Hélène Palgen, daughter of Nicolas Palgen, a teacher at the Lycée Classique in Echternach, and Hélène von Keyserlingk, who came from a noble German family, spent her childhood in Echternach surrounded by her seven brothers and sisters. The family gave their children the opportunity to pursue higher education and enjoy successful careers. Hélène became a doctor of philosophy and philology. Driven by a spirit of commitment, she was also a member of the Luxembourg Federation of University Women.
In 1930, Hélène Palgen was appointed teacher at the Lycée de jeunes filles (Girls' High School) in Esch-sur-Alzette, then, from 1958 to 1967, she held the position of headmistress of the Lycée de jeunes filles (Girls' High School) in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg. Deeply involved in student sports, she actively supported all extracurricular initiatives and sat on the central committee of LASEL. Upon her retirement, as a token of gratitude, the school's sports association committee organised an annual tournament, inaugurated in 1968 under the name ‘Challenge Hélène Palgen’, which contributed significantly to the development of women's sport in Luxembourg.
Hélène Palgen is also a distinguished linguist who enjoys great popularity. The dialectologist was one of the first to conduct scientific research on the Luxembourgish language and has been a member of the linguistics section of the Grand Ducal Institute since its inception. Hélène Palgen devoted forty years to the Linguistics, Dialectology and Toponymy Section and the Dictionary Commission. Her importance in the field is illustrated by the commemorative work Dialektologie heute, published under the direction of Fernand Hoffmann, which testifies to the unanimous esteem she enjoyed far beyond national borders. This impressive volume brings together twelve contributions from renowned linguists and dialectologists from Luxembourg, France, England, Germany and Austria.
Hélène Palgen passed away on 8 May 1993. In memory of her outstanding contribution, the Luxembourg Post Office issued a €0.70 stamp on 15 May 2018 to mark the 25th anniversary of her death.
Sources :
● Wikipedia : https://lb.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne_Palgen
● https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/254/2542/FRE/index.html
● LuxemburgerWort du 4 juin 1930, 27 octobre 1957, 19 mars 1958, 20 juillet 1979, 22 novembre 1979