From "deportation" to "transplantation": how Luxembourg is revising the historical vocabulary of the Second World War

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden, in response to a parliamentary request from MP André Bauler, provided clarification on the change in terminology related to the commemoration of the Second World War. The focus is on the word "deportation", which, according to the new recommendations, could be replaced by the term "transplantation" in order to better reflect the nature of the forced displacement of Luxembourgers during the German occupation.

The topic was discussed by the Committee for the Commemoration of the Second World War (Comité pour la mémoire de la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, CM2GM) as part of the preparation of an official brochure presented back in 2020. This document was agreed with three key memorial groups: the Resistance, forced mobilisation and Holocaust victims.

На странице 23 брошюры говорится: "Traditionally, Ëmsiidlung has been called 'deportation' in Luxembourg. To clearly mark the difference from deportation to concentration and extermination camps, today we would use the term 'transplantation' instead."

In other words, the purpose of this lexical differentiation is to avoid confusion between forcibly relocating families (Ëmsiidlung/Umsiedlung) and sending people to death camps.

After the general protest strikes of September 1942 in Luxembourg, the occupation authorities began the forced relocation (Absiedlung/Umsiedlung) of families deemed "unreliable". Some 4,000 Luxembourgers were taken to the eastern parts of Germany - to camps such as Leubus, Boberstein and Metzenhausen. Their property was confiscated. At the same time, about 1,300 ethnic Germans (Ansiedler) from South Tyrol, Bosnia and Bukovina were settled in their place as part of the Germanisation policy.

Interestingly, the problem of terminology, according to the Prime Minister, arises mainly in French-language publications. In the German and Luxembourg versions, "Umsiedlung" and "Ëmsiidlung" retain historical accuracy and do not evoke associations with the Holocaust. This is why, for the sake of clarity, it is suggested to use "transplantation" as a more neutral definition in official publications in French.

The Luxembourg government continues to use the term "deportation" (Ëmsiidlung) in its official rhetoric, but recognises the relevance of linguistic clarification. At the same time, as Luc Frieden pointed out, the state will respect the scientific and editorial autonomy of its partners, even within the framework of projects financed from the budget. Nevertheless, all such partners will be notified of the recommendations of the CM2GM Committee.