Description
This tomb, which is now maintained by the City of Luxembourg, commemorates two illustrious figures from the capital: artist and painter Michel Engels and architect Victor Engels.
Michel Engels was born on 8 July 1851 in Rollingergrund. He died there on 2 November 1901. He was the son of Michel Engels (1812–1887), a gardener, and Suzanne Rockenbrod (1811–1875).
After primary school, he studied humanities at the Grand Ducal Athénée. In 1873 he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. Upon his return to Luxembourg City, he was appointed Calligraphy and Drawing Instructor at the École Normale, which trained Luxembourg schoolteachers. In 1878 he was appointed drawing instructor at the Grand Ducal Athénée Royal, and in 1894 was promoted to the position of professor. On 24 August 1880 he married Marie Eugénie Sylvie Koltz, who died on 4 February 1887.
In 1888 he remarried, to Susanne Greiveldinger. Together the couple had a son, Victor Engels, the future architect, who was born on 2 April 1888. In 1893, Michel Engels co-founded the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL). He participated in the CAL's first exhibition. He served as its president from 1899 to 1901. Engels made a name for himself with his faithful, romantic reproductions of Luxembourg City, and his depictions of the Rollingergrund and Neudorf churches.
His works and publications include the following:
1887 Bilder aus der ehemaligen Bundesbefestigung Luxemburg, 1887 Die malerische Ausschmückung des Chores unserer Kathedrale, St. Paulus-Gesellschaft.20 esquisses du Luxembourg, Éditions J. Heintze, 1889; La Procession solennelle de Luxembourg, 1893. Die Darstellung der Gestalten Gottes des Vaters, der getreuen und der gefallenen Engel in der Malerei: eine kunsthistorische Studie geschrieben und gezeichnet von Michel Engels, 1893 Hans Lützelburger: ein kunsthistorisches Gedenkblatt von Michel Engels in: Publications de la section historique de l'Institut grand-ducal de Luxembourg, vol. XLIV, 1895; Die Stadt Luemburg, ehemals und heute, Schilderung in Wort und Bild, 1897; Die Alzette: Poetisch-malerische Schilderung in Wort und Bild, 1899. Die Kreuzigung Christi in der bildenden Kunst - Eine ikonographische und kunsthistorische Studie von Michel Engels in: Ons Hémecht Jg. 4, 1899. Michael v. Munkacsy und seine Beziehungen zum Luxemburger Lande, 1899; Le Luxembourg pittoresque, 1901. - Das romantische Luxemburger Land, 1901.
Victor Engels, the son of Michel Engels and Susanne Greiveldinger, was born on 6 March 1892. After graduating from the École industrielle et du commerce in Luxembourg City, he enrolled in the Technische Hochschule in Munich. In 1913 he joined the Association générale des étudiants luxembourgeois (General Association of Luxembourg Students – AGEL). He was a founding member of the "Kunstverein Luxemburger Studenten", which over time brought together the artists of the Luxembourg "Sécession" movement.
Victor Engels was known for his watercolours and sketches. He also excelled at book illustrations and poster design. In 1917, he earned his degree in architectural engineering. During his studies, he took classes in drawing and painting at different fine arts academies and in Munich. After working for French companies right after World War I, he returned to Luxembourg in 1926 and went into business as an architect.
From 1928 to 1939, Victor Engels served as secretary of the Société des Architectes (Society of Architects). From 1945 to 1960 he was president of the Ordre des Architectes (Order of Architects), the forerunner to the Ordre des Architectes et Ingénieurs-Conseils (Order of Architects and Consulting Engineers), which was founded in 1990. He was a member of the International Union of Architects and the Liaison Committee for Architects of the Common Market. Engels died a bachelor on 14 April 1962.
His works include: the rebuilding of Place du Marché in Echternach (1945–1947), the construction of the Luxembourg synagogue (with René Mailliet), several villas and revenue houses, and housing for the Société nationale des habitations à bon marché. Hôtel des Ponts & Chaussées on Rue Albert 1er.
