Ons Heemecht

Ons Heemecht

"Ons Heemecht" is the national anthem of Luxembourg. The title in Luxembourgish translates as Our Homeland. Michel Lentz wrote the words in 1859, and they were set to music by Jean Antoine Zinnen in 1864. The song was first performed in public in Ettelbruck, a town at the confluence of the Alzette and Sauer rivers (both of which are mentioned in the song), on 5 June 1864.

The first and the last stanza of Ons Heemecht were adopted as Luxembourg's national anthem in 1895. It was added as one of the official 'national emblems' (French: emblèmes nationaux), alongside the national flag, national coat of arms, and the Grand Duke's Official Birthday, on 17 June 1993.

Whilst Ons Heemecht is the national anthem, the royal anthem, or more accurately the Grand Ducal anthem, is De Wilhelmus. The music of De Wilhelmus has its origin in Het Wilhelmus, the national anthem of the Netherlands.