22 museomag   02 ‘ 2016 
During the two weeks that comprise «Experience 
Musée» (between February 1-19, 2016), lycée 
classes from the whole country visit the 
museums of Luxembourg city, who devise special 
programmes for them. 
This year, at the Musée Dräi Eechelen, we used The 
Borders of the Independence. Luxembourg between 1815 
and 1839, an exhibition on the history of the creation 
and independence of the Grand-Duchy. As it addresses 
questions of identity and of alterity or otherness, we 
prepared a visit followed by a debate for students and 
teachers. 
It begins with a thematic visit that also provides the 
opportunity to come face to face with the exhibition’s 
awe-inspiring exhibits, such as the 200-year-old 
original of the Final Act of the Vienna Congress or 
Jean-Baptiste Fresez’s portraits. The first and most 
impressive exhibit however does not even belong to 
the exhibition. It is impossible to miss, as it hovers very 
visibly over the permanent collection. Students know 
very well what the guillotine was used for, even if the 
historical background is a bit sketchy. 
We often begin our visits at the guillotine, as it 
stands for the period of the Napoleonic invasions 
that precedes the exhibition’s timeframe and theme: 
Luxembourg’s becoming, from the moment the 
European powers created the Grand-Duchy in 1815 at 
the Vienna Congress, until European powers decided 
once more, in 1839, that it was to remain independent 
and not to be part of the newly created Kingdom of 
Belgium. Over the ensuing 100 years, Luxembourg’s 
national identity would develop, complementing the 
previous more regional sense of belonging. 
but hoW does this relate to teen- 
agers? Will they be interested? 
Looking at the concepts that underpin the exhibition, 
truly philosophical questions arise. What is our identity? 
How does multilinguism fit into that? Does it affect the 
prevailing culture(s) in this very small country? What 
happens when people are constantly translating, 
namely themselves? What did and do the borders of 
the Grand-Duchy represent? Does it somehow embody 
Europe and its variety? We addressed these questions 
with the different groups of students. As any class that 
turned up so far represents at least five different mother 
tongues, sometimes as many as nine, these topics are 
reflected almost daily in their lives. They know of them 
and have a lot to say about them too. 
Portuguese actor Fábio Godinho, who grew up in 
Luxembourg and now works and lives both here and 
discussing language With 
teenagers in the museum? 
WorKshop “moien! hallo! salut! olá #Quelle langue?” 
© 
éric 
chenal 
Let’s sit down and cross borders.