Ernie Reitz, born in 1905, lives in the "Kleng Gaardestrooss" in Esch/Alzette. She probably never thought that this alley would one day bear her name. Nearby, at number 16 Station Avenue, she and her sister owned a shop. It was to be the "headquarters" of the resistance group "Lëtzebuerger Roude Léiw". In August 1942, she called on the shopkeepers in the Avenue de la Gare to keep their shops closed for a day in protest against the forced recruitment of young Luxembourgers into the German army. Recognised as the leader of the organisation, Ernie Reitz committed herself body and soul to the Resistance. Her organisation collected quantities of food, medicine and clothing. The clandestine activity of this intrepid woman even extended beyond Luxembourg's borders; exposed to the bombings, she brought back Luxembourgish conscripts from Silesia. Faced with the growing number of persecuted people, her resistance group, with the help of competent people, transformed the "Eisekaul" mining gallery into a hiding place. Although the exact number of deported families, political prisoners and draft dodgers she was able to help remains in the shadows, there is no doubt that this woman showed exceptional courage.
Sources:
● Article: Si war vu jidferengem als Chef unerkannt, in: Lëtzebuerger Wort, 10 May 1994.
● Article: Eine Strasse nach der Resistenzlerin Ernie Reitz benannt, in: Lëtzebuerger Journal, 10 May 1994 p.10.
● Article: Resistenzlerin - Ernie Reitz: Ehrung einer großen Dame, in: Tageblatt, 10 May 1994.