Napoleon Stone (Koblenz)
The Napoleon Stone in Koblenz is a memorial to the German veterans of Napoleon's army . It was inaugurated in 1843 in the main cemetery in today's Goldgrube district . The monument is a testimony to both the enthusiasm for Napoleon that continued in the middle of the 19th century and the respect for the Prussian state .
history
After the conquest of Koblenz by the French revolutionary army under General François Séverin Marceau , the city was occupied by the French from 1794–1814 and from 1798 the capital of the Rhine-Moselle department . After that, the male population of the conquered areas was used for military service in the French army . Up until the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig in 1813, around 12,500 men had been recruited from the Rhine-Mosel department . Many returning soldiers were proud of having served under Napoleon long after their military service.
The Napoleon Stone was erected on May 5, 1843, the 22nd anniversary of Napoleon's death, at the western end of the Mittelweg in the main cemetery in Koblenz. The initiator was the Veterans' Association, founded on December 25, 1839, for the German soldiers from Koblenz who served in the French army during the Napoleonic Wars . Almost two years earlier, 14 of these veterans had submitted an application to Mayor Abundius Maehler for the construction of a memorial in honor of their comrades who had died . On April 29, 1842, he passed the request on to the Prussian Ministry of the Interior in Berlin . On October 31, 1842, the Minister of the Interior announced that King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. Expressly approved the building of the monument in a cabinet order of October 22.
Among the names of the soldiers killed on the Napoleon Stone is Franz Spohn , who is said to have saved Napoleon's life in the run-up to the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. After his death in 1878, the last club president, Christian Kroeber, left the city of Koblenz the certificate of approval and 50 thalers so that the city could take care of the memorial stone. The association also owned an equestrian portrait of Napoleon that was kept by the oldest veteran. After Kroeber's death, it was also given to the city of Koblenz and is now in the Middle Rhine Museum .
The memorial was renovated in 1929, 1954 (repairing war damage and replacing two writing plates) and last renovated in November 1981.
construction
The basaltic lava monument stands on a square floor plan. The main part rises on a high pedestal with edges formed as pillars and each ending with a round arch with a trophy relief . On the flat end plate is a Kürassierhelm from cast iron , created in the Sayner cabin , placed. The perimeter fence made up of swords has not been preserved. On three sides there are inscription plates made of white marble with the names of the fallen soldiers from Koblenz. The following text is engraved on a cast iron dedication plaque on the front :
- “ Of the former remaining soldiers of Napoleon who returned to their fatherland in Coblenz as peaceful citizens who were loyal to their current prince and who are resting here, erected on May 5th, 1843, the anniversary of the emperor's death. (5th May 1821) "
Another plaque was later placed on the base below. It reads here:
- " Ph. Carl Simon / Association President / Curassier in the 12th. Regt. / Gest. D. March 25, 1845
- Christian Kroeber / Sergent-Major des Voltigeurs in the 30t. Regiment / sectetary and last president / died on February 14, 1878 "
Monument protection
The Napoleon Stone is a protected cultural monument according to the Monument Protection Act (DSchG) and entered in the list of monuments of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate . It is located in Koblenz-Goldgrube in the main cemetery monument zone .
The Napoleon Stone has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley since 2002 .
See also
literature
- Helmut Kampmann: When stones speak. Memorial plaques and memorial plaques in Koblenz. Fuck-Verlag, Koblenz 1992, p. 243f. ISBN 3-9803142-0-0 .
- Wolfgang Schütz: Koblenz heads. People from the city's history - namesake for streets and squares. 2. revised u. exp. Edition. Publisher for advertising papers, Mülheim-Kärlich 2005, p. 518
- Ulrike Weber (edit.): Cultural monuments in Rhineland-Palatinate. Monument topography Federal Republic of Germany. Volume 3.3: City of Koblenz. Districts. Werner, Worms 2013, ISBN 978-3-88462-345-9 .
Web links
- Napoleonstein Koblenz in: West German Society for Family Studies eV
Individual evidence
- ↑ Klaus Weschenfelder: Simon Meister 1796–1844, Koblenz 1994, p. 80.
- ↑ General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (ed.): Informational directory of cultural monuments - district-free city of Koblenz (PDF; 1.5 MB), Koblenz 2013
Coordinates: 50 ° 21 ′ 9 ″ N , 7 ° 34 ′ 38 ″ E