The Schumannseck is deeply rooted to history. During the Second World War, this place was the scene of the most murderous battles during the Battle of the Bulge in Luxemburg.
In December 1944, the German Wehrmacht advanced through the Ardennes as far as the River Meuse. To repel this advance, General Patton deployed the 3rd US Army, which on 22 December launched a counter-offensive from the south via the encircled Bastogne towards Houffalize (Belgium). The aim was to cut off the German attack wedge and then destroy it. In order to secure the right flank of this advance, Patton simultaneously tasked the 26th US Infantry Division with an attack in the direction of Wiltz. After capturing the strategically important ‘Schumannseck’ road junction near Nothum, the division was to unite with the US units from Bastogne in order to advance further north together. However, the ‘Yankee Division’ only reached Nothum on 27 December 1944 – critically behind schedule. There it encountered a heavily entrenched 9th Volks-Grenadier-Division, which had dug itself into the quartzite pits near Café Schumann at the crossroads.
The Schumannseck has changed fundamentally: where once the actions of war dominated, today memories, quiet reflection, and peaceful serenity meet. On the initiative of war veterans and the local population, the ‘Liberation Memorial’ was erected in 1994 in the form of a symbolic ruin. It was inaugurated in a spirit of reconciliation and international understanding by the then Prime Minister Jacques Santer. The project was organised by the association ‘National Liberation Memorial asbl’. Since then, an international commemoration ceremony has been held at the Schumannseck every year on the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. This is organised by the National Liberation Memorial asbl. in collaboration with the Luxembourg government and the Upper Sûre Nature Park – as a sign of remembrance, reminder and peace.
The ‘Schumannseck Remembrance Trail 1944-1945’ project was launched in 2016 as part of the Interreg ‘Land of Memory’ project by the Upper Sûre Nature Park, the National Liberation Memorial asbl. and the 6 municipalities of the Nature Park (Boulaide, Esch-sur-Sûre, Goesdorf, Lac de la Haute-Sûre, Winseler and Wiltz). The memorial trail offers a unique opportunity to experience this historic site in a new way. Through an interactive and innovative educational concept that combines nature, art and education, the site becomes a living history book. Past and present enter into a dialogue that conveys peace, freedom and basic human values as central messages.
The site preserves the traces of the fighting that took place there from 27 December 1944 to 21 January 1945.
At different stations, the memorial trail offers visitors a detailed insight into the historical context and the course of the Battle of the Bulge. The route has a choice of either a 1.2 km circular one or a more extensive 2.8 km one.
The adventure trail brings together authentic local experiences and artistic elements. Visitors can admire 65 life-size silhouettes along the entire route, complemented by authentic photographs from that era. Most of these images are from the Schumannseck or its immediate surroundings. Some of the silhouettes have even been supplemented with colour photographs of authentic objects or of foxholes from the National Collection of the National Museum of Military History.
Visitors can gain a close-up understanding of the conditions of warfare at the time through the reconstruction of military shelters built in former quartz quarries. These originally preserved elements – from foxholes and deep trenches to bomb craters – not only illustrate the tactical strategies and unparalleled courage of the soldiers but also inspire deep reflection on the horrors and ruthlessness of war.
The Schumannseck and its interactive memorial trail serve as a living platform for history to be perceived as a closed chapter, but as a continual dialogue that encourages visitors to pause and reflect.
The innovative redesign of the site focuses on authentic and moving testimonies from that time. The trail offers a unique educational experience and makes a significant contribution to the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, as well as to the enrichment of collective knowledge and the historical memory of the region.
The symbiosis of authentic historical heritage and modern artistic mediation opens up completely new perspectives.
The interactive thought trail gives visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the past. With the help of signs and explanatory panels in three languages (French, English, German) as well as strategically placed QR codes at 18 stations, visitors can interactively experience 250 audio clips, videos and archive photos of contemporary witnesses of this tragic era. This provides visitors with a comprehensive insight into the complex events and themes associated with the Battle of the Bulge in the Second World War. The QR codes are used to explain in detail the liberation, the course of the Battle of the Bulge, the suffering of the civilians, the German perspective on the offensive, the American strategy and the correspondence with the homeland and many other topics. The memorial trail offers visitors a glimpse into 60 themed areas where they can witness the stories of contemporary witnesses, whether they are civilians, German or American soldiers. The project is based on a collection of contemporary witnesses built up since the 1970s by Frank Rockenbrod on behalf of the National Liberation Memorial asbl. It comprises over 600 audiovisual interviews and more than 1,000 letter contacts – a valuable source for the authentic overall concept of the memorial trail.
To introduce children to the Schumannseck Memorial Trail in an exciting and interactive way, the ‘Next Station’ app invites them to join Klaus and Mish – the heroes from the popular RTL animated series of Zeilt Production – on a journey of discovery along the trail.
This interactive concept combines not only nature and education, but also art. To incorporate the artistic dimension into the project, a workshop was organised in collaboration with the Jugendbureau Éislek in the week from 7 to 11 September 2020. In this workshop, the young people explored the topic ‘De la guerre à la paix: quelle (est ton) histoire?’ with graffiti artist and co-founder of ‘Kamellebuttek’ Raphael Gindt.
The aim of the workshop was to familiarise young people aged 12 to 19 with the tragic history of the Schumannseck and to encourage them to reflect on their own feelings about war and peace. The graffiti artworks created during the workshop, which were designed with the support of the artist, were then installed on a square structure in the central area of the Schumannseck memorial trail – as an impulse for reflection and inspiration.
The main aim of the workshop was to encourage the active participation of young people in the memorial work and to include their visions and ideas in this process.
In the same participatory area, the ‘Passeurs de mémoire’ project is also worth mentioning. This is an elective subject that was launched in September 2023 on the initiative of Mr Pierre Stockreiser, former director of the Lycée du Nord. The aim is to strengthen the school’s commitment to remembrance work. The course sensitises young people to the importance of remembrance, particularly with regard to formative historical events such as the Second World War.
Over the course of the school year, pupils deepen their historical knowledge, visit memorial sites, meet contemporary witnesses and take part in collective reflection projects.
The pupils actively contributed to the development of the project by developing ideas for the design of the memorial trail. They also prepared presentations for official events, such as the annual commemoration ceremony on 16 December at the Schumannseck, in which they linked current conflicts with historical events. Young people from the Lycée du Nord Wiltz (LNW) designed the LRE stele, inaugurated in May 2025, and its texts concerning European values.
Thanks to years of research by the President of the National Liberation Memorial a.s.b.l., the strategic importance of the Schumannseck was empirically proven and recognised through a regional examination of the Battle of Bastogne in collaboration with numerous Belgian historians.
The ‘Schumannseck Memorial Trail 1944-1945’ project combines a variety of interactive elements and has been developed into a concept that appeals to people of all ages. Since October 2019, over 69,000 people have visited the project – with a record number of 15,756 visitors in 2023.