How it all began
In 1913, Professor Tockert founded the first scout group in Luxembourg. In the same year, Prosper Colling became the first parish priest of Esch/Grenz with the task of organizing the parish. As in many other places in the country, in 1917 he founded a so-called “youth club”, which was then a group where boys could do various activities. A year later, he proposed to the committee of this club, to create a scout section. May 1, 1918 marks the official date of the founding of the scout section of “Sacré Coeur”. Emile Koener becomes the first section leader (group leader) of our group. The same year, the first camp takes place in Leudelange. We receive a large tent from the Americans, the rest of the equipment we get ourselves. In 1919, the group was admitted to the Luxembourgish Scout Association as the 5th section of the country.
Until the beginning of the war
1921, 6 “Grenzer” go to the Jamboree in London.
In the fall of 1923, Charel Rhein founded the country’s first Cub Scout in ouf group. Charel becomes the first Akela and publishes the first Cub Scout newspaper „De Wëllefche vun Esch/Grenz“.
In 1933, Jhang Müller became the group’s new leader. A year earlier, he had already founded our first Rover clan. In 1937, 36 scouts from our group took part in the last Jamboree before the Second World War in Vogelenzang.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary, our group organized in 1938 the first national jamboree bringing together scouts from France, Belgium, England, Holland, Liechtenstein, Poland, Estonia and Austria, including Prince Emmanuel of Liechtenstein.
During the war
On May 10, 1940, the Germans entered Luxembourg. Esch is evacuated with the help of the scouts and our group continues its activities in the south of France. When the first ones return from evacuation after 3 months, the 3 commissioners Jhang Müller, Tony Noesen and Georges Everling meet to discuss how to continue the scouting activities.
On August 15, the scout leaders of the southern district meet in the Cub Scout hall of the Grenz to renew their scout promises and give each other the word to resist the occupier. It is the foundation of the first organized resistance organization in the country. Guides and scouts are banned on August 23. The Grenzers also organize hidden gatherings. However, they swear not to endanger the children. The Scout resistance is very active. For example, boys who should have gone to the Wehrmacht were hidden in the mines, or Jewish families were brought across the border. Many of our leaders go into captivity and do not return until 1945.
After the war until 1994
On September 10, 1944, after the war, the young Posper Colling gathered all the members to meet in October. As many leaders are not yet back, some rovers take it upon themselves to lead the section.
At the same time, the parish priest Jean Engler and the chaplain Georges Jacoby contacted Josée Leider with the idea of establishing the first section of guides from Esch to the border. Josée accepts and the group grows rapidly. Nevertheless, our guides only get their own rooms with the construction of Ariston.
1947 is the first post-war jamboree in Moisson, near Paris where 11 people from our group participate. In July of that year, there were 40 Cubs in Paris, where they registered in the Livre d’Or of the Arc de Triomphe.
In 1951, Fernand Frank became leader of the Cub Scouts. He later became Bishop of Luxembourg.
In 1969 Guy Weis became the group’s new leader. From autumn of 1973, a troupe of explorers and a troupe of pioneers officially operate. This scout branch is divided and Roger Richter becomes the first Pio troop leader. In 1978, he also became the country’s pioneer commissioner. At this time, the Grenz group represents 3 of the 4 national branch commissioners with Jos Molitor among the Cubs (who is no longer active at Grenz), Guy Weis among the explorers and Roger Richter among the pioneers. In 1981, Guy Weis was elected General Commissioner.
In April 1977, another branch was created at Grenz: the Gamma. Now children with disabilities can join us.
Merging of the Guides a Scouts of Grenz
Already in 1979, our Cubs (boys and girls) went camping together, even if they still had separate meetings. In 1994, the guides and the scouts merged. Guy Weis becomes group leader of the newly merged group and Christiane Wolter-Walisch, hitherto group leader of the Grenz guides, becomes deputy. The group also took advantage of this moment to give themselves a new name: Hellegt Baarbel Esch/Grenz. In the same year, the biggest international camp in Luxembourg takes place, Atlantis. Over 5,000 Guides and Scouts from all over the world attend and Guy Weis is the camp leader.
In 1998 Marc Weis became the new group leader.
The darkest moment in our history so far
2001 is a national camp where all Cubs and Pio participate with their leaders. During a night game, Gwendoline Konen falls from a slope and dies. Quickly, the group council discussed whether our group should continue or not. Together with Gwen’s family, the decision was made to continue. In 2002, the Cara-Pio and the RaRo went to Corsica to a transit camp. This camp should be both, a tribute to Gwen as well as a fresh start.
Until now
In 2006 our group went with the groups from Housen-Houschent and Eischen to a camp called “Newport” in Belgium. This created a deep friendship between the leaders of the 3 groups, which endures to this day. Other joint activities should follow.
From the beginning, our group had members of different nationalities. Since 2016, we also have the first group leader with foreign roots, Tit Sum Wong.
In 2022, Rui Oliveira and Dani Freitas became the new group leaders.