The German
invasion
May 10, 1940
The German Army is crossing the frontier and enters Luxembourg. Early in the morning, the Wehrmacht troops are in the streets of the villages along the Our and Moselle River. They are riding bicycles, driving scout cars, self-propelled guns, tanks, horses tracking their equipment.
They encounter no resistance. Luxembourg people never believed that Hitler would invade their country as he had made agreements with Great Britain and other countries.
The royal family and the government are driven off the country to France, a few days later they got to England. There, they supported the Luxembourg Resistance and established a valuable diplomatic headquarters to resist against the aggressors.
At the end of the 10th May, Luxembourg is under total control of German armed forces. Belgium, the Netherlands and France are to be taken next.
Bigonville, on the border to Belgium, is an anonymous stop on the road to Belgium and France. Troops are coming into the village, confident to be in Paris very soon. They are dismounting and taking a rest. Bigonville people never saw such troops and they are on the streets to have a look at these soldiers and their equipment.
A Customs Office is set up in the former school building, at about 10 customs officers are located in Bigonville. A German Police Office is established in Perle, at about 3 miles from Bigonville. German Party organizations are installed: NSDAP, HJ and others.
An 'Amtsburgermeister'-Office is opened at Redange/Attert. This office is the main executive force; all orders and advises come from here, political training, propaganda and repressions, even persecutions. Bigonville being in the Redange/Attert sector, this is where people have to go for all kind of official documents.
Diekirch is the district capital. There are the centers of the Police Department (GESTAPO), political organizations and the district court.
May 10, 1940
The German Army is crossing the frontier and enters Luxembourg. Early in the morning, the Wehrmacht troops are in the streets of the villages along the Our and Moselle River. They are riding bicycles, driving scout cars, self-propelled guns, tanks, horses tracking their equipment.
They encounter no resistance. Luxembourg people never believed that Hitler would invade their country as he had made agreements with Great Britain and other countries.
The royal family and the government are driven off the country to France, a few days later they got to England. There, they supported the Luxembourg Resistance and established a valuable diplomatic headquarters to resist against the aggressors.
At the end of the 10th May, Luxembourg is under total control of German armed forces. Belgium, the Netherlands and France are to be taken next.
Bigonville, on the border to Belgium, is an anonymous stop on the road to Belgium and France. Troops are coming into the village, confident to be in Paris very soon. They are dismounting and taking a rest. Bigonville people never saw such troops and they are on the streets to have a look at these soldiers and their equipment.
A Customs Office is set up in the former school building, at about 10 customs officers are located in Bigonville. A German Police Office is established in Perle, at about 3 miles from Bigonville. German Party organizations are installed: NSDAP, HJ and others.
An 'Amtsburgermeister'-Office is opened at Redange/Attert. This office is the main executive force; all orders and advises come from here, political training, propaganda and repressions, even persecutions. Bigonville being in the Redange/Attert sector, this is where people have to go for all kind of official documents.
Diekirch is the district capital. There are the centers of the Police Department (GESTAPO), political organizations and the district court.