Emmanuel Servais
Encyclopedia
Lambert Joseph Emmanuel Servais (11 April 1811 - 17 June 1890) was a Luxembourg
ian politician
. He held numerous offices of national importance, foremost amongst which was in serving as the fifth Prime Minister of Luxembourg, for seven years, from 3 December 1867 until 26 December 1874.
After being Prime Minister, he was a long-serving Mayor of Luxembourg City, holding office from soon after his departure from the premiership, in 1875, until his death, in 1890. Servais was also successively President of the Council of State
(1874–1887) and President of the Chamber of Deputies
(1887–1890). No other person has held even three of these four positions.
, where he excelled academically, finishing top of his class in both of his final years at the school. After leaving the Athénée, in 1828, he studied law at the University of Ghent. However, he was forced to leave in after one year, in 1830, by the upheaval caused by the Belgian Revolution
. Instead, he left for Paris
, graduating in 1831.
of Mersch in Luxembourg's provincial council. In the same year, he established, with Victor Tesch, L'Echo du Luxembourg, which published its first edition on 21 December 1836. Servais used the paper to promote his political interests, particularly improving transport links, an example of which was the construction of a permanent roadway between Ettelbruck
and Bastogne
.
Servais was amongst a group that, on 5 May 1838, founded the 'Central Patriotic Society of Luxembourg', which opposed the First Treaty of London. The Treaty awarded two-thirds of the grand duchy to Belgium
, separating Mersch from Arlon and Bastogne, and hence dividing in two Servais's backyard and the Echo's core constituency. However, Servais's efforts were in vain, as the Treaty was accepted by both the Chamber of Representatives and Senate
. Servais remained in the (diminished) grand duchy, being called to the bar
in August 1839.
, the constitution
was amended to allow for self-government. On 3 August 1841, Servais was named one of nine representatives of Luxembourg that convened in The Hague
to advise the King-Grand Duke
on its formulation. For his work on doing so, he was awarded the rank of Commander in the Order of the Oak Crown
. Under the new arrangement, power passed to the Assembly of State, which held its first session in 1842. Once again, Servais represented Mersch, along with Théodore Pescatore
and Claude Clément. In sitting on the Assembly, he was notable for being an relatively extreme and revolutionary liberal
.
Servais was prominent in advocating budgetary
restraint, and led the (unsuccessful) campaign to reduce the civil list
by one-third. His other main issue was education. Primary education was regulated by the state for the first time in 1843, and the scope of the Roman Catholic Church
in instruction was anathema to the radical Servais. Similarly, when the issue of secondary education was discussed, Servais argued that the Concordat of 1801
and Organic Articles
were annulled by the Belgian Constitution
of 1831, and so the Luxembourgian government was under no obligation to the Catholic Church.
His son, Émile
, would go on to lead a failed communist
revolt on 9 January 1919.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
ian politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He held numerous offices of national importance, foremost amongst which was in serving as the fifth Prime Minister of Luxembourg, for seven years, from 3 December 1867 until 26 December 1874.
After being Prime Minister, he was a long-serving Mayor of Luxembourg City, holding office from soon after his departure from the premiership, in 1875, until his death, in 1890. Servais was also successively President of the Council of State
Council of State of Luxembourg
The Council of State is an institution in Luxembourg that advises the national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies. Until 1 January 1997, it was also the country's supreme administrative court, but this function was ceded to the newly created Administrative Tribunal and Administrative Court.The...
(1874–1887) and President of the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg
The Chamber of Deputies , abbreviated to the Chamber, is the unicameral national legislature of Luxembourg. 'Krautmaart' is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which the Hôtel de la Chambre is located....
(1887–1890). No other person has held even three of these four positions.
Education
Servais was educated at the Athénée de LuxembourgAthénée de Luxembourg
The Athénée de Luxembourg , is a high school in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It's commonly called Stater Kolléisch or De Kolléisch, and is the nation's oldest high school.-Brief history:...
, where he excelled academically, finishing top of his class in both of his final years at the school. After leaving the Athénée, in 1828, he studied law at the University of Ghent. However, he was forced to leave in after one year, in 1830, by the upheaval caused by the Belgian Revolution
Belgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium....
. Instead, he left for Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, graduating in 1831.
Before Partition
From 8 September 1836 until the Third Partition, in 1839, Servais represented his home cantonCantons of Luxembourg
||The districts of Luxembourg are divided into 12 cantons. These cantons are subdivided into 116 communes. The cantons, listed by district, include:Diekirch District*Clervaux *Diekirch *Redange *Vianden *Wiltz Grevenmacher District...
of Mersch in Luxembourg's provincial council. In the same year, he established, with Victor Tesch, L'Echo du Luxembourg, which published its first edition on 21 December 1836. Servais used the paper to promote his political interests, particularly improving transport links, an example of which was the construction of a permanent roadway between Ettelbruck
Ettelbruck
Ettelbruck is a commune with city status in central Luxembourg, with a population of approximately 7,500. As of 2005, the town of Ettelbruck itself, which lies in the east of the commune, has a population of 6,191. The town of Warken and Grentzingen are also within the commune...
and Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
.
