Grund : Work, Social contrasts, and Political impulses

In the 1840s, the Grund in Luxembourg is characterized by the economic utilization of the Alzette River. The river is central to the tanneries that supply leather for the glove industry. The glove factory de Marie-Noppeney and Cie., established in 1841 above the quarter of Grund at the fish market, employs about 400 workers, while many women engage in home work. The difficult working conditions, long hours, and economic crisis burden many residents of the Grund. Nevertheless, the neighborhood is also home to influential figures such as the Hastert family, who own the Biessermühle and utilize the water power of the Alzette, as well as lawyer Mathias Jonas. Born in 1822 in the Grund, Jonas plays an active political role in 1848. As a member of the Catholic Action Committee, he engages in political issues concerning the social and economic interests of workers. Together with figures like the Freemason Charles André, he is present at the founding of the workers' committee in Hess's Garden, located between Grund and Clausen, on April 26, 1848. Additionally, Jonas is involved in the founding of the Luxemburger Wort in 1848, a newspaper that significantly influences socio-political debates as the voice of Catholic and conservative circles.