Monument 5X Beringen in Miersch

Beringen (known as Biereng in Luxembourgish) is a small village in the municipality of Mersch. It is located 30 minutes’ drive north of Luxembourg City. In the heart of the village stands a curious monument consisting of intertwined ‘B’ surrounded by flags. A plaque at the foot of the monument indicates that it is the 5x Beringen Monument, which was inaugurated on 9 July 1989. It symbolises the bond that unites the villages of Beringen (Belgium); Beringe (the Netherlands); Behringen an der Wipfra, Behringen and Behringen (Germany); Beringen (Switzerland); and Beringen (Luxembourg).The history of the friendship between these European villages with almost identical names began in 1956 with the first contact between the Belgian and Dutch villages. In 1959, delegations from the seven villages met for the first time in Belgium (this year officially marks the creation of ‘5X Beringen International’). Since 1969, the seven villages have competed against each other in a series of games every three years.It was during one of these games, held in Luxembourg from 7 to 9 July 1989, that this monument was unveiled. In theory, each village hosting the games should have erected its own monument from 1980 onwards. However, there is no evidence to confirm that the other six monuments were ever built: only information panels have been installed in some villages.This monument commemorates the remarkable friendship that has united these seven villages from five different countries for over half a century.