Pit Riewer

During my first week in Esch, I immersed myself in discovering its architecture, mainly by walking around the town centre and visiting the old workers' houses in Hiehl. I supplemented this exploration with some basic research into Esch's industrial past, in particular by watching films such as "Vu Feier an Eisen" and "Esch-sur-Alzette: métropole du fer" via the National Library catalogue. A poignant scene showing children swimming near blast furnaces resonated with me, prompting reflection on the social impact of economic growth on families.

Exploring the architectural history of Esch, I discovered that many buildings featured ornamental motifs symbolising fertility and strength, reflecting the heyday of the steel and iron industry. These symbols, such as palm leaves, plants, flowers, lions and bears, were carved in stone, immortalising the era of economic and social prosperity. I went in search of these historic buildings carved in stone and photographed them. However, I found that many of these ornaments had been invaded by organic matter over time.

I went on to research the steel industry and in particular its collapse in 1974 due to the overproduction of steel. It fascinated me because, looking at images of welded steel, I saw these chromatic images of glowing steel and iron as well as oxidation of the steel during welding. The thermal welding hue is created during the welding process when there is too much oxygen present or the metal is heated too strongly or too quickly. This immediately brings us back to the theme of overproduction, excess and greed.

Returning to the symbols on the ornaments that I saw on my daily walks around Esch, I kept thinking about what might have happened if the greed to overproduce had not been present. Would these ornaments and symbols still have a meaning beyond their aesthetic aspect?