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Origin and history

The Banc du roi de Rome, located in Frœschwiller, is a typical monument of Alsace from the early 19th century. These public benches, built of stone, were used as stopovers for peasants visiting markets or fairs. The women placed their heavy baskets on the lintel, while the men placed their hoods there. Often surrounded by linden trees, these benches were also shaded resting places, with side terminals to facilitate the re-salting of riders.

In 1811-1812, the prefect of Bas-Rhin Adrien de Lezay-Marnesia launched a programme to build these benches to celebrate the birth of the king of Rome, son of Napoleon I and Marie-Louise of Austria. In a circular dated 22 April 1811 he asked the municipalities to erect these monuments every 2.5 km along the roads, with a bench and trees. The municipalities had to finance these works, nicknamed "Nabele Bänk" ("Napoléon's benches"), although some refused on the grounds of inadequate land.

125 benches were built in 1811, but few survived. A second wave of constructions took place in 1854, under the impetus of the prefect Auguste-César West, to mark the anniversary of the marriage of Napoleon III and of the Eugénie de Montijo. This time, the department took over the costs, inciting reluctant municipalities after the economic crises of 1846-1848. Among the 448 benches erected, many were damaged by time or neglected, especially after 1870, when Alsace was annexed by Germany. In 1910, their form was deemed obsolete, and their maintenance abandoned.

Frœschwiller Bank, which was listed as a historical monument in 1982, is one of the few testimonies of this initiative. These monuments reflect both a political will to commemorate Napoleon and a response to the practical needs of Alsatian rural populations. Their decline in the twentieth century illustrates the evolution of modes of transport and social uses, as well as the hazards of preserving local heritage.

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