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Origin and history

The Napoleonic bench-rest of Westhouse-Marmoutier is a typical monument of Alsace, built in the 19th century to provide a resting place for peasants going to markets. These benches, often accompanied by lindens, allowed to lay the burdens (baskets on the head or hoods on the back) and rest during the journeys. They also symbolize a political initiative linked to the birth of Napoleon I's son, nicknamed Aiglon, in 1811.

These benches were commissioned in 1811-1812 by Adrien de Lezay-Marnesia, Prefect of Lower Rhine, to celebrate the birth of the King of Rome. A circular of 22 April 1811 invited the municipalities to erect these monuments every 2.5 km along the roads, with a bench and trees to mark the event. The costs were borne by the municipalities, although some resisted on the basis of geographical constraints. About 125 benches were built in 1811, but few survived.

A second wave of constructions took place in 1853-1854, under the impetus of Prefect Auguste-César West, taking up the original idea to commemorate the marriage of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. This time, 448 Vosges sandstone benches were erected, financed by the department. These monuments, often damaged by time or negligence, were gradually abandoned after 1870, when the German administration considered them obsolete in 1910.

The Westhouse-Marmoutier Bank, which was listed as a historic monument in 1988, is one of the few still visible. These structures reflect both 19th-century Alsatian agricultural practices and Napoleonic commemorative policies. Their decline in the 20th century illustrates the evolution of transport modes and rural needs.

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