Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn

Another view of the façade of the Monkey's Bar on the Rue de la Loge, Luxembourg, bearing the motto Mir wölle bleiwe wat mir sin

Façade of the Monkey's Bar on the Rue de la Loge, Luxembourg, bearing the motto Mir wölle bleiwe wat mir sin

Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn ([miːɐ̯ ˈvələ ˈblɑɪvə vɑt miːɐ̯ ˈzin] (archaic spelling: Mir wölle bleiwe wat mir sin) is the national motto of Luxembourg. Its respective translations in English, French, and German are: "We want to remain what we are", "Nous voulons rester ce que nous sommes", and "Wir wollen bleiben, was wir sind". This motto was born out of historical aspiration of the Luxembourgish people to retain their independent identity and national sovereignty.

Origin and history

The phrase's origin can be traced back to De Feierwon, a patriotic song written in 1859 to pay homage to the country's first international (cross-border) railway. Its chorus reads:

Kommt hier aus Frankräich, Belgie, Preisen,

Mir wellen iech ons Hémecht weisen,

Frot dir no alle Säiten hin,

Mir welle bleiwe wat mir sin.

In English, this reads:

Come here from France, Belgium, Prussia,

we want to show you our fatherland

ask in all directions,

We want to remain what we are.