(Re)discover our city -  Confections-Haus Louis Brahms

Think you know our capital well? Well, let's see about that! Some of the buildings that you walk past on a regular basis have a special story behind them. Dr Robert L. Philippart is a true expert on the subject and will take you through the city to uncover these hidden stories, giving you a new way of looking at some of our symbolic buildings.

« Confections-Haus Louis Brahms »

In 1844, Samuel Nathan and Nanette Lippmann, the great-aunt of Nobel laureate Gabriel Lippmann, opened a textiles and linen shop on the corner of Grand-Rue and Rue des Capucins. In 1879, the business was taken over by Nicolas Klees-Kaiser, who built it into one of the largest clothing, textiles and linen shops in the capital. In 1913, his son and heir Alphonse Klees oversaw construction of the commercial building that still stands today, with the "KK" monogram visible on the façade. The architect for the project, Jean-Pierre Koenig, was also behind the blueprints for the Banque et Caisse d'Epargne building at Place de Metz. In 1917, Koenig would go on to achieve recognition for his work as an architect by receiving the Prix Grand-Duc Adolphe, which is awarded by the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg.

Louis Brahms

Upon completion of the building in 1913, Louis Brahms and his wife Ida Ermann opened the women's clothes store "Luxemburgs grösstes Spezialhaus für Damen-und Mädchenkonfektion" at the address. Here, passers-by were able to marvel at no less than 8 shopfront windows and 3 levels of exhibition space across a 31-metre long façade. The interior of the store was decorated in the typical flamboyant style of Brahms and remained so until 1987. Each floor was dedicated to different clothing departments, which included smart workwear, ball or party outfits, uniforms, leisurewear and even linen used for altars. In 1903, Ludwig Abraham, newly arrived from Germany that same year, set up his shop "Spezial Damen-Confections-Haus Louis Brahms" on the Rue du Fossé, close to Place Guillaume II (in the former La Fontaine house). The passports of Louis Brahms and his descendants were issued under the surname of Abraham, otherwise known as "Brahms". Only as late as 1948 was the family's surname legally changed to Brahms. In 1905, Brahms moved onto Grand-Rue before taking up permanent residence at the corners of Rue des Capucins and Grand-Rue. Louis Brahms regularly used his shopfront windows to show off winners' trophies from championships in various sports. During the interwar years, Louis' sons, Max and Fred, were heavily involved in athletics and football at the sports club Spora, which was founded in 1923. The shop's last advertisement was to appear on 1 May 1940. On the morning of 10 May 1940, Louis Abraham's son, Meyer Abraham – known as Max Brahms – fled with his family to Belgium before reaching Limoges. In April 1944, Louis Abraham, his daughter-in-law and his son were arrested in the village of Eymoutiers (Haute-Vienne, France), where they had managed to survive the war. Captured as part of SS reprisals against the fightback from the French Resistance, the Brahms were sent to Auschwitz via Drancy. Their property and personal belongings back in Luxembourg had been requisitioned as "Judeneigentum" by the head of the civil administration.

Wiener Modehaus – Couture Victoria-Vogue-Tapis Hertz

From 3 September 1941 until the liberation of Luxembourg, the shop subsequently named "Wiener Modehaus- Fachgeschäft für Damen Mädchen & Knabenoberbekleidung" was managed by limited partnership Giessler & Co, specifically by Helène Giessler.

Between 1947 and 1951, the boutique dressmaker Victoria was housed in the building formerly occupied by Louis Brahms. From then on until 1987, the address was home to the men's, women's and children's clothing store "Vogue". Then, in 1981, the shop "Tapis Hertz" settled there. The company was founded in 1946 and specialises in the sale of carpets and household linen. The Ville Haute-based firm closed its doors in 2019 to continue trading at a new address on the outskirts of the city. In 2020, neighbouring bar Vis-à-Vis set up a pop-up café there in partnership with antiques dealer Mike Decker.

• Klees-Kaiser Ad © Luxemburger Wort 31 August 1894
• Tapis Hertz, Louis Brahms, Grand-Rue © Rolph 2006
• Louis Brahms, Die Neue Zeit = "The New Times" – 12/04/1914 (2)