O'Limp rose;
On 4 July 2025, the two associations Lampertsbierger Syndicat and Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn, as well as the rose grower Kordes Rosen, christened the rose 'O'Limp' in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg; the orange-apricot-coloured, delicately scented floribunda is a reminder of the tradition of Luxembourg's once flourishing rose breeding, which began 170 years ago in Limpertsberg.
During the Belle Époque, Limpertsberg was world-renowned for its talented rose growers, explained Maryse Weirig-Hensel, president of the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn, at the christening of the rose 'O'Limp' on Place Auguste Laurent in front of the Lycée de Garçons de Luxembourg. The square was chosen because there were once blooming rose fields here: In 1855, the nurserymen Jean Soupert and Pierre Notting opened a nursery in the Limpertsberg district, where they grew roses and exported them worldwide. Thanks to their dedication and that of other rose growers, approximately 6 million rosebushes were exported from Limpertsberg all over the world.
Exports collapsed during World War I, and Luxembourg rose cultivation came to a standstill after World War II.
A few years ago, the Limpertsberg Syndicate and the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn (Limpertsberg Rose Society) encouraged Limpertsberg residents to plant roses in their gardens and front yards, Weirig-Hensel explained. This also gave rise to the idea of naming a rose for Limpertsberg. As early as 2023, the modern yet robust rose beauty received the Luxembourg Prize of Honour at the rose competition in Roeulx, Belgium, explained its breeder, Thomas Proll of Kordes Roses, a global leader in rose breeding and production. "This rose is more than a symbolic act. It is a sign of connection – between nature and neighbours, between past and future, between what grows and what remains," emphasised her godmother, Elena Furjes from the Lampertsbierger Syndicat.
The 'O'Limp' rose, like the Limpertsberg, unites contrasts, and that is what makes it so special: historic yet modern, tranquil yet vibrant, green yet urban. "A rose doesn't bloom for itself — it blooms for all who see it," added the sponsor: In the same way, a neighbourhood lives not through buildings and streets, but through the people who live, work and dream in it.
As the sponsor of the 'O'Limp' rose, Daniel Neyen, emphasised, this is above all a huge thank you to all the people, and especially the Limpertsberg residents, who have made the district the neighbourhood it is today.
The president of the Lampertsbierger Syndicat, Christophe Marinheiro, sincerely thanked the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn and the City of Luxembourg for their tremendous commitment to the rose naming ceremony. He highlighted the remarkable exhibition "Héritage – Les roses du Luxembourg," which can be viewed until October via display panels on the fence of the Lycée de Garçons, thus contributing to the Luxembourg Garden Show.
The exhibition and rose christening were initiated by Danièle Elvinger-Vinckel, Vice Chair of the Lampertsbieger Syndicat, who expressed her sincere gratitude to the students of the Lycée de Garçons: they had enhanced the exhibition with their creative rose posters and interpreted the national rose heritage with a fresh perspective. She also recommended the "RosaLi" rose trail from Limpertsberg to anyone interested in roses, which the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn and the Lampertsbieger Syndicat had opened as part of Luxembourg – European Capital of Culture 2007. A variety of roses can also be admired in private gardens on the Limpertsberg and have been planted under trees, reported Maurice Bauer, First Alderman of the City of Luxembourg.
Many guests secured a specimen of the new rose 'O'Limp' during the rose christening ceremony. It blooms profusely and will maybe be seen in many front gardens and parks. The new, beautiful queen of the rose bed can be ordered from the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn and will be available starting in the autumn.
More about the Lampertsbierger Syndicat can be found at www.lampertsbierg.lu.
