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Origin and history

The bench-rest of Wolfskirchen is an emblematic example of the Nabele Bänk ("Napoléon benches"), built in Alsace in the 19th century. These public stone benches, often accompanied by linden trees, served as stops for peasants carrying their products to markets. The women placed their heavy baskets on the upper lintel, while the men hung their hoods at the side posts. These utility monuments also symbolized a political initiative, linked to the commemoration of the birth of the King of Rome in 1811.

The first Alsatian benches were erected between 1811 and 1812 under the impulse of Adrien de Lezay-Marnesia, prefect of Bas-Rhin, to celebrate Napoleon I's heir. A hundred were built that year, financed by the municipalities, although some resisted invoking inadequate land. A second wave of constructions took place in 1853-1854, under the aegis of the Prefect Auguste-César West, taking over the vow of Empress Eugénie. This time, 448 sandstone banks of the Vosges were built at the expense of the department, in a context of economic revival after the food crisis of the years 1846-1848.

Wolfskirchen's bench, like many others, survived the vicissitudes of time, despite negligence during German annexation (1870-1918). In 1906, a press campaign alarmed their degradation, but the prescribed maintenance measures were not implemented. In 1910, the German authorities judged these banks obsolete, their shape no longer corresponded to modern rural uses (such as the use of carts). However, many were protected as historical monuments in the 1980s, including Wolfskirchen, which was registered by order of 9 May 1988.

These bench-rests embody both practical and symbolic heritage. They bear witness to the rural living conditions of the 19th century, where walking and heavy goods were a daily routine. Their conception also reflected a political will to mark the territory, whether under the French Empire or during the Napoleonic restoration. Today, the few remaining copies, such as Wolfskirchen's, recall this social and administrative history.

The Wolfskirchen Bank is distinguished by its location at the crossroads of departmental roads 55 and 655 in the Lower Rhine. A departmental property, it is representative of the Napoleonic models, with its top slab for burdens and its lower bench for rest. Its inscription in historical monuments in 1988 allowed its preservation, despite the degradations suffered over the decades. These benches, often associated with lime trees, formed points of sociability and break, now mostly missing.

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