Troisvierges is a commune

Communes of Luxembourg

The communes of Luxembourg are the lowest nation-wide administrative division in Luxembourg. They conform to LAU level 2.Within the hierarchy of administrative subdivisions, communes come directly below cantons, which are directly below districts. Communes are often re-arranged, being merged or...

 and town in northern Luxembourg

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...

, in the canton of Clervaux

Clervaux (canton)

Clervaux is a canton in the north of Luxembourg, in the Diekirch District. The capital is Clervaux.The canton consists of the following eight communes:*Clervaux*Consthum*Heinerscheid*Hosingen*Munshausen*Troisvierges*Weiswampach*Wincrange...

. The two highest hills in Luxembourg, the Kneiff

Kneiff

Kneiff is a hill in the commune of Troisvierges, in northern Luxembourg, near the tripoint shared with Belgium and Germany. At 560 metres, it is the highest point in the country; it is 1 m taller than Buurgplaatz, which is often erroneously considered Luxembourg's highest point. It lies close to...

 (560 m) and Buurgplaatz

Buurgplaatz

Buurgplaatz is a hill in the commune of Troisvierges, in northern Luxembourg. The 559 metre high summit lies within the Oesling region at ....

 (559 m), are located in the commune.

, the town of Troisvierges, which lies in the south of the commune, has a population of 1,365. Other towns within the commune include Basbellain

Basbellain

Basbellain is a village in the commune of Troisvierges, in northern Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 152.Basbellain gave its name to the commune of Troisvierges until 1 January 1909, when the commune was given its current name, after its largest town....

, Drinklange

Drinklange

Drinklange is a village in the commune of Troisvierges, in northern Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 118....

, Hautbellain

Hautbellain

Hautbellain is a village in the commune of Troisvierges, in northern Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 142....

, Huldange

Huldange

Huldange is a small town in the commune of Troisvierges, in far northern Luxembourg. , the town has a population of 353. Nearby is the source of the Clerve....

, and Wilwerdange

Wilwerdange

Wilwerdange is a small town in the commune of Troisvierges, in northern Luxembourg. , the town has a population of 251....

.

Until 28 December 1908, the commune was known as 'Basbellain,' after its former administrative centre. On that date, the administrative centre was moved from Basbellain to Troisvierges.

Troisvierges is known for being the site of the start of hostilities on the Western Front

Western Front (World War I)

Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...

 in the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. On 1 August 1914, German soldiers of the 69th Infantry Regiment disembarked at the town's railway station

Troisvierges railway station

Troisvierges railway station is a railway station serving Troisvierges, in northern Luxembourg. It is operated by Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois, the state-owned railway company....

, violating the terms of Germany's use of the railways and hence violating Luxembourg's neutrality

Neutral country

A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...

. This began a four-year occupation

German occupation of Luxembourg in World War I

The German occupation of Luxembourg in World War I was the first of two military occupations of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg by Germany in the twentieth century. From August 1914 until the end of World War I in November 1918, Luxembourg was under full occupation by the German Empire...

of Luxembourg by German forces.

Footnotes