The catalyst for this defiance was set on 30 August 1942, when Gustav Simon, the head of the civil administration of Nazi-occupied Luxembourg, mandated compulsory military service for those born between 1920 and 1924, later including the 1925 to 1927 cohorts. He also declared the automatic bestowal of German nationality upon these conscripts at their induction.
The subsequent days saw a nationwide uproar, with strikes erupting across the country in protest against the effective annexation of Luxembourg into the Third Reich. The student teachers at Walferdange’s Normal School, situated within the majestic Walferdange Castle, joined the fray. They staged a class boycott, sitting passively and refusing the Hitler salute — a silent but potent opposition to the forced conscription of Luxembourg’s youth.
Their peaceful demonstration was met with immediate retaliation. The next day, the young protesters were apprehended and dispatched to re-education camps in Marienthal and Altenahr, Germany, overseen by the Hitler Youth, where they remained until November-December 1942.
On 5 October 2022, eighty years after these events, a commemorative plate was unveiled to honour the valiant stance of these teachers. It serves as a lasting homage to their steadfast spirit and the remarkable courage they exhibited in the face of despotism.
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