History of the Schouberfouer

The first known Schouberfouer (Schuebi) took place in 1298 under Heinrich VII, father of Jean de Luxembourg (John the Blind). At this time it was a market where people from all over the country came to buy and sell cloth. This fair was however not very successful and stopped again a few years later.The Schouberfouer as we know it today, eventually took place on 20 October 1340 under the famous John the Blind, count of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia (Böhmen). The fair went on for 8 days and its main goal was for farmers to come into town and buy/sell cattle. The origin of the name is from the place where the Fouer took place, which was the “Schuedbuerg” nowadays known as Plateau du Saint-Esprit. Over the years the fair become more and more successful so the Holy Ghost Square was soon too small. It therefore moved to Limpertsberg in 1610 where the forest had just been cut down. In the 18th century the market developed and live concerts became part of it only to be succeeded in 1844 with cabarets. Although it still remained a cattle-market, you could now also buy bone china, comestibles and stationary. When, in the 20th century, the big wheel and the roller coaster arrived, there was no more stopping its development into the fair that we know today.