Referendum in Luxembourg in 1919

Ballot in the referendum

In the double referendum in Luxembourg on September 28, 1919, questions relating to the political and economic orientation of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg were voted on.

Popular referendum on political orientation

After the First World War , the Chamber of Deputies ( Chambre des Députés ) decided on March 12, 1919 by 30 votes to 20 that the people should vote in a referendum on September 28, 1919 on the future form of government and choose between the following options:

• Retaining the ruling Grand Duchess Charlotte
• The retention of the ruling dynasty under another Grand Duchess (due to lack of male offspring)
• The establishment of another dynasty
• The introduction of the republic

In spite of pro-Belgian and pro-French propaganda and rumors of annexation, discreetly supported from abroad, 77.8 percent of Luxembourgers voted for the maintenance of the monarchy under the Grand Duchess Charlotte, who had held the throne since January 15, 1919, as the successor to her on January 9, 1919 Sister, Grand Duchess Maria-Adelheid , who abdicated in January 1919 and who was accused of being pro-German in the First World War.

Only 19.66 percent voted for the republic. This gave the constitutional monarchy of Luxembourg a democratic legitimation. However, there were strong regional differences. In some southern parishes, a majority opted for the republic.

Popular referendum on economic orientation

After the end of the German Customs Union due to the provisions of the Peace Treaty of Versailles and thus also the membership of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the German Customs Union, the question of economic realignment arose. In the referendum, the majority of the electorate (73 percent) opted for economic affiliation with France and only a minority for economic affiliation with Belgium (27 percent).

The result was clear:

• for France : 60,133 votes
• for Belgium : 22,242 votes

As a result, relations with Belgium were clouded, and the Prince de Ligne's mission to negotiate an economic union with the government had failed. However, to the horror of the Luxembourg government and people, the offer was rejected by the French. The French side then told the Luxembourg government that it should deal with the Belgian government itself on the customs issue. Therefore, Luxembourg out of necessity asked Belgium for an economic union.

So it came about that negotiations with Belgium were resumed and on July 25, 1921 an agreement on the Belgian-Luxembourg economic union was signed, which came into force on December 22, 1922.

Referendum results

The following tables show the result of the referendum by canton.

Form of government

Question about the form of government: Votes for the further government of the ruling Grand Duchess Charlotte

Cantons (and Luxembourg City)	electoral legitimate	number			vote for
		Voters	valid votes	invalid votes	Further government under Grand Duchess Charlotte	Maintaining the dynasty under another Grand Duchess	Different dynasty	republic
Luxembourg City	10,558	6863	6377	486	4002	59	192	2124
Chapels	8517	6261	5929	332	5003	96	33	797
Esch / Alzette	27,482	17,745	16,818	927	10,671	310	152	5685
Luxembourg	19,501	13,574	12,856	718	8889	175	145	3647
Mersch	6957	5481	5195	286	4350	76	37	732
Clervaux	7219	5207	4958	249	4492	67	22nd	377
Diekirch	9376	7378	6860	518	5462	112	79	1207
Redingen	7263	5913	5654	259	5229	64	39	322
Vianden	1433	1169	1109	60	995	16	6th	92
Wiltz	7295	5562	5316	246	4848	95	21	352
Echternach	6209	4724	4430	294	3742	58	68	562
Grevenmacher	7985	5888	5491	397	4889	87	45	470
Remich	6398	5219	4878	341	4239	71	50	518
total	126.193	90,984 (72.1%)	85,871 (94.4%)	5113 (5.6%)	66,811 (77.8%)	1286 (1.5%)	889 (1.0%)	16,885 (19.7%)

Economic orientation

Question on economic orientation: votes for economic affiliation with France

Cantons (and Luxembourg City)	electoral legitimate	number			vote for
		Voters	valid votes	invalid votes	Belgium	France
Luxembourg City	10,558	6863	6160	703	2190	3970
Chapels	8517	6261	5676	585	1307	4369
Esch / Alzette	27,482	17,745	16,586	1159	2211	14,375
Luxembourg	19,501	13,574	12,403	1171	2799	9604
Mersch	6957	5481	4936	545	944	3992
Clervaux	7219	5207	4672	535	2137	2535
Diekirch	9376	7378	6630	748	1441	5189
Redingen	7263	5913	5350	563	1208	4142
Vianden	1433	1169	1016	153	279	737
Wiltz	7295	5562	4941	621	1642	3299
Echternach	6209	4724	4272	452	1524	2748
Grevenmacher	7985	5888	5202	686	2404	2798
Remich	6398	5219	4531	688	2156	2375
total	126.193	90,984 (72.1%)	82,375 (90.5%)	8609 (9.5%)	22,242 (27.0%)	60,133 (73.0%)

See also

• History of Luxembourg

literature

• Christian Calmes: 1919. L'étrange referendum du 28 septembre (= Histoire Contemporaine du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, vol. 11). Édition Saint-Paul, Luxembourg 1979.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ (See the Official Gazette for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, number 61 from 1919)
2. ^ Memorial of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, January 18, 1919 ( PDF )
3. ^ Text (in English translation): Belgium and Luxembourg - Convention for the establishment of an Economic Union between the two countries, signed at Brussels, July 25, 1921 . In: League of Nations Treaty Series , Volume 9, pp. 224–245 ( online ).
4. ^ Ministry of Economic Affairs of Luxembourg (ed.): Statistiques Historiques 1839–1989 . éditpress luxembourg, March 1990, Les 3 Referendums de 1919 et 1937, W. 400 Resultats du double referendum politique et economique du 28 septembre 1919 par canton, p. 572 (French, pdf ).