Guillaume Konsbruck
Guillaume Konsbruck (3 September 1909 – 3 October 1983) was a Luxembourgian military officer, politician, and manager of the steel company Arbed.
Early life
Guillame Konsbruck was born on 3 September 1909. He studied at the cavalry branch of the Saint-Cyr Military Academy from 1931 to 1933, subsequently joining the Luxembourg Army.[1] By 1940 he held the rank of captain[2] and acted as an aide to Prince Felix.[3]
World War II
On 10 May 1940 Germany invaded Luxembourg. Konsbruck accompanied Hereditary Grand Duke Jean, Princess Marie Gabrielle, and Princess Alix as they fled to France.[3] Konsbruck served as aide de camp to Grand Duchess Charlotte during her exile in World War II. After arriving in Bordeaux, Guillaume Konsbruck and his family were granted transit visas from the Portuguese consul Aristides de Sousa Mendes, in June 1940. They travelled to Portugal long with the rest of the government and the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg.[4] Guillaume, along with his wife Nelly, and their sons Guy and Carlo, followed the Grand Ducal family through Coimbra and Lisbon. They settled at Praia das Maçãs after the Grand Ducal family moved to Cascais.[3] By August, the entire entourage had moved to Monte Estoril and the Konsbruck family stayed at Chalet Posser de Andrade with the Grand Ducal family. They left Portugal with the Grand Duchess Charlotte and the Dowager Grand Duchess Anne Marie on 3 October 1940 aboard the Pan Am Yankee Clipper headed for New York City.[3]
As a major he returned to Luxembourg late in the afternoon of 12 September 1944. Representing Prime Minister Pierre Dupong, he inspected the Grand Ducal Palace and several government buildings before taking part in conferences with Allied leaders in the country.[5] He welcomed the Grand Duchess at the border upon her return to the country on 17 April 1945.[6]
Post-war career
After the war Konsbruck became involved in creating an official orthography for the Luxembourgish language.[1] On 29 August 1946 Konsbruck was appointed via Grand Ducal Decree to be Minister of Supply and Economic Affairs.[7] He was made a Commander of the Order of the Oak Crown and Grand Officer of the House of Orange in 1951.[8][9]
See also
Citations
- Partridge 2000, p. 191.
- Waller 2012, p. 16.
- Ramalho, Margarida de Magalhães (23 May 2019). "A fuga para a liberdade da família grã-ducal". Contacto (in Portuguese). Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- Sousa Mendes Foundation - Luxembourg.
- Coles & Weinberg 2014, p. 811.
- Coles & Weinberg 2014, p. 819.
- "Mémorial (mois d'août)". Grand Duché de Luxembourg Ministére D'État Bulletin D'Information (in French). 2 (8). Luxembourg: Service information et presse. 31 August 1946. p. 1.
- Ordre de la Couronne de chêne Awards 1951 Memorial A N° 13 of 1951
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- "Distinctions honorifiques conférées à l'occasion de la visite officitlle à Luxembourg de Sa Majesté la Reine et de Son Altesse Royale le Prince des Pays-Bas" (PDF). Grand Duché de Luxembourg Ministére D'État Bulletin D'Information (in French). 7 (6). Luxembourg: Service information et presse. 30 June 1951. p. 132.
References
- Coles, Harry L.; Weinberg, Albert K. (2014). Civil Affairs: Soldiers Become Governors. United States Army in World War II Special Studies. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Partridge, Michael, ed. (2000). British Documents on Foreign Affairs--reports and Papers from the Foreign Office Confidential Print: Central Europe, January 1946-June 1946. University Publications of America. ISBN 9781556557699.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Waller, George Platt (2012). Fletcher, Willard Allen; Fletcher, Jean Tucker (eds.). Defiant Diplomat George Platt Waller: American Consul in Nazi-occupied Luxembourg, 1939-1941 (reprint ed.). Lexington Books. ISBN 9781611493986.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)