Bourgmeisterin

Bourgmeisterin

Bourgmeisterin is a podcast where Luxembourg’s past meets its present. Hosted by Julia Khalyavko, an expat and history buff combined, it explores the country’s history, culture and public life through 3 formats: ♦︎History Bites turns original long reads into short, accessible episodes, ♦︎Legacy Links connects today’s trailblazers with the Luxembourgish figures who came before them, and ♦︎Fireside Chats, supported by the Ministry of Family Affairs, opens up conversations with guests from culture, history and business. Find us on socials: @bourgmeisterin Enquiries: julia@bourgmeisterin.com

  1. Jul 30

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #69: Sosthène Weis, the artist who made 5000 paintings of Luxembourg

    🎨 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆? For 𝗦𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝘀, the answer was simple: paint it. Again. And again. And again. As 𝗟𝘂𝘅𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗴'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁, Weis helped shape the country through buildings like the 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀 and projects for 𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗘𝗗. But when the working day ended, he picked up his watercolours and set out to capture the Luxembourg around him – its bridges, valleys, villages and streets. He painted so much that thousands of his works are believed to exist today. And over time, ✨𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥✨ His paintings stopped being just art. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝘂𝘅𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. Grand Duchess Charlotte gifted original Weis watercolours to Charles de Gaulle, King Olav V of Norway and other world leaders as symbols of the country itself. Some people build a nation. Others paint its memory. Sosthène Weis somehow managed to do both. 📸: kunstveiling.nl

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #69: Sosthène Weis, the artist who made 5000 paintings of Luxembourg

  2. Jul 23

    Bourgmeisterin: Fireside Chats #3 – LUXEMBOURG'S SUMMER IN THREE ACTS: Pilgrimage, Harvest, and Wine

    For centuries, Luxembourg's summers have been marked not by the pages of a calendar, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿🫂Some 𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗰𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗵 in honour of Saint Willibrord. Others gather to bless 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. A few weeks later, the first glasses of 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻 appear on tables across the country, quietly announcing that another season is drawing to a close 🌾🍷🕺🏻In this edition of 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻: 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯🇱🇺, 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗮𝘃𝗸𝗼, is joined by 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯🎓 with the most recent tenure at the 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 (𝗖𝟮𝗗𝗛) at the 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝘂𝘅𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗴, 𝗝𝗼𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗴𝗼𝗲𝗱, to unpack the stories behind these traditions – not simply how they began, but 𝚠̲𝚑̲𝚢̲ ̲𝚝̲𝚑̲𝚎̲𝚢̲ ̲𝚌̲𝚘̲𝚗̲𝚝̲𝚒̲𝚗̲𝚞̲𝚎̲ to 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.The conversation traces the journey from medieval pilgrimage to UNESCO recognition, from religious devotion to local identity, from agricultural necessity to cultural celebration. Along the way, it asks bigger questions about how traditions survive, who shapes them, and why communities continue returning to rituals that, at first glance, may seem wonderfully irrational.Whether you've taken part in these celebrations yourself or are discovering them for the first time, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 at Luxembourg's🇱🇺 cultural landscape: not as a collection of customs frozen in the past, but 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 that 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 with every generation.---📍The event was recorded live at Silversquare Liberté in Luxembourg City.🤝Supported by the 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀, 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗲𝘀.💼Produced in partnership with 𝗔𝗥𝗔 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼📽️Filmed by the Luxembourgish videography company 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝟴---🌐 Bourgmeisterin: https://www.instagram.com/bourgmeisterin/, https://bourgmeisterin.com/🌐 Joëlla van Donkersgoed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joella-van-donkersgoed, https://www.instagram.com/heritage.travels/🌐 ARA City Radio: https://www.instagram.com/aracityradio/, https://www.instagram.com/radioara/, https://www.radioara.org/🌐 The Ministry: https://www.instagram.com/mifa_lu/, https://mfsva.gouvernement.lu/en.html🌐 Super8: https://www.instagram.com/super8videos/, https://www.super8.lu/---🔗🍷The list of wine festivals mentioned in the episode: https://luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/festivals-and-traditions/wine-and-grape-festivals.html

    Bourgmeisterin: Fireside Chats #3 – LUXEMBOURG'S SUMMER IN THREE ACTS: Pilgrimage, Harvest, and Wine

  3. Jul 16

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #68: Lily Becker-Krier, the first women's rights activist in Luxembourg

    𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴❌ 𝗟𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 fought for women to gain political rights in Luxembourg. Yet many years later, she admitted she was disappointed by how slowly those rights translated into women actually stepping into public life. It raises a question that 𝚜̲𝚝̲𝚒̲𝚕̲𝚕̲ ̲𝚏̲𝚎̲𝚎̲𝚕̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚛̲𝚎̲𝚕̲𝚎̲𝚟̲𝚊̲𝚗̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚝̲𝚘̲𝚍̲𝚊̲𝚢̲:̲ 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗻? Is it when a law changes? Or when society finally changes with it? --- Produced with the support of @aracityradio @radioara 📸: rues-au-feminin.lu

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #68: Lily Becker-Krier, the first women's rights activist in Luxembourg

  4. Jul 2

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #67: the first woman in Luxembourg's Parliament, Marguerite Thomas-Clement

    Some people change history 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿👊 Others change it by 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁🗣️ Long before equality became part of everyday conversation, the first woman, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀-𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, was standing in 𝗟𝘂𝘅𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗴'𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 challenging injustice, defending working women, exposing hypocrisy, and giving a voice to those society preferred to overlook. 🔹She didn't win every battle. 🔹Most of her motions were rejected. 🔹But history isn't only shaped by those who succeed. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸. Find out more at www.bourgmeisterin.com!

