ABSTRACT
It is a persistent myth that people were too focused on economic growth in the first decades after the Second World War to concern themselves with pollution. This chapter challenges that view in the context of Luxembourg’s “Minett” steelmaking region. It shows that residents were not indifferent to environmental quality, despite pride in local industry. Much like in Germany or the United States, industrial air pollution prompted frequent public complaints and protests prior to the rise of the environmental movement in the second half of the 1960s, even though these reactions have not entered collective memory. The analysis draws on local newspapers and national political responses through parliamentary debates and government reports, incorporating the perspectives of state-employed health experts. It is demonstrated that criticisms of air pollution in Luxembourg usually stopped short of rejecting industry itself. Instead, residents accepted “normal” pollution levels but opposed excesses, which were seen as both physically harmful and psychologically uncomfortable. In many critiques, capitalism was presented as the root cause of excessive pollution. Such views were expressed even in more conservative outlets, like the newspaper Luxemburger Wort, which tried to balance its pro-business stance with grassroots anti-pollution sentiments.
