CULTURAL BRIDGES
The Portuguese Diaspora from Castro Daire in Luxembourg

Public presentations of the book:

Lëtzebuerg City Bibliothèque
1 July, 5.00 pm

Bibliothèque municipale d’Esch-sur-Alzette
2 July, 7.00 pm

Bibliothèque publique régionale de Dudelange
3 July, 7.00 pm

A joint publication by the Municipality of Castro Daire and Binaural Nodar, in collaboration with the Lëtzebuerg City Bibliothèque, the Bibliothèque municipale d’Esch-sur-Alzette and the Bibliothèque publique régionale de Dudelange, co-funded by the Portuguese Republic – Directorate-General for the Arts and by the European Union, as part of the Creative Europe Tramontana Network project.

The history of Portuguese emigration to Luxembourg goes back to the 1960s and 1970s, when many Portuguese, fleeing poverty and political instability, left in search of better living conditions abroad. Today the Portuguese community is estimated to represent around 15% of Luxembourg’s population, more than 90,000 people, one of the largest migrant groups in the country.

It was in this context that a project was born in 2025 to gather the testimonies of emigrants, past and present, from the municipality of Castro Daire who have made their home in Luxembourg. Through community audiovisual sessions, the project collected life stories ranging from the jobs people held to the defining moments of departure and arrival, as well as holiday journeys back to Portugal and the many other episodes that make up migrants’ everyday lives.

The project culminates in the publication of a bilingual book, in French and Portuguese, coordinated by Luís Gomes da Costa and Marta Carvalhal, which brings together contextual texts, testimonies and photographs. It will be presented from 1 to 3 July in the three partner libraries in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Credits:

Editorial coordination:
Luís Gomes da Costa, Marta Carvalhal

Interviews and photo selection:
Luís Gomes da Costa, Andreia Mota, Marta Carvalhal

Graphic design:
Liliana Silva

Interview transcription:
Andreia Mota

Text editing:
Andreia Mota, Luís Gomes da Costa, Marta Carvalhal, Deborah Storn