Capellen

Capellen (

canton of Capellen

, and is the only town in Luxembourg to bear the latter distinction but not the former.

Capellen is home to the

Line 50

.

The town is the site of one of the six regional headquarters of the Grand Ducal Police. A museum dedicated to police uniforms and accessories, both national and international, was opened in the town on 21 June 2007.

History

Capellen lies on the old

Roman road, today's Kiemwee, from Trier in Germany to Reims and Paris.^[3] Some years ago, a Roman milestone was found on the Kiem in the direction of Windhof to the west of Capellen.^[4]

Furthermore, in 2002, beside the Roman road to the east, the remains of several Roman buildings and brick kilns (see below) were uncovered. These appear to date back to the 4th century.

The first reference to Capellen is to be found in the Koerich parish records from 1718 which state that five households reside in Auf der Kappe, soon to be known as Cap. In 1722, a new weekly stagecoach service from Luxembourg to Brussels passed through Cap. The road linking Luxembourg City to Brussels, passing through Capellen, was built in 1790. From 1796, Cap and Capellen came under the jurisdiction of Mamer.

When Luxembourg was divided into cantons in 1840, as a result of disputes between Mamer and Koerich, it was decided that the canton should be named Capellen and that Capellen should become its seat.

In 1859, the railway from Luxembourg to Brussels was opened, with a

NAMSA as a major NATO supply centre. Since the 1970s, Capellen has expanded rapidly, both as a residential town and, increasingly, a business and financial development area.^[5]

The Roman brick kiln

In 2002, while excavation work was in progress at the Parc d'Activités site to the east of Capellen, the remains of a Roman brick factory were discovered. With assistance from the National Museum of History and Art, archeologists from Nospelt belonging to the Georges Kayser Altertumsfuerscher uncovered a number of Roman buildings and kilns. One of the kilns was in remarkably good condition. As it was not possible to keep it in its original location, the Ministry of Culture and the Commune of Mamer decided it should be transferred to the centre of Capellen. After long and careful preparations, the kiln was moved to its new position in April 2003.^[6]

The brick kiln is of great historical interest as it shows that in the 4th century, the Romans were undertaking a considerable amount of construction work, probably under the direction of

vicus

of Mamer.

The kiln's new site, opposite the church on Route d'Arlon in the centre of Capellen, is open to the public.

Capellen today

Capellen has prospered over the past 40 years, first as a result of the establishment of NAMSA with personnel from all the NATO countries, then as a residential area for those working in Luxembourg City. With the recent development of the Parc d'Activités, many financial and technology companies now have offices in Capellen. This has all led to the opening of a large supermarket, a new post office, a pharmacy and several restaurants in the locality. There is also a large community centre next to the church and primary school.

Capellen also hosts the Ligue HMC, an innovative association offering vocational training and employment for mentally disabled people.^[7]

There are frequent bus services to Luxembourg and to various locations to the west. The

A6 motorway or European route E25 from Luxembourg to Brussels

runs through Capellen.

Economy

Capellen's largest employer by far is

NSPA (ex NAMSA) with some 1000 employees. There are however well over 30 smaller companies providing some 1,200 jobs in a wide variety of areas including financial and technology services, pharmaceuticals, engineering, food and insurance.^[8]