On Wednesday 21 August 2024, UNESCO officially recognised the 150th anniversary of the birth of Aline Mayrisch-de Saint-Hubert (1874-1947) as part of its 2024 celebrations.
This acknowledgment, initiated by the Luxembourg Commission for UNESCO and supported by the French and German commissions, highlights Aline Mayrisch’s lifelong commitment to the intellectual and moral solidarity UNESCO champions. Luxembourg’s Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity, and various organisations, including the Lycée Aline Mayrisch and the Luxembourg Red Cross, also commemorated her legacy.
Aline Mayrisch-de Saint-Hubert was a pioneering figure (patron, writer, feminist, and humanist) who championed the rights of girls and women, particularly their right to education. Her efforts on behalf of the less fortunate, her patronage of the arts and her role as a mediator between nations during the interwar period illustrate her independence, intellectual curiosity and dedication to exchange, respect and multilateralism, the ministries and organisations noted.
Mayrisch left a lasting impact on the intellectual and cultural world of the early 20th century through her humanism, patronage and Europeanism, creating what is now known as the "Spirit of Colpach," a European intellectual movement rooted in Luxembourg. Her contributions continue to resonate, as her open mind and enlightened social views helped build a freer, fairer society where equality of opportunity is more than just a concept.
Aline Mayrisch devoted many years to improving educational opportunities for girls and women. In 1906, she founded the "Association for the Interests of Women," which promoted the creation of public, secular secondary schools for girls. Under her leadership, the association also provided placement services and legal protection for women and hosted conferences on topics such as child and maternal protection and women's suffrage. By 1911, her efforts led to the opening of two girls' secondary schools in Luxembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette, which eventually became the Lycée Robert-Schuman and the Lycée Hubert Clément. In 2001, the Lycée Aline Mayrisch was inaugurated in Luxembourg-Merl, honouring her legacy.
In 1920, Aline and her husband, Emile Mayrisch, moved to a manor in Colpach, near the Belgian border, transforming it into a hub for intercultural encounters. They invited prominent French, Belgian and German personalities, fostering discussions on European unity after World War I. The Mayrisches also built one of Luxembourg’s first major modern art collections, featuring works by Théo Van Rysselberghe, Henri-Edmond Cross, Ker-Xavier Roussel, Maurice Denis, Paul Signac, Henri Matisse and others. Some of these pieces remain in Luxembourg, while others are displayed in museums worldwide, including the Musée d'Orsay and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Aline Mayrisch contributed to literary criticism, publishing articles on German painters and works like André Gide's L'Immoraliste in the Belgian avant-garde magazine “L'Art modern”. The couple also supported avant-garde theatre and maintained an extensive correspondence with leading intellectuals of their time. The letters between Aline and her daughter Andrée, covering the years 1918 to 1946, offer rich insights into their era and their mother-daughter relationship.
Aline’s commitment extended beyond education and culture to social and humanitarian causes. In 1914, the Mayrisches co-founded the Luxembourg Red Cross, with Aline later becoming its president after Emile’s death in 1928. During World War I, they converted their former home in Dudelange into a war hospital, providing aid to wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. They also participated in the reconstruction of war-torn areas in France, particularly Verdun. Aline further championed efforts to establish a professional corps of nurses and social workers, and she was instrumental in founding the first crèche in Esch-sur-Alzette (1927), a family placement centre in Rédange-sur-Attert (1928) and the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital (1936). Finally, she became involved in the League against Tuberculosis and the Anticancer League (1932), which would operate within the Red Cross.
In recognition of her tireless work, Grand Duchess Charlotte awarded Aline Mayrisch the Cross of Honour. After her death, Aline bequeathed her home in Colpach to the Red Cross (with her daughter’s agreement), transforming it into a convalescent home. The castle was listed as a national monument in 2002.
The legacy of the Mayrisch couple lives on through the Emile and Aline Mayrisch Prizes, organised by the Cercle des amis de Colpach and the ArcelorMittal Foundation. These prizes promote the "Spirit of Colpach," fostering cultural exchange and understanding among European nations. This prize is aimed at researchers, students, journalists and other authors residing in Germany, Belgium, France or Luxembourg and aged at least 24. The works submitted to the competition focus on historical, political, economic and/or social research relating to the convergences and divergences of the major players and deep forces in the Franco-German-Belgian-Luxembourg area; on a cultural level, they present research relating to writers, intellectuals and artists and highlighting the reciprocal influences in the Franco-German-Belgian-Luxembourg area. The fifth edition of this prize, worth €10,000, will be awarded in autumn 2024.
Additionally, the Lycée Aline Mayrisch annually awards an "Aline Mayrisch prize" to outstanding students, continuing her mission of fostering education and opportunity.