Servais was amongst a group that, on 5 May 1838, founded the 'Central Patriotic Society of Luxembourg', which opposed the First Treaty of London. The Treaty awarded two-thirds of the grand duchy to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, separating Mersch from Arlon and Bastogne, and hence dividing in two Servais's backyard and the Echo's core constituency. However, Servais's efforts were in vain, as the Treaty was accepted by both the Chamber of Representatives and Senate
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
. Servais remained in the (diminished) grand duchy, being called to the bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
in August 1839.
Member of State
Upon Partition and the dissolution of the United Kingdom of the NetherlandsUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
, the constitution
Constitution of Luxembourg
The Constitution of Luxembourg is the supreme law of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The modern constitution was adopted on 17 October 1868.Whilst the constitution of 1868 marked a radical change in Luxembourg's constitutional settlement, it was technically an amendment of the original constitution...
was amended to allow for self-government. On 3 August 1841, Servais was named one of nine representatives of Luxembourg that convened in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
to advise the King-Grand Duke
King-Grand Duke
The designation of King-Grand Duke was held by the three monarchs of the House of Orange-Nassau that ruled Luxembourg and the Netherlands in personal union, between 1815 and 1890...
on its formulation. For his work on doing so, he was awarded the rank of Commander in the Order of the Oak Crown
Order of the Oak Crown
The Order of the Oak Crown is an Order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.-History:The Order of the Oak Crown was instituted by the Grand Duke-King William II, in 1841...
. Under the new arrangement, power passed to the Assembly of State, which held its first session in 1842. Once again, Servais represented Mersch, along with Théodore Pescatore
Théodore Pescatore
Théodore Pescatore was a Luxembourgian politician. One of the most important liberals in the mid-nineteenth century, he was president of the Constituent Assembly that wrote Luxembourg's Constitution in 1848...
and Claude Clément. In sitting on the Assembly, he was notable for being an relatively extreme and revolutionary liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
.
Servais was prominent in advocating budgetary
Budgetary policy
Budgetary policy refers to government attempts to run a budget in equilibrium or in surplus. The aim is to reduce the public debt.It is not the same as a fiscal policy, which deals with the fiscal stimulus to the economy, the repartition of taxes and the generosity of allowances....
restraint, and led the (unsuccessful) campaign to reduce the civil list
Civil list
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom, the Civil List is the name given to the annual grant that covers some expenses associated with the Sovereign performing their official duties, including those for staff salaries, State Visits, public engagements, ceremonial functions and the upkeep of the...
by one-third. His other main issue was education. Primary education was regulated by the state for the first time in 1843, and the scope of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in instruction was anathema to the radical Servais. Similarly, when the issue of secondary education was discussed, Servais argued that the Concordat of 1801
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801. It solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and brought back most of its civil status....
and Organic Articles
Organic Articles
The Organic Articles was the name of a law administering public worship in France.- History :The Articles were originally presented by Napoléon Bonaparte, and consisted of 77 Articles relating to Catholicism and 44 Articles relating to Protestantism...
were annulled by the Belgian Constitution
Constitution of Belgium
The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state...
of 1831, and so the Luxembourgian government was under no obligation to the Catholic Church.
Personal life
Servais married his cousin, Anne Justine Elisa Boch (1819–1860) on 16 November 1841. Through the Bochs, and Anne's mother's family (the Richards), Servais was marrying into a political web that also included the Thilges, Pescatore, Northomb, d'Huart, and de Prémorel families.His son, Émile
Émile Servais
Émile Servais was a Luxembourgian left liberal politician. He was an engineer by profession.On 9 January 1919, a company of the Luxembourgian army revolted against the Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde, and declared itself to be the army of a new socialist republic...
, would go on to lead a failed communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
revolt on 9 January 1919.
Decorations
Servais's honours and decorations included:- Belgium: Order of Leopold (Grand Cross, 1869)
- France: Legion of HonourLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(Commander, 1868) - Luxembourg: Order of the Oak CrownOrder of the Oak CrownThe Order of the Oak Crown is an Order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.-History:The Order of the Oak Crown was instituted by the Grand Duke-King William II, in 1841...
(Grand Cross, 1867) - Netherlands: Order of the Netherlands Lion (Grand Cross, 1855)
- Prussia: Order of the Red EagleOrder of the Red EagleThe Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
(Knight 2nd Class with Star, 1865)