Topic: Luxembourg Genealogy Resources

The Department of Special Collections houses one the largest collection of Luxembourg-related material in North America -- over 3,000 books, periodical volumes, maps, and rolls of microfilm.  Much of this material is of potential use to the genealogist.  Resources housed in the Department emphasize "Luxembourgers in Luxembourg" somewhat more than "Luxembourgers in the United States."  Other than the immigrant generation, you probably will need to seek resources on your American Luxembourg ancestors elsewhere. 

The holdings of the Department of Special Collections are fully cataloged.  Information on these works is available through the Libraries’ online catalog.  Materials designated Special – Ref are shelved on the north wall of the department’s Reading Room.  For access to other materials in this guide, please ask for assistance.

The first thing to remember when undertaking Luxembourg genealogical research is that there are "two Luxembourgs" -- the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (an independent nation) and the Luxembourg province of Belgium, just to the west of the Grand Duchy.  The "Luxembourg Culture Zone" in Europe (the area in which the Germanic dialect Luxembourgeois or Letzebuergesch is spoken) includes the Grand Duchy, part of Luxembourg Province, and small areas in the Netherlands, France, and Germany -- together about 3,000 square miles including nearly a 1,000,000 people.  Luxembourg genealogical research sometimes will require searching Belgian, French, German, and Netherlands sources instead of, or in addition to, material from the Grand Duchy proper.  

Reading a history of Luxembourg, particularly if you are unsure as to where your immigrant ancestor originated, often is a good introduction to genealogical research.   Three standard histories are available in the department:

Ann Kenne
Head of Special Collections /
University Archivist
LL09 O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library
2115 Summit Avenue #4068
Saint Paul, MN 55105-1086
651-962-5461 (office)
amkenne1@stthomas.edu