Fond-de-Gras, Differdange
Fond-de-Gras is the name of a valley in the South of Luxembourg, not far from the French and Belgium borders.
Historically, the Fond-de-Gras was one of the most important mining centres in Luxembourg. Iron mines, a dedicated train station and several functional buildings were nestled in a quiet and picturesque valley in the forest. The iron mining stopped in the 1950s. In 1964, a landslide put an end to all railway activity in the valley.
Map: collections Aschmann-Bodson; photos/postcards: collections E. Federmeyer, L. Pagliarini
From 1970 on, the site has been given a second life, with the creation of the Train 1900 asbl, a heritage train charity with an aim to preserve and restore engines and machinery used in/for iron ore mining and steel making activities. My father Ed Federmeyer was one of the founding members of the association, pictured here the 5th from the right.
photo: collection E. Federmeyer
The train charity is, together with the village of Lasauvage, the former open cast mine Giele Botter, the Titelberg (an important archaeological research site as well as the location former iron ore mines) and another heritage train association, Minièresbunn, part of the open air museum Minettpark. www.minettpark.lu
My link to that part of Luxembourg is due to the fact that my mother grew up in Oberkorn, a part of Differdange, and that my maternal grand-father (and his father too) was an iron ore miner in the Tillebierg mine in Differdange. My father Ed Federmeyer, having been one of the founding members of the above mentioned Train 1900, and my mother, sister and I spent numerous Saturdays in the Fond-de-Gras valley, during the work parties.
While the men were restoring machinery and infrastructure, us children used to explore the industrial „ruins“ and old engines, coaches and other historical vehicles.
My memories of and my emotional connection to the place were the initial inspiration, when the project „Aus Eisen“ started to come to life.
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