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Origin and history

The bench-rest of the King of Rome, located in Sélestat, is an emblematic monument of Alsace from the early 19th century. These public benches, built of stone, were designed to provide a resting place for peasants visiting markets or fairs. Women placed their heavy baskets full of agricultural products on the upper lintel, while men could put their hoods there. These benches were often surrounded by lime trees to offer shade.

This type of bench-rest was erected in Alsace between 1811 and 1812, at the initiative of the Prefect of Bas-Rhin Adrien de Lezay-Marnésia. The aim was to commemorate the birth of the King of Rome, son of Napoleon I and Marie-Louise of Austria. The prefect had asked the municipalities to install these benches every 2.5 kilometres along the communal roads and roads, accompanied by tree plantations. The municipalities had to finance these constructions, although some resisted on the basis of geographical constraints.

In 1853, a second wave of construction was launched by the prefect Auguste-César West, taking the idea of Lezay-Marnésia and responding to a wish of Empress Eugénie. This time, the cost was borne by the department, which allowed the construction of 448 benches in 1854. These monuments, often in Vosges sandstone, were intended to improve the living conditions of rural populations after the economic crisis of the years 1846-1848.

Despite their usefulness, these benches suffered the outrages of time and men. After the annexation of Alsace by Germany in 1870, maintenance measures were prescribed in 1906, but they were not applied. In 1910, the German authorities judged these banks obsolete, as agricultural practices had evolved with the appearance of carriages. The damaged benches were no longer restored, and many disappeared.

Today, only a few benches remain in Alsace. Seletat, who was listed as a historical monument in 1982, is a rare testimony of this Napoleonic initiative. These monuments are reminiscent of a time when the peasants' movements were still marked by heavy loads and necessary stops, in a changing rural context.

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