Paul Eyschen
Paul Eyschen | |
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Prime Minister of Luxembourg | |
| In office 22 September 1888 – 11 October 1915 | |
| Monarchs | William III Adolphe William IV Marie-Adélaïde |
| Preceded by | Édouard Thilges |
| Succeeded by | Mathias Mongenast |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 September 1841 Independent |
Paul Eyschen (9 September 1841 – 11 October 1915) was a
Early life
The son of
Career
At the elections of 12 June 1866, Eyschen was elected to
In 1875, he was appointed
Prime minister
On 7 July 1876, Eyschen emulated his father by becoming Director-General for Justice,
Education
Towards the late 19th century, it appeared clear that the traditional education system in Luxembourg was no longer fit to serve the new society as it was since the Industrial Revolution. Economic developments brought forth new social and professional classes. A middle class of employees and civil servants emerged from the growth of state services and administration. Manufacturing and trade were transformed by industrial and commercial progress. Through a far-reaching reform of the education system, Eyschen's government attempted to respond to these changes in society. Eyschen advocated the idea of a specialisation of schools: the Athénée de Luxembourg for those intending to later pursue university studies, an industrial school for those destined for a technical occupation, an agriculture school for farmers' sons, and a craftwork school for the sons of craftsmen. Particular attention was given to vocational education.[7]
The law of 1892 split off the industrial school from the Athénée and added to it a commercial section; the law of 1896 created an artisanal school. These efforts were accompanied by an increase in students attending secondary school under the Eyschen government: 875 in 1879–1880 compared to 2500 in 1919–1920.[7]
The government also tackled primary education through the
Economic and social policy
As in other countries at the time, the social question was being raised by the development of modern industry. The neighbouring German Empire under Bismarck had, in the 1880s, started expanding the role of the state through the enactment of laws introducing health insurance, accident insurance and old age and invalidity insurance. Eyschen had been chargé d'affaires in Berlin and had been friends with the Chancellor's son, and was well aware of this legislation. When he became prime minister, he set about introducing something similar in Luxembourg. The government had long been reluctant to intervene in economic affairs, dominated as it was by liberals, but Luxembourg was to follow the model of its neighbour to the East.[7]
The law of 1891 gave a legal basis to mutual aid societies. In the early 20th century, a series of laws introduced obligatory insurance for workers: health insurance in 1901, accident insurance in 1902, and invalidity and old age insurance in 1911. The inspectorate of work and mines was established in 1902. The emergence of large steelworks brought the question of workers' accommodation. The law of 1906 created financial aid for the purchase or construction of small homes.[7]
Language
Eyschen was a great lover of the
Death
Eyschen died, whilst still in office, on 11 October 1915, one year into the
After Eyschen's death, the country faced a series of government crises.[7] For a long time, his strong personality had masked the deep divisions in the Luxembourgish political world.[7] From the turn of the century, political debates became more and more obstinate.[7] In 1908, liberals and socialists had formed the Left Bloc, an alliance between representatives of industry and of the workers, bound together by anti-clericalism.[7] The Bloc had a solid majority in the Chamber.[7] However, the power ratio was changed by the war and its various hardships.[7] Faced with social tensions due to the poor food supply situation and price increases, the left-wing alliance crumbled, while the Party of the Right gained in popularity.[7]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Mersch (1953), p. 87
- ^ a b c d Mersch (1953), p. 88
- ^ Mersch (1953), p. 91
- ^ Mersch (1953), p. 92
- ^ Mersch (1953), p. 99
- ^ Funck (1953), p. 155
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Thewes (2011)
- ^ a b c "Vor hundert Jahren gestorben: Was man über Paul Eyschen wissen sollte". Luxemburger Wort (in German). 11 October 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
References
- Funck, Antoine (1953). "Eyscheniana". Biographie nationale du pays de Luxembourg (in French). Luxembourg City: Victor Buck. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- Mersch, Jules (1953). "Paul Eyschen". In Mersch, Jules (ed.). Biographie nationale du pays de Luxembourg (in French). Luxembourg City: Victor Buck. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- Scuto, Denis (2011). "Paul Eyschen entre État libéral et État-nation". Du Luxembourg à l'Europe. Hommages à Gilbert Trausch à l'occasion de son 80e anniversaire (in French). Luxembourg: Editions Saint-Paul. ISBN 978-2-87963-836-2.
- Thewes, Guy (2011). Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848 (PDF) (in French). Luxembourg City: Service Information et Presse. ISBN 978-2-87999-212-9. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2017-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
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