Our Minett Mash-Up podcast takes us to the city of Dudelange in March 2025, where we had a revealing exchange with Mayor and Member of Parliament Dan Biancalana. He welcomed us in his capacity as a board member of the PRO-SUD syndicate. Together with our guest, we went on a discovery tour of this dynamic southern municipality.
Our “Minett-Location” of the month: Mémorial Porte d’Italie
Our meeting point was the Monument Porte d’Italie, a sculpture created in 2007 by the artist Yvette Gastauer-Claire. This work symbolises the first Italian workers who arrived in Dudelange at the end of the 19th century to work in the iron industry.
Located on the hill of the Italian Quarter above the city centre, it offers a magnificent view of the former Dudelange steelworks, the Floater, the CNA and the Ginzebierg with the RTL transmitter mast.
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© CNCI / Pascal Plein
Our guest: Dan Biancalana
Dan Biancalana, himself of Italian descent, has been mayor of Dudelange for more than 10 years. As a member of parliament and co-president of the LSAP, he is a key political figure in Luxembourg.
In our conversation, we discussed the city’s sustainable urban mobility plan, the recent renovation of the city centre and the future “Neischmelz” district. Other topics during our chat included the plans to establish a national art archive in Dudelange, the natural and recreational areas around the city and the orchards open to the public for free fruit picking in Dudelange’s urban areas.
Eise Quiz
In which year was the Dudelange-Usine railway station inaugurated?
- 1886*
- 1903
- 1921
What used to be in the “Kantin” at Neischmelz?
- eng Kantin fir d’Aarbechter
- e Lokomotivatelier*
- e Lager fir Ersatzdeeler fir d’Schmelzen
The Haard is Luxembourg’s largest continuous nature reserve. What is its protected area (in hectares) between Dudelange, Kayl, Tétange and Rumelange?
- 284 ha
- 594 ha*
- 904 ha
Links zu den Themen dieser Episode:
- Vëlo Diddeleng: local cycling group
- SUMP: Dudelange’s sustainable urban mobility plan
- Mémorial Porte d’Italie: memorial to the first Italian immigrants
- Ginzebierg: recreation area with RTL transmitter close to Dudelange
- Haard: Luxembourg’s largest nature reserve and core zone of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere
- Quartier Neischmelz: Project to transform an industrial wasteland into a new urban district
- Locomotive-hall: Historic steelworks building, now a restaurant and microbrewery
- VeWa: Cultural meeting point on the future site of Nei Schmelz
- Konschtarchiv Diddeleng: Proposed National Art Archive
- Laangebierg: Former mining area close to Dudelange
- Bongerten: Municipal orchards within the city limits
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