Moutfort

Moutfort (French) (Luxembourgish: Mutfert, German: Mutfort) is a village in the commune of Contern, in south-western Luxembourg, on both sides of the road from the city of Luxembourg to the German border town Remich. As of 2015, the village of Moutfort had a population of 1,306 inhabitants, and the associated village of Medingen had 112 inhabitants.[1]

The church

A statue of a guardian angel alongside the street to Remich.

People from 47 nations from all around the world live in the commune of Contern. Out of these, only 64% are of Luxembourgish nationality. This very great mixture of nationalities is due to the proximity of the commune of Contern to the city of Luxembourg, which is reachable by car in 10 minutes.[2]

It is usual to speak four or five languages in daily life, even for many children.

The original population speaks Luxembourgish, an old Southern German named "Mosel-Fränkisch" which has a common root with English and sounds a bit like Celtic, but which got mixed with many French words assimilated to the Luxembourgish intonation. In the small country of Luxembourg, the local dialects differ a bit from one village to another. The population of Moutfort used to speak a more Southern variety, but the finer variety of the city of Luxembourg is now mostly being adopted.

At school, the alphabetisation of 6 year old children in first primary class is done in German, which children understand intuitively, although it is really considered as a foreign language. The books are in German, but the teacher speaks mostly in Luxembourgish to the little children. Likewise, the newspapers are mostly in German. The Luxembourgish language is being written for poems, songs, theatre plays, often but not always for private letters. Luxembourgish is being spoken on the radio and TV, and in the parliament "Chambre des députés". Many foreign people who get settled in Luxembourg learn the Luxembourgish language, at least their children learn it at school and like to speak it.

In second primary class, children start learning French, which is really a foreign and difficult language for the original population. But many francophone people have settled in Luxembourg, for which it is their language. French is since the presence of Napoleon's regime the public language used by officials and by the court of Luxembourg. When you go for shopping, to a petrol station or a restaurant, it is very probable that the person serving you will speak French.

English is on the school program latest in 7th class, and it sounds somehow familiar so that everyone believes he knows English at once. Anyhow, most people can communicate a bit in English. It is being said: If you don't know how to speak English, just take a hot potato in your mouth and speak a funny Luxembourgish, and they will understand you.

There is an important Portuguese population in Luxembourg due to a contract with Portugal, they use French as communication language. Many people in Luxembourg also learn Spanish or Italian, because they like to be able to communicate in their vacation country.

Moutfort is situated in the valley of the Syr, a little stream having its sources in the area of the close neighbour village Syren. The Syr joins the Moselle(French), Mosel(German), Musel(Luxb )in Wasserbillig and the waters of the Syr will then flow into the Rhine at Koblenz, Germany.

The commune of Contern used to have its own sources from the "Conter Heed" (Heide, German) for the water supply of its population as well as for neighbour communes. But in 2015 the source had to be closed because of chemical contamination.

The chapel beside which stands the Guardian Angel

Moutfort and the commune of Contern, with the villages Contern, Moutfort, Medingen (Luxbg: Méidéng) and Oetrange (French), (German: Oetringen, Luxembourgish: Éiter) are rich in forests and agriculture[3]

Moutfort is associated with the little neighbour village Medingen which is situated a bit higher on a hill, appearing like a bird nest. The cookery writer Ketty Thull was born in Moutfort but there is a street in Moutfort that bears her name. The people of Medingen were known to be more sociable with each other than the people of Moutfort. Both villages used to have common associations, like the church choir, the brass band, the volunteer fire company, the youth club, the soccer club (German: Fussballverein, Luxbg: Futballsclub, French: club de football), always denominated as "Moutfort-Medingen". Meanwhile, the associations and the church tend to collaborate over the whole commune or even with villages of neighbour communes, like Sandweiler, or along the Syr valley (Luxbg: Syrdall).

The church of Moutfort is catholic, like almost everyone in Luxembourg used to be. Medingen has just a little church designated as chapel, although there is space for many people. The Guardian Angel on the main road is standing in a little parc beside a chapel that's bigger than most such chapels on the way, but not meant to go inside. At the traditional Corpus Christi procession which marches around the village on the central streets in the shape of a square, this chapel is always being decorated with flowers and flags, in old times also with a carpet of flowers in front of it, and the procession stops there for special prayers and songs.