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #67: the first woman in Luxembourg's Parliament, Marguerite Thomas-Clement

  5. Jun 18

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #66: Arno Joseph Mayer, Part 2

    𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴🏁 The tyrant falls. The war ends. The old world disappears. Justice wins💪 But 𝗔𝗿𝗻𝗼 𝗝. 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 didn’t believe history was ever that simple❌ Born in Luxembourg and forced into exile by the Nazis, Mayer spent his career 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 🔹Who really loses power? 🔹Who quietly keeps it? 🔹And what happens when the stories we tell about the past become too neat? Maybe that’s why his work still matters. Because remembering Arno J. Mayer isn’t just about honoring a Luxembourgish historian. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲. 📸: princeton.edu Find out more at www.bourgmeisterin.com!

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #66: Arno Joseph Mayer, Part 2

  6. Jun 12

    Legacy Links by Bourgmeisterin #2: Power struggle – the definition of strength in the 20th vs. 21st centuries

    Another Legacy Links treat is landing with a bang!💥 Each episode links a historical figure from Luxembourg’s past to someone working in the same field today: this time, we're looking at John Grün, the strongest Luxembourger of all time from 1900s💪, and Elodie Covella, a yoga instructor from Luxembourg🧘‍♀️ John Grün, Luxembourg’s most famous strongman, became a symbol of physical strength and resilience in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His dedication to body mastery, endurance, and discipline made him a legend. Today, Elodie Covella, yoga instructor and Luxembourger, embodies a modern approach to physical and mental strength through yoga, promoting holistic well-being, mindfulness, and body awareness. While John Grün focused on raw physical power, Elodie represents a contemporary evolution of strength – rooted in balance, flexibility, and mental resilience. Both figures, in their own ways, inspire people to push their limits and discover the full potential of their bodies. Elodie’s IG: www.instagram.com/elodiecovellayoga/ Elodie’s website: elodiecovellayoga.com Want to learn more about John Grün? Check out “A story about the world's strongest man, a Luxembourger” at bourgmeisterin.com/all-stories/f/a…-a-luxembourger!

    Legacy Links by Bourgmeisterin #2: Power struggle – the definition of strength in the 20th vs. 21st centuries

  7. Jun 12

    Legacy Links by Bourgmeisterin #1: Sustainable bees'ness – bees & goats: from Luxembourg to the U.S. in (1890s) and back in (2020s)

    Legacy Links is the interview series where each episode links a historical figure from Luxembourg’s past to someone working in the same field today, and the connection between these two women is pretty phenomenal. Lilian Steichen, the sister of the world famous photographer Edward Steichen who emigrated with their parents from Luxembourg at the end of 1800s, was a pioneer in sustainable agriculture, introducing goat dairy farming to the U.S. and advocating for its health benefits at a time when it was not widely accepted. Her work emphasized the importance of natural food sources, gut health, and self-sustaining farming.  Similarly, Samantha Dula’s dedication to beekeeping follows a parallel path – promoting natural, sustainable food production and raising awareness about the critical role of pollinators in human and environmental health all the way from the U.S. to Luxembourg. Both women, though separated by time and industry, share not only a nationality, but also a passion for ethical and sustainable food production, environmental stewardship, and public education about the unseen benefits of nature’s smallest contributors – whether through goat milk or honeybees. Samantha’s IG: @comb.keeper (www.instagram.com/comb.keeper/) Samantha's website: combkeeper.com/ Want to learn more about Lilian Steichen-Sandburg? Check out “A story about Edward Steichen's sister – Lilian "Paula" Sandburg” at bourgmeisterin.com/all-stories/f/a…-paula-sandburg!!

    Legacy Links by Bourgmeisterin #1: Sustainable bees'ness – bees & goats: from Luxembourg to the U.S. in (1890s) and back in (2020s)

  8. Jun 7

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #1: Golden Lady (Gëlle Fra)

    Hold on tight, folks, because we're about to embark on a joyride through the quirky and fascinating world of Gëlle Fra (Luxembourgish for "Golden Lady"), lovingly nicknamed Monument of Remembrance, in the heart of Luxembourg City😁 Let's dive in and embrace the absurdity, shall we?Gëlle Fra was the brainchild of a Luxembourgish sculptor named Claus Cito. Originally, it was meant to honor the brave Luxembourgish soldiers who selflessly volunteered in the French army during World War I. But hold onto your hats, because destiny had some tricks up its sleeve. Due to a series of wacky events, this memorial also transformed into a symbol of resistance against the Nazis and now stands as a tribute to war victims in general. Visit www.bourgmeisterin.com for more!

    Bourgmeisterin Episode #1: Golden Lady (Gëlle Fra)
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About

Bourgmeisterin is a podcast where Luxembourg’s past meets its present. Hosted by Julia Khalyavko, an expat and history buff combined, it explores the country’s history, culture and public life through 3 formats: ♦︎History Bites turns original long reads into short, accessible episodes, ♦︎Legacy Links connects today’s trailblazers with the Luxembourgish figures who came before them, and ♦︎Fireside Chats, supported by the Ministry of Family Affairs, opens up conversations with guests from culture, history and business. Find us on socials: @bourgmeisterin Enquiries: julia@bourgmeisterin.com

Information

  • Creator
    Bourgmeisterin
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    113
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Bourgmeisterin
  • Show Website
    Bourgmeisterin