SERTA Nicolas

Nicolas SERTA was born in Pfaffenthal (maison 109) on 8 December 1835. His father was a cordonnier.
In 1863 SERTA’s occupation was commis au service de la Société des chemins de fer Guillaume Luxembourg.
In 1865 he married Josephine SCHMIT, daughter of a boulanger of Luxembourg-Grund. She was a widow with a 9-year-old daughter. SERTA was at the time working in Wasserbillig as Lehrmeister for the Chemins de fer Guillaume and the couple settled there.
In the 1867 Wasserbillig Census SERTA’s occupation was recorded as conducteur des voies & travaux. He must have had a relatively high position in the railway company as he could afford to employ a domestique.
In May 1868 he created an Essigsiederei und Senffabrik in Wasserbillig. In October 1869, however, he abandoned the project and put its equipment up for sale.
When he applied for a patent on 5 May 1869, he called himself Gustave Nicolas SERTA and gave his occupation as conducteur des voies & travaux des chemins de fer. He still resided in Wasserbillig.
L.-J.-E. SERVAIS reported that SERTA was actively involved in 1867 in helping the French soldiers who initially fled from the Metz region to return to the battle field by providing them with clothes.
In October 1871 he left Wasserbillig to become piqueur au Chemin de fer de l’Est in Stavelot. In 1873 he was still living in Belgium, since his last child was born in Spa. In 1875 he was reported living in Tirlemont.
SERTA returned to Luxembourg in 1876 and established a business (ingénieur-constructeur-fumiste) under his own name in the centre of Luxembourg-city. In 1891 he became agent général for importing wood: “Bois de l’Indo-Chine”.
According to the Luxembourg-city Census reports SERTA resided consecutively in 27/2 Philippstrasse (1895) and 3 Krautmarktstrasse (1900).
SERTA died in 1911 in Luxembourg-city (4 Brücken-Ring) and his past occupation was recorded in the Civil Register as Architekt-Ingenieur.

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