Luxembourgish replaces French on recent Luxembourg stamps

By David Hartwig

Designs on recent stamps issued by Post Luxembourg bear the Luxembourgish name Letzebuerg rather than the French name Luxembourg.

Luxembourgish, a West Germanic language, is the national language of Luxembourg, while French is the legal language. Luxembourgish, French and German are all considered official languages and can be used for administrative matters in the country.

The stamps featuring the Luxembourgish spelling, all issued March 14, include a set of four showing mammal species, one commemorating 225 years of the national library of Luxembourg, and a joint issue with India of two stamps marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries.

A customizable stamp issued March 6 also gives the Luxembourgish spelling.

Some claim that Luxembourgish is at risk of disappearing. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) considers Luxembourgish to be endangered, according to a Feb. 24, 2019, article on RTL Today, Luxembourg’s leading English language news source.

The Luxembourg government website says 77 percent of Luxembourg’s population (about 645,000) use Luxembourgish, while 98 percent speaks French.

For more information on recent Luxembourg stamp issues, visit the website of Post Luxembourg Philately.

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter
    Like us on Facebook
    Follow us on Twitter