Altwies was a lawyer by profession, and was appointed notary in Junglinster in 1897, before holding that office in Luxembourg City from 1922.
[1] An eloquent and prominent member, Altwies became, along with Emile Prüm, Joseph Bech, and Auguste Thorn, one of the PD's main weapons on the floor of the Chamber.
[2] He became vice-president of the chamber on 28 June 1917 when Léon Kauffman, a fellow PD member, became prime minister.
[3] Altwies played a key role in putting down the attempted communist revolution led by Émile Servais in January 1919, calling upon French soldiers to intervene in the crisis.
They lived together on the maison de maître of Luxembourg City's prestigious Boulevard Royal.