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Origin and history

The bench-rest of La Petite-Pierre is an emblematic example of the Alsatian bench-rests built in the early 19th century. These stone structures, often accompanied by lime trees, served as stops for peasants visiting markets or fairs. Women placed their heavy baskets on the upper lintel, while men could hang their hoods there. These benches were also commemorative symbols, linked to political events such as the birth of the son of Napoleon I, the King of Rome, in 1811.

The Alsatian benches were built into two main waves. The first, in 1811-1812, was initiated by Adrien de Lezay-Marnesia, Prefect of Lower Rhine, to celebrate the birth of the Aiglon. The municipalities financed these constructions, although some resisted invoking geographical constraints. A second wave took place in 1853, under the impetus of the prefect Auguste-César West, to mark the anniversary of the marriage of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. This time, the department took over the costs, facilitating their adoption despite local reluctance.

These monuments, often in Vosges sandstone, were gradually abandoned from the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1906, their maintenance was neglected, and in 1910, their form was considered obsolete due to the evolution of agricultural practices, such as the use of carts. Despite this, some banks, such as La Petite-Pierre, were preserved and protected as historical monuments in the 1980s, bearing a unique rural and commemorative heritage.

The bench-rest of La Petite-Pierre, registered in 1988, illustrates this story. It is located along departmental road 9, near Zittersheim, and remains a tangible vestige of Napoleonic initiatives in Alsace. These benches, although few today, recall a time when they were rhythmizing the movements of rural populations, mixing public utility and political symbolism.

The benches were also places of sociability, where the peasants exchanged news or rested in the shade of the lime trees. Their decline reflects the economic and social transformations of Alsace, including industrialization and agricultural mechanization. Their present preservation makes it possible to understand the importance of these monuments in daily life and Alsatian collective memory.

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