THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF LUXEMBOURG AND CHINY
under French occupation (1684-1697)
My subject is the history of one of Luxembourg’s ruling bodies, the “Conseil Provincial”, specifically in the period of French occupation, 1684-1697. How did the “Conseil” function under French control? Did their approach to Luxembourg change with the start of general European war in 1688? Is it possible to know from the archives if Luxembourgish interactions with the council changed due to this challenging situation?
The entry point will be the actions of a lawyer from the Grande Region, Leonard Bourcier, appointed by Louis XIV as “Procureur General”. Interestingly, his native Lorraine was itself occupied by the French and its duke in exile in Austria.
The aim is also to understand the chronology of council orders statutes and their genesis by consulting Luxembourg, French and Belgian original sources. The work will build on research done by previous historians such as Marcel Bourguignon, Nadine de Schaetzen and Roger Petit, as well as Phil McCluskey regarding Occupation studies.
Image: LEPAUTRE Pierre, La Prise de la Ville de Luxembourg et de ces depandances, par l’Armée du Roy, aec la Ratification de la Treuue que nostre Grand Monarque à Accordée à l’Empereur, l’Empire, et au Roy d’Espagne, en septembre 1684,1685, Source : BnF/Gallica