1923 Timeline

August 8, 2025

1923

François Anen, a young Philips salesman, and his brothers Marcel and Aloyse sold wireless telephony stations from 28, rue Beaumont in Luxembourg City.

As members of Amis de la TSF (Friends of Wireless Telephony) and avid radio enthusiasts, François and Marcel installed a 100 watt, 220-meter wavelength transmitter in their attic in 1923.

According to François Anen and the large volume of mail they received from amateur operators across Europe, it was among the continent’s best amateur stations. François even became the first European amateur to communicate with the United States by wireless telephony.

1924

Seeking a wider audience, Anen began broadcasting spoken-word and music programs. Though foreign stations were available, locals preferred the clearer, homegrown signal, boosting receiver sales—many made by the Anens.

1926

By 1926, the upgraded 150 W medium wave transmitter, now named Radio Luxembourg, aired plays, live concerts from the Place d’Armes, and musical performances by its own orchestra in the attic above the store.

Presenters, including August Donnen and Léon Moulin, spoke Luxembourgish, French, German, and English, and the Anen’s began to sell their first advertisements.