the luxembourgish resistance carried out small fraction of population. formation spontaneous , slow @ first. first groups formed autumn 1940 summer 1941. in beginning worked without coordination , different motivations, instance liberals opposed anti-jewish policies , in favour of democracy conservative roman catholics more or less anti-national socialist tendencies. of latter category @ same time opposed soviet union , bolshevism , hoping generals of wehrmacht defeat joseph stalin , red army, while @ same time hiding jews , anti-nazi clergy mixed in farms. luxembourg resistance joined communist party of luxembourg after invasion of ussr in june 1941.
the activities of resistance largely directed towards undermining german monopoly on information, , providing moral support population, spreading counter-propaganda word-of-mouth, leaflets, posters , later whole newspapers. additionally, resistance helped allied pows , shot-down pilots, deserters wehrmacht , other endangered luxembourgers cross borders belgium or france. introduction of forced labour , conscription wehrmacht added resistance s tasks: large number of youths refused serve in german armed forces had hidden around country , kept safe , fed, or helped escape abroad. collections of food , money made families of arrested, deported, or fired jobs. increasingly important part of resistance s activities provide military, political , economic intelligence allies. while acts of sabotage did take place, rare , seen risky in small country no remote areas withdraw. similar reasons, armed combat resistance against occupiers rare. finally, many of movements made contact government-in-exile, allies, , french , belgian resistance movements, many young men joining armed resistance in france , belgium.
several well-known catholic , communist households, , many parishes , priories, kept number of jewish luxembourgish civilians , foreign jews hidden , safe.
passive resistance
luxembourgers serving in german army luftwaffenhelfer
non-violent passive resistance widespread in luxembourg during period. august 1940, spéngelskrich (the war of pins ) took place luxembourgers wore patriotic pin-badges (depicting national colours or grand duchess), precipitating attacks vdb.
in october 1941, german occupiers took survey of luxembourgish civilians asked state nationality, mother tongue , racial group, contrary german expectations, 95% answered luxembourgish each question. refusal declare german citizens led mass arrests.
conscription particularly unpopular. on 31 august 1942, shortly after announcement conscription extended men born between 1920 , 1927, strike began in northern town of wiltz. strike spread rapidly, paralyzing factories , industries of luxembourg. strike repressed , leaders arrested. 20 summarily tried before special tribunal (in german, standgericht ) , executed firing squad @ nearby hinzert concentration camp. nevertheless, protests against conscription continued , 3,500 luxembourgers desert german army after being conscripted.
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