Location: Market square

The market square around 1912. The village pond was used as a cattle trough. The market cross under a lime tree on the right

This square is in the centre of the old district of Lucherberg. Before the Second World War, the square was a daily meeting place simply because of the cattle trough. It was also the place for gossip, rumours and news; legends and gruesome tales were told here. Parades were held here during village celebrations. The soil conditions in Lucherberg repeatedly caused problems for the villagers. In 1821, while digging the village well, and in 1825, while digging a well on the Lucherberg farm, one worker died; both suffocated in the depths, presumably from leaking gas from the lignite.

Due to the location of the village, it was very difficult to get clean groundwater after the lowering of the groundwater level in the “Goltsteingrube” (open cast mine I), and this water was also highly ferruginous and brown in colour, making it almost undrinkable. Even whitewashing turned brown from the water.

In July 1904, the village’s water supply collapsed: The cisterns installed at many houses had dried up that summer. And where there was still water in them, it was no longer usable due to soot and coal dust, and even the cattle became ill. The village pump, the only groundwater pump, no longer provided water. The inhabitants had to fetch drinkable water from the neighbour villages. The cattle trough, which was also a fire-fighting pond, was also dry. Fortunately, no fire broke out, otherwise it would have been a disaster.

The market square after the Second World War in 1945 and the destroyed market cross on the right in the background.

In the winter of 1911/12, the long-awaited and urgently needed central water pipeline for the communities of Lucherberg, Luchem, Jüngersdorf and Echtz-Konzendorf finally went into operation.

The pond was filled in after the war. This green space was created here. As the location of the original cross was an obstacle to traffic when the road was widened, a new wooden cross was erected here.

Market 2024

This green space was created here. As the location of the original cross was an obstacle to traffic when the road was widened, a new wooden cross was erected here.

Overview Lucherberg