Dicks et Lentz
The Dicks-Lentz Monument is a symbol of the pride of Luxembourg. It is a tribute to Edmond de la Fontaine, named Dicks, and Michel Lentz, the first poets to write in Luxembourgish and the authors of the Luxembourg national anthem.
Erected in 1903, it is located in the Jan Palach Square near the Place d’Armes in Luxembourg City.The plan of the monument is by the architect Georges Traus and the sculptures are by Pierre Federspiel.
The monument consists of a round pedestal, with three steps, and a pillar that is hung with a laurel wreath. On top of the column is the symbol of the Grand Duchy: a lion holding the coat of arms of Luxembourg with his right paw.
Next to the pillar is a blacksmith with a hammer on his shoulder and a raised arm that represents the country’s past in mining and steel. On the other side is a woman in the process of fixing a flower arrangement that hangs on both sides along a half-relief that features the portraits of Dicks and Lentz. On the back of the monument is written: Dicks am Lentz of the Luxembourg people erected in 1903.
While the monument was planned to show the two national poets together, they were actually not very good friends during their lifetime and it took over 7 years for it to be revealed after it was finished.
There is a large inscription that is chiseled in a spiral running around the column which reads- Mir welle bleiwe wat mir sin (we want to stay what we are) which is the motto of the Luxembourgers.
