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Top 10 Most Inspiring Women from Luxembourg

The women in this list have one thing in common: they are outstanding personalities and believe in change and the importance of individual responsibility to work for a better society.

This list will allow you to revisit these women’s past struggles and achievements. It aims to inspire future generations of women. It is also an opportunity to rediscover female pioneers from Luxembourg who have made significant breakthroughs in various fields, from entrepreneurship and education to politics, gastronomy, and the arts.

These prominent women are remarkable and to be celebrated for inspiring women of the past, the present, and the future. Each influential figure tells a story of incredible resilience, courage, and an incredible insight worth knowing.

1. Barbe Peckels (1836-1906) 鈥揚ioneer Female Entrepreneur

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She was one of the first female business owners and managers in Luxembourg. In 1852, with her husband, she purchased a house under construction in an area called La Gatchel.

Together they ran the farmhouse inn. At the time, hikers visited the inn to savor traditional regional cuisine and her specialties, as she was a gifted cook. She remained in charge of the family business until she died in 1906.

Her culinary spirit lives on to this day. Domaine de La Gaichel has transformed over the years, and at present, it has two hotels and three restaurants.

2. Anne Beffort (1880-1966) 鈥� Pioneer Female teacher

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She is a pioneer in education for girls. After attending training school to become a teacher, she did not stop there. She went ahead to graduate with four teaching diplomas, and she studied literature at the M眉nster and 麻豆APP universities.

In 1909, she became the first Luxembourgish woman to gain a doctorate. Anne Beffort was also the first female French teacher of Luxembourg origin and the Lyc茅e des Jeunes Filles de Luxembourg pioneer. 

3. Katrin C. Martin (1901-1983) 鈥� Pioneer Female Journalist

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She was one of the first Luxembourgish women to work as a journalist. After completing her studies as a schoolteacher, she went to 麻豆APP, where she became a social columnist and interviewed famous writers, such as the Noble Prize winner Anatole France.

She got married and obtained Italian nationality. Toward the end of the 1930s, she returned to Luxembourg and became a writer for the Luxemburger Zeitung and, subsequently, the Escher Tageblatt.

In 1948, she became the first female editor of the Revue, which she helped transform into a popular magazine. In 1951, she became director of the regional edition of the Belgian daily newspaper La Meuse.

4. Madeleine Frieden-Kinnen (1915-1999), Pioneer Woman in government

In 1967, she became Secretary of State and was in charge of Family, Youth, and National Education portfolios. Following a government crisis that led to early elections, she became Minister for Family, Youth, and Social Solidarity and Minister for Religion and Culture in 1969. She was the first woman to have a ministerial brief.

After a press campaign in the socialist newspaper Tageblatt accused her of ‘behavior contrary to moral standards, she resigned in 1972. This turn of events has haunted the politics of Luxembourg and has been the subject of numerous investigations.

5. Elsy Jacobs (1933-1998)- Pioneer Cyclist

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She was a Luxembourgish road bicycle racer. She became the first-ever women’s Road World Champion when she won the inaugural race on 30 August 1958.

Later the same year, she broke the women’s hour record on 9 November, riding 41,347 m on the Vigorelli velodrome in Milan; the form stood for 14 years.

Elsy Jacobs thrived in a competitive environment, and from 1958, she traveled all over Europe in search of victories. She competed in 1,200 races and had more than 300 victories during her career.

6. L茅a Linster 鈥� Pioneer Female Chef

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She is the culinary master of the Grand Duchy’s haute cuisine. She is the only woman and the only Luxembourgish chef to have won the Bocuse d’Or and obtained a master’s degree in cuisine.

She also won her first Michelin star for her restaurant. She has written several books and even presented cooking shows on television.

She passed the culinary baton to her son Louis Linster, but her spirit is ever-present in the gourmet restaurant that showcases her name.

7. Su-Mei Tse – artist

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She is a Luxembourg contemporary artist. Her creations combine music, photography, sculpture, video, and other art forms, and, as such, it is impossible to compartmentalize her work as she regularly combines several artistic disciplines.

Having trained as a classical cellist, she also studied textiles and printing. She graduated from the Beaux-Arts in 麻豆APP in 2000. Her participation at the Venice Biennale in 2003 got her the Golden Lion for her exhibit Air conditioned, a genuinely unique exploit.

Since then, she has gained international recognition: her work, which raises questions about time, memory, musicality, and language, is exhibited across the globe.

8. St茅phanie Jauquet 鈥揃usinesswoman

She started catering at the young age of 17. In 1996, she graduated in hotel management, and a year later, I signed her first employment contract in Luxembourg as a head waitress in a restaurant.

In 2009, she opened Um Plateau, 鈥淟e Bar o霉 Manger鈥�. And in 2015, the concept of Cocottes was unveiled with the first chain restaurant. Cocottes already has eight shops, 140 staff, and significant expansion projects in the plan.

9. Ilana Devillers- Businesswoman

She is passionate about the world’s economic development. She is a severe and motivated person with experience in Luxembourgish law and Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

She is continuously looking for new impactful challenges in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. These qualifications and her motivation to better the world led her to constitute the founders’ team and initiate their first Startup.

F4A stands for Food4All, a win-win sustainable enterprise fighting food waste on a supermarket level, allowing everyone to be a super anti-waste hero!

10. Christine Majerus

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She is a Luxembourgish professional road and cyclo-cross cyclist who currently rides for UCI Women’s WorldTeam SD Worx. She won the 2013 Sparkassen Giro Bochum one-day road race and the general classification of the 2019 Holland Ladies Tour.

She is one of the most dominant cyclists to come out of Luxembourg and is a 41-time national champion, holding 16-time trial titles, 12 cyclo-cross titles, and 13 road race titles.

She was named Luxembourgish Sportswoman of the Year in 2013 and in every ceremony from 2015 to 2021. She is a force and inspires all women in the sporting scene.