Maria Teresa and Stéphanie Open International Bazaar

All photos: Laurent Blum / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu

Right on the heels of the Red Cross Bazaar always comes another bazaar that usually brings out a changing variety of members of the Grand Ducal Family and this year was no different. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie opened the International Bazaar earlier this afternoon and made their way around about 60 stands showcasing clothing, jewelry and food from some 50 nations from A for Argentina to V for Venezuela. 

Photo: Laurent Blum / Luxemburger Wort

The International Bazaar of Luxembourg is an independent, secular, voluntary, charity organisation that traces its origins back to a series of small church bazaars that began in the early 1960's.   Post-war Luxembourg was growing in its engagement in European affairs and the country was teeming with foreign born residents, particularly young European officials and their families. These creative individuals produced a number of new organisations, including the International Bazaar. 

The first Bazaar was held in connection with the Anglican Church of Luxembourg to raise money for the church and for charity. After its first year, the Baazar moved further into the Luxembourg community being held on Rue Notre-Dame in 1961 under the joint patronage of American and British ambassadors and staffed by volunteers of many nationalities.   The 1962 Bazaar raised 75,000 Luxembourgish francs for the Clinique d'enfants, Fondation Jean-Josephine Charlotte, bringing the event to the attention of the Grand Ducal Family. In 1967 the Bazaar was placed under the high patronage of Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte and continues under the high patronage of Grand Duchess Maria-Teresa today. 

Photo: Laurent Blum / Luxemburger Wort

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie were accompanied by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and his husband, the President of the Chamber of Deputies Mars di Bartolomeo, as well as the mayor of Luxembourg Lydie Polfer. The profits from the bazaar will benefit 86 charities from Luxembourg and around the world with a special focus on the "Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation Hanoi", which helps Vietnamese street children and underage victims of human traffickers. So should you be in or around Luxembourg this weekend, it is definetely worth checking out all the stalls. The bazaar will close on Sunday evening with a concert by the Israeli-Luxembourgish jazz band „Beam“. 

More visuals are available at Wort.