District de Grevenmacher

The District of Grevenmacher (French: District de Grevenmacher, Luxembourgish: Distrikt Gréiwemaacher) was one of the three districts of Luxembourg, existing from 1843 until its abolition on 3 October 2015.

Composition

• Canton of Echternach: Beaufort, Bech, Berdorf, Consdorf, Echternach, Rosport-Mompach, and Waldbillig.
• Canton of Grevenmacher: Betzdorf, Biwer, Flaxweiler, Grevenmacher, Junglinster, Manternach, Mertert, and Wormeldange.
• Canton of Remich: Bous, Burmerange, Dalheim, Lenningen, Mondorf-les-Bains, Remerschen, Remich, Stadtbredimus, Waldbredimus, and Wellenstein.

The cantons themselves had no administrative structure of their own; they served as territorial units used to define electoral constituencies and administrative districts.⁶

Role in the state administration

A de-concentrated level, not a government tier. The districts could not be considered a level of government, but only a de-concentrated level of State administration used for territorial and administrative purposes.⁶ Each district was led by a District Commissioner, a state official appointed by the Grand Duke and responsible to the Home Minister and the Government. The commissioner served as a contact point between the central Government and local administrations, acted as a coordinating point between municipalities, and supervised all local administrations except Luxembourg City, which was placed directly under the Interior Minister.^{6 • 7} The commissioner's duty was limited to overseeing the administrative management of the communes and commune associations.⁷

The institution dated almost from the independence of the country: the three districts of Luxembourg, Diekirch, and Grevenmacher rested on the law of 1843, and the town of Grevenmacher had been made a district and cantonal seat in 1839, remaining the district capital until 2015.^{4 • 2}

Abolition

The bill to abolish the districts, introduced by Interior Minister Dan Kersch on 11 August 2014, was part of the government program following the elections of 20 October 2013.^{8 • 9} The Chamber of Deputies passed the law unanimously, and the law of 2 September 2015 abolishing the districts took effect on 3 October 2015, ending all three districts at once.^{4 • 5} The stated aim was administrative simplification and improved contact with the municipalities; the three District Commissioners and their staff transferred to the Interior Ministry without disadvantage to them.⁴ With the districts gone, the cantons became the largest territorial entities in the country, and the district's competences were transferred to the State to streamline administration.¹⁰

What remains

The three cantons of the former district continue as territorial units. For legislative elections they form, together, the East constituency, which elects 7 of the 60 members of the Chamber of Deputies.¹¹ Judicial organization also still references the area: the cantons of Grevenmacher and Remich fall under the territorial jurisdiction of the arrondissement court of Luxembourg.¹²

References

1. Gérard Trausch, Actes de l'Institut grand-ducal, Section des Sciences morales et politiques, ACTES XXVII, livre 4
2. Geschichte – Visit Maacher
3. Luxembourg Country data, links and map by administrative structure, geo-ref.net
4. Die Distrikte werden abgeschafft, Luxemburger Wort, 7 July 2015
5. Dossier consolidé, Projet de loi 7127, Chambre des Députés
6. Regionalisation in Luxembourg: municipalities reign, but are merging, Assembly of European Regions
7. OECD Territorial Reviews: Luxembourg 2007
8. Dossier parlementaire 6711, Chambre des Députés
9. Dossier complet 6711, Projet de loi portant abolition des districts
10. European review on public administration, N°3
11. Standing for legislative elections, Guichet.lu
12. Répertoire des localités, La Justice, Luxembourg

Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Ancient and historical places › Historical and cultural regions › Historical regions of Europe › Regions of Central Europe

Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026

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