Description
Writer Batty Weber is interred with his wife Emma Weber-Brugmann, who was also a renowned author.
Batty Weber was born in Rumelange on 25 November 1860. He spent his childhood in Dalheim and Stadtbredimus. After finishing secondary school the Athénée in Luxembourg City, he went on to study philology in Berlin and Bonn. In 1883 he took a job with the civil service, but soon started contributing to the daily newspaper Obermosel-Zeitung and Escher Courrier, as well as the weekly newspaper Das Luxemburger Land in Wort und Bild. From 1893 until his death, Batty Weber held several editorial positions at the Luxemburger Zeitung. From 1885 to 1928, Weber also worked as a stenographer, and then as head stenographer at the Chamber of Deputies and temporarily at the Council of Luxembourg City.
A liberal-leaning journalist, he earned renown with his serials "Sonntagsplaudereien" and "Abreisskalender", which humorously described and dissected local society, human relationships, the realm of politics, and the cultural life of his era. Batty Weber played a significant role in forging the identity of Luxembourg. Upon his death, he left a legacy of more than 7,000 texts. Weber was also a prolific writer of short stories, novels and comic works. His popular drama "de Schéifer vun Aasselbuer" relates to the debate surrounding the construction of a monument commemorating the Peasants' War (Klëppelkrich) in Clervaux. Poetry featured prominently in his early literary work. He published in German, Luxembourgish and French.
Batty Weber died on 15 December 1940. He was cremated in Mainz, and his urn was buried in a private ceremony at Notre-Dame Cemetery.
There are streets named after him in Luxembourg City, Bereldange, Hesperange, Pétange and Bertrange. A monument in his honour stands in the municipal park near "Charly's Gare". The national literary award – the Batty Weber Prize – is named after him. Every three years since 1987, the Batty Weber Prize is awarded to a Luxembourg writer in recognition of his or her body of work.
Among Batty Weber's many works are the following: Den E'm Pe'tche kre't e Schlâg. De Pe't an de Paul an eng Möschtekaul. Zwee Monologen; À Mondorf. Comédie en deux actes, en prose; Der Lasso. Familiendrama in drei Aufzügen. (Als Manuskript gedruckt.); Fenn Kaß. Der Roman eines Erlösten; ´t Wonner vu Spe'sbëch. Operette a ve'er Akten; Aus dem Wartezimmer des Kriegs. Neutrale Kalenderblätter; Drei ass göttlech, Operette, Arme Pierrot! E Spill mat Gesank a ve'er Akten; De Schĕfer vun Aasselburn. Letzeburger Vollécksstéck a vĕer Akten
Batty Weber's second wife, Christiane-Joséphine, who was known as Emma Weber-Brugmann, was born on 4 October 1877 in Sommersdorf, Germany. Her father was in the service of Adolphe, Duke of Nassau, the future Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Trained as a schoolteacher, she travelled to France and England to hone her language skills. She taught in Wiesbaden. She married Batty Weber in 1904. She was active in the community, and in 1905 she represented Luxembourg in Geneva at the International Convention for the Protection of Girls. In 1906 she became a founding member of the Verein für die Interessen der Frau. In 1909 she became involved in the Mädchenlyzeums-Vereins to help establish the Lycée de Jeunes Filles. In 1933 she founded the magazine Die Luxemburgerin. Zeitschrift für die gesamten Fraueninteressen Luxemburgs, which was published until 1937.
Emma Weber-Brugmann's writings appeared in Luxemburger Zeitung under the pen name "Eine Freundin". She wrote about works printed by the Tauchnitz de Leipzig publishing house. She translated Irénée Mouget's biography of Empress Eugénie and Edmond Dune's comedy Les Taupes. She corresponded with the German author Hans Carossa. Emma Weber-Brugmann died on 12 December 1964.
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of her husband's death, she published two collections: Batty Weber im Spiegel seiner Zeitgenossen (1950) and Unterwegs.
