VOLONTEER

IN THE SLATE MUSEUM

HAUT-MARTELANGE,

LUXEMBOURG

FRËNN VUN DER LEE:

A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

The ‘friends of the slate’ association is composed of volunteers (active and passive) who show all their passion and engagement to transform the site of the ‘Ardoisières de Haut-Martelange’ into a Museum, where history becomes alive for big and small.

FOUNDING HISTORY

The ‘Frënn vun der Lee asbl’ (Friends of the Slate) have been founded with the aim of keeping the remembrance of the slate industry in Haut-Martelange and the whole region alive. All interested in the slate and/or regional history can be regrouped within this circle of friend. The main goals are to promote the interest and the knowledge around the topic of the slate, may it be from the geological point of view or just its extraction all the way to the final product. Since the beginning, the members of the circle of friends participate in the research and the upkeeping of all things being in relation with slate.

ACTIVITIES

Since the foundation in 1992, the friends of the slate try to rebuild the Slate Museum on the former territory of the slate mines in Haut-Martelange. They work hand in hand with the government which is the official owner of the site since 2003. The association is the responsible entity for the upkeeping and conservation of the mines and buildings. During their more than 25 years of voluntary activity, the friends of the slate worked hard for an official opening of the Slate Museum so it can be visited by the public during official guided tours with the friends as personal tour guides. The highlights are of course the demonstration of the splitting and dressing of the roofing slates and the drive with the industrial train. The workshops in blacksmithing, workshops for the youngsters with the focus of industrial archeology, pedagogical programs for schools and other programs made them follow their target and let the history become alive.

Besides the regular works which are performed by the more active members of the association, the circle also publishes the magazine “De Leekëppert” which is dispatched to all the members of the association. Additionally, they organize working days on the site, open-door-days (f.ex. Luxembourg Museum Days, heritage Days,…) and the Saint-Barbara feast.

OUR MEMBERS

The ‘Frënn vun der Lee‘ association is composed of a committee as well as a group of approximately 30 volunteers who come to help, more or less regularly, with all the different projects. On the 1st January 2021, the friends of the slate counted 506 members coming from 360 different households. The quarterly published magazine ‘De Leekëppert’ is printed in 400 copies and can even be read at the National Library.

In 2022, the committee is assembled of following members:

Agnes Hoogenhout, president / Alain Ensch, vice-president / Georges Dahm, secretary / Doris Thilmany, cashier / Robin Devroux, member / Jo Troian, member / Philippe Linden, member / Silvia Ribeiro, member / Max Kirchen, member / Stephan Muller, member / Eliane Thilmany, member.

Mar 5

D'FRËNN VUN DER LEE - GENERALVERSAMMLUNG

Am Freitagabend, den 23. Februar 2024, fand die Generalversammlung der Frënn vun der Lee in Bigonville statt. Der Vorstand konnte rund 40...

BECOME A MEMBER

As of now, you can become a member of the friends of the slate ‘Frënn vun der Lee asbl’. Through your support, you can help the association in keeping up the memories of the slate industry and make the area come back to life again. You will help them to be able to proceed in their research around the cultural heritage, to encourage the association. You can participate at different activities and events, you are invited to exhibitions and excursion organized by the association as well as the museum and you will receive 4 copies per year of the magazine DE LEEKËPPERT per year, which will give you the latest information about the slate mines, the museum, and the association.

You can become either a passive member by transferring us the amount of 10€ per year or by a donation to support the Museum. You can also become a more active member and help the association during their working days or you can get involved by being the train conductor, by becoming a guide for the guided tours or just by helping during different activities as animator.

BECOME A GUIDE IN THE SLATE MUSEUM

You are interested in the local history and love to pass on your knowledge to others? You are open to meet new people? How about living this passion through becoming a guide for the guided tours at the Slate Museum Haut-Martelange? The visitors will receive a lot of interesting information about the geology of the stone, the extraction, and the processing of the slate as well as some further exciting news about the life at and around the slate mines. Each guided tour will come to life by the life demonstration on how to split and dress the slate to become a roofing slate. Furthermore, the visitors will have the possibility to visit an underground mine from the 19th century, to watch parts of a movie from 1938 used for promotional purposes of the company and a visit to our permanent exhibition with original pieces belonging to the Leekëppert (quarryman). Our guided tours are very popular as we try to give a personal touch to the excursion, by letting the guide use its own style to convey his knowledge to the visitors.

A GUIDE IN THE SLATE MUSEUM MUST:

PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL TOURS AS AN ASSISTANT GUIDE AND GET TO KNOW THE OTHER GUIDES

LEARN THE CONTENT OF THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE

DO AT LEAST ONE GUIDED TOUR IN THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER GUIDE

PARTICIPATE IN OUR TRAININGS

As soon as you are a trained guide of the Slate Museum, we will contact you according to your possibilities (time and language) to lead one or the other reserved guided tour.

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BECOME AN ANIMATEUR

You are fascinated by the Slate Museum and its history and you are searching for an interesting cultural, and touristic pastime?

We are always looking for motivated and passionate volunteers who would like to entertain our activities with their know-how, either as an animator for the workshops, as a help and the ancient’s café or during the workshops for schools and kids.

ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE:
DE LEEKËPPERT

Since the beginning of the ‘Frënn vun der Lee asbl’ (friends of the slate asbl), the magazine DE LEEKËPPERT is dispatched several times per year to all of its members. New events are being published and former activities are explained. Interesting articles around the slate mine and its area, the Ardennes, background information and much more can be found in this quarterly published magazine. DE LEEKËPPERT is written in two languages: French and German.

If you would like to receive DE LEEKËPPERT, you can just become a member of the ‘Frënn vun der Lee asbl by transferring 10€ per year on the account of the Frënn vun Lee CCRALULL LU73 0090 0000 1185 1409 with the mentioning of ‘Member 2024’ & name.