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Despite its compact size, Luxembourg has its fair share of fables, folktales, myths and legends, from a mermaid and a wild woman to a wolfman and an underwater bogeyman.
In this series of articles, Chronicle.lu will be delving into some of these tales and their lasting impact in Luxembourg.
Next up are the neighbourly gnomes of Beggen.
The story goes that little gnomes called "Wiichtelcher" lived in a house in Luxembourg-Beggen. These gnomes would come out and help their neighbours in need. The "Wiichtelhaus" (gnome house), built in the 18th century, is located at 11 Rue de Bastogne. The uninhabited building was placed under protection (registered in the supplementary inventory) in 2016 after residents protested a planned housing project that would have seen it demolished. In more recent years, a fire broke out at the house. The original house has been renovated and a residential building added on, with the exterior now looking quite different from what it once was.
The folk tale remains important to the identity of this district, with FC Avenir Beggen football club players still nicknamed "Wiichtelcher". A playground inaugurated in Beggen (Rue Henri Dunant) in June 2023 is also named after and inspired by the gnomes.
Stories of similarly helpful gnomes have been linked to other parts of the country, from Lultzhausen in the north to Dudelange in the south.
