanted to sell 850 hectares to the state, but this never took place because of the general resistance amongst the Luxembourgish population. This resulted in a symbolic “leasing” of Grand Ducal property to the state. Nevertheless, in 2008 Grand Duke Henri sold 385 hectares of the forest surrounding Colmar-Bierg to the state for €6.1 million.

Today, 35 square kilometers of the forest is owned by the state, and the remaining 10 are still in the Grand Duke’s possession.

Source:http://www.balmoralinternationalgroup.org/balmoral-international-group-review-the-history-of-grengewald/#sthash.JUq1THHb.dpuf

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simply Jessy .