(L-R) Romain Kerschen, rose godfather; Maryse Weirig-Hensel, President of the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn; Thomas Löffler, Tantau Rosen; Christiane Bourg, Rose godmother; Jean-Paul Zeimes, Mayor of Schieren; Martin Molitor, Parish priest;
Credit: Jean-Marie Weiler
On Tuesday 11 August 2026, the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn asbl (Luxembourg Rose Friends) announced that the rose 'Château de Birtrange' had been officially christened in Schieren.
According to the association, the christening ceremony took place on 5 July 2026 in the municipality's rose garden and was organised jointly by the Municipality of Schieren and the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn asbl as part of the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of Gaart an Heem Schieren (Garden and Home Schieren). Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, Martine Hansen, congratulated Gaart an Heem Schieren on its 100th anniversary, saying: "Happy Birthday!"
Schieren Mayor Jean-Paul Zeimes thanked the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn asbl for establishing the rose garden in cooperation with the municipality in 2025 as part of Schieren's 175th anniversary celebrations. He also highlighted Schieren's historic links to rose propagation, noting that several local families specialised in rose cultivation from 1871 onwards.
The association reported that the apricot-pink 'Château de Birtrange' rose won the Prix du Luxembourg at the Baden-Baden New Rose Competition in 2025. According to Maryse Weirig-Hensel, President of the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn asbl, the variety is already growing in the publicly accessible rose garden. Thomas Löffler of German rose breeder Tantau Rosen described the variety as combining "the beauty of its mother and the robustness of its father".
The rose's godmother, Christiane Bourg, announced that the 'Château de Birtrange' rose will also be planted in the gardens of Château de Birtrange. Her father, construction entrepreneur Jos Bourg, purchased the castle in 2021 as the family's residence but died unexpectedly the following year. Bourg and her husband, Romain Kerschen, are currently overseeing the restoration of the thirteenth-century property, which they intend to use as the family home once the renovation is completed.
According to the association, Schieren's Music and Singing Association performed, among other pieces, Et si vill schéi Rousen hei zu Schieren during the ceremony, while parish priest Martin Molitor blessed the rose as a "symbol of joy, love and hope". Mayor Zeimes, Dr Martine Mergen, President of the Liga Gaart an Heem, and Robert Hanff, Chairman of Gaart an Heem Schieren, also thanked volunteers for their contribution to the association and the Schieren community garden.
The rose garden next to Schieren's municipal administration features selected roses and perennial plants, a commemorative plaque marking the christening of the rose and the 100th anniversary of Gaart an Heem Schieren, benches, a pavilion and a selection of photographs from Marc Schoentgen's exhibition on Château de Birtrange.
The new 'Château de Birtrange' rose will be available from the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn asbl from autumn 2026.
