DIEKIRCH

diekirch, a small town in the grand duchy of luxemburg, charmingly situated on the banks of the sure. pop. (1905) 3705. its name is said to be derived from dide or dido, granddaughter of odin and niece of thor. the mountain at the foot of which the town lies, now called herrenberg, was formerly known as thorenberg, or thor's mountain. on the summit of this rock rises a perennial stream which flows down into the town under the name of bellenflesschen. diekirch was an important roman station, and in the 14th century john of luxemburg, the blind king of bohemia, fortified it, surrounding the place with a castellated wall and a ditch supplied by the stream mentioned. it remained more or less fortified until the beginning of the 19th century when the french during their occupation levelled the old walls, and substituted the avenues of trees that now encircle the town. diekirch is the administrative centre of one of the three provincial divisions of the grand duchy. it is visited during the summer by many thousand tourists and travellers from holland, belgium and germany.