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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Divers
  3. Grand-Est
  4. Bas-Rhin
  5. 67160 Wissembourg

  6. Obelisk of the King of Rome

Obelisk of the King of Rome à Wissembourg dans le Bas-Rhin

Bas-Rhin

Obelisk of the King of Rome

    4 Rue de la Rotonde
    67160 Wissembourg
Obélisque du roi de Rome
Obélisque du roi de Rome
Obélisque du roi de Rome
Obélisque