"" shares a common origin with the Dutch national anthem, "
Het Wilhelmus", which dates back to the 16th century, and is thought to be a
trumpet call or cavalry charge typical of militaristic traditions from the period. Luxembourg was in
personal union with
the Netherlands and this melody was introduced in 1883 during the visit of
Grand Duke William III as a part of a parade titled
Vive le Roi, Vive la Reine ("Long live the King, Long live the Queen"). Even after the end of the personal union, the tune was used for parades and ceremonies. In 1915, Luxembourgish author
Willy Georgen wrote the first lyrics for the anthem, to commemorate the 1815
Congress of Vienna. Although his lyrics were supported by
Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde,
World War I and her 1919 abdication in favour of her sister
Charlotte after suspicions of pro-German sentiment meant Georgen's lyrics were not officially adopted. Around the same time, cathedral organist Jean-Pierre Beicht harmonised the anthem for a four-piece choir. Welter subsequently dropped the first verse he had written for the anthem, which was marked too strongly by the events of the time, leaving it with the present version. In 1939, six months before the
German invasion of Luxembourg, a slightly altered version of Willy Georgen's 1915 lyrics was published, but it proved unpopular. ==Lyrics==