The "MINETT"
In Luxembourg, the name "Minett" is commonly used for the South of Luxembourg.
According to Wikipedia,"the term "Minette" came from French miners. It is a diminutive form of "la mine", and might be translated as "little mine, little colliery" or "little vein", referring to its relatively poor iron content of between 28% and 34%.
Minette is a type of mineral deposit, consisting of iron ore of sedimentary origin, found in the south of Luxembourg and in Lorraine (France)."
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It was the discovery of iron ore deposits in the south of the country during the early 1840s that allowed Luxembourg to launch its industrial revolution.
This industrialisation has profoundly changed the south and attracted a lot of immigrants. The Minett has a very dense population, it is a true melting pot. I remember when, as a child, we went to visit my aunt who lived in the south and whose husband worked in the steel industry, that people were more open and less complicated. A great part of the life took place on the streets. Coming from the center of Luxembourg where people were known to be more snooty, this was quite a change for us and we enjoyed it.
When you say "Minette" you also think of the changes in nature taking place because of the extraction or iron ore. In fact my project in Module 5 of the Certificate refers to this.
I would like to choose the South of Luxembourg (Minett) as my subject and probably more precisely the steel industry (with its remains in Esch/Belval and the surrounding areas), the history, the influence, the population.
The reasons for this choice are numerous:
- I wanted to choose a subject dear to my heart. I don't think I could produce good work if I wasn't enthusiastic about something.
- The inspiration and sources are easily accessible. Also, Esch has been elected capital of culture for 2022 so I guess a lot of industrial sites have been opened for visiting.
- There is a historic past which I find fascinating: immigrational background, under which conditions did steel workers have to do their job, where and how did they live...
- and finally the surrounding nature with its hidden rails and entries to the iron ore mines, the red rocks and the red soil.
My primary visual information will almost certainly come from the fascinating remains of the architecture and by nature and I know I will probably have to narrow things down, but the historic research will be important for me too as I know that ideas can spark from different places.
The following pics are taken form the internet, I just wanted to show you what I was talking about. The blog header is my own pic.
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