Minett Mash-Up: Episode 14 – Michel Dadario X Zirkuswon Schëffleng

A working life at ARBED Differdange

This episode of our journey through the Minett takes us to the town of Schifflange. The steelworks in Schifflange ran until 2013, and even if Metzeschmelz is no longer in production today, Schifflange was a place that suited us to have a conversation on the topic of living with and working in the steelworks.

The Minett Trail, as our guiding compass in the selection of locations this year, passes close to the Marxeweier in Schifflange. This place and the legend connected with it are further topics of this episode, which, however, focuses mainly on the work in the steelworks.

Our guest: Michel Dadario

Michel Dadario started his professional career in the late 1960s at the HADIR plant in Differdange. In the course of his working life, HADIR was taken over by ARBED, which became Arcelor. The plant has been producing steel as an Arcelor-Mittal steelmill since the merger of 2002.

© Minett UNESCO Biosphere / IK-CNCI

The reason why Michel Dadario started working in the steel plant is one of the topics of this episode. We speak about his professional career in different areas of the steelworks in Differdange. Other points of conversation are the steel crisis in the 1970s and Michel Dadario’s trade union engagement. Needless to say, he will also share anecdotes about 40 years of working in a steel mill.

Our Minett Location of the Month: Schifflange

The municipality of Schifflange

Schifflange together with Rumelange is one of the two municipalities in the south of Luxembourg created only after the beginning of industrial iron ore mining in the Minett region in the 19th century. A law separated Schifflange from the municipality of Esch-Alzette in August 1876.

With an area of 771 hectares, Schifflange is one of the small municipalities in the south. Nevertheless, more than 11,000 inhabitants live in this municipality today. In the north, the renaturalised Alzette river marks the border to the neighbouring municipalities; in the south, it is the former open-cast mining area of the Lalléngerbierg, today one of the core zones of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere and home to one of the largest populations of the woodlark in the south of Luxembourg.

The Kabaischen of the Month: Zirkuswon

The Kabaischen in Schifflange was supposed to be built at the entrance of the Lalléngerbierg nature reserve. An old water basin which is no longer in use and was supposed to be converted into one of the 11 hostels of the Minett Trail.

For several reasons, this project has been put temporarily on hold. To be able to offer hikers on the 90-kilometre trail through the south of Luxembourg an overnight accommodation on the territory of the municipality of Schifflange, the local authorities have decided to renovate an old circus wagon and make it available to guests. The temporary Kabaischen is located close to the Marxeweier, which was renovated for Esch2022 – European Capital of Culture. So, the circus wagon not only invites you to (re)discover the nature of Schifflange, but also an old local legend.

Source: www.simpleviu.com

Our quiz:

Why is the former steelworks between Esch and Schifflange called “Metzeschmelz”?

This name was chosen by the architects of the new urban district that will be built here.
The founder of the steelworks was actually a stonemason.
The family name of one of the founders of the steelworks was “Metz”.

The steelworks was founded in 1871 by Norbert Metz and Victor Tesch. In the beginning, it had four blast furnaces. It was one of the first steelworks in Luxembourg to be built in the immediate vicinity of the iron ore deposits. The two partners shared the costs and built their steelworks on the mirror principle. There were two fully functional blast furnaces on either side, so that in the event of a dispute the steelworks could easily have been divided.

The Minett Trail, which connects all 11 municipalities of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere, stretches over 90 kilometres. How many nature reserves do you cross by walking the whole trail?

There are 8 nature reserves that you can discover by hiking on the Minett Trail: Beetebuerger Bësch; Dumontshaff; Lalléngerbierg-Brucherbierg; Léiffrächen; / Haard-Hesselsbierg-Staebierg; Ellergronn; Kiemerchen-Scheiergronn-Groussebësch a Prënzebierg (Giele Botter).

What year was the first Grey steel beam produced at the steelworks in Differdange?

1940
1920
1911

Links to the topics we talked about in this episode:

Déifferdenger Schmelz – steelworks in Differdange, founded by HADIR and later taken over by ARBED. Today it is one of the plants of the world market leader Arcelor-Mittal.
Steel crisis – After the oil crisis of 1973, a massive crisis occurred throughout Europe in the steel sector.
Steelmaking – Wikipedia article on the production of iron and steel.
Fernand Wagner – Engineer and former director of ARBED.
Comité mixte – Institution of social dialogue in large companies in Luxembourg.
Metzeschmelz – former steelworks between Esch and Schifflange.
FerroForum – association working to preserve the cultural, industrial and craft heritage of the region. The association also aims to preserve and pass on knowledge about steel production.
Open-cast mining areas in the Minett region – The former open-cast mining areas on the French border now form the core zones of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere.
Maison Schneider – former inn with corner shop on the border of the municipalities of Differdange (L) and Hussigny-Godbrange (F) not far from the Oberkorn open-cast mining area.
Projet Metzeschmelz – New urban district, for around 10000 inhabitants, to be built on the site of the former steelworks between Esch and Schifflange.
Metzeschmelz CUEVA 2022 – Art project bringing new life to the disused “Metzeschmelz” in the summer of 2022.
Schmelzaarbechter Musée – Museum focusing on the life and work in Luxembourg’s steelworks (More information: Report by radio 100,7)
Kannerbongert Déifferdeng – Educational project on the hilltop between Niederkorn and Lasauvage
Marxeweier – Site in Schifflange refurbished for Esch2022 to revive the almost forgotten legend of the Marxeweier.
Source Belval – one of the topics in our May podcast.
Grey steel beam – steel beam produced in Differdange since 1911 and exported from there all over the world.

Pictures from the Differdange steelworks