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Origin and history

The Napoleonic bench-rest of Sarrewerden is a typical monument of Alsace, built in the 19th century to offer a resting place for peasants visiting the markets. These benches, often accompanied by lindens, allowed to place the burdens (baskets or hoods) on a top slab while sitting on a lower bench. Their design met the practical needs of rural populations, while serving as a commemorative symbol.

These benches were erected between 1811 and 1812 on the initiative of the Prefect of Bas-Rhin, Adrien de Lezay-Marnésia, to celebrate the birth of the King of Rome, son of Napoleon I and Marie-Louise of Austria. A circular dated 22 April 1811 directed the communes to build every 2.5 km along the roads, with trees for shade. The costs were borne by the municipalities, although some resisted invoking inappropriate land. Approximately 125 banks were built that year, but few survived.

A second wave of constructions took place in 1853-1854, under the impetus of Prefect Auguste-César West, taking over the idea of Lezay-Marnésia to mark the first anniversary of the marriage of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. This time, 448 sandstone banks of the Vosges were financed by the department, in a post-crisis economic context (1846-1848). Despite their usefulness, many were damaged by time or neglected, especially after 1870, when Alsace was annexed by Germany.

In 1906, a press campaign warned about their degradation, but the required maintenance measures were not implemented. In 1910, the German authorities judged these banks to be obsolete, their shape no longer corresponded to the uses (disappearance of the portage on the head, replaced by carts). The broken benches were no longer restored. It was only from the 1980s that some, such as Sarrewerden, were protected as historical monuments.

Sarrewerden Bank, registered by decree of 9 May 1988, is now owned by the department. It bears witness to this twofold history: utility for Alsatian peasants, and political, linked to Napoleonic commemorations. Its sober style and its location along the roads recall a time when these monuments rhythmized rural movements.

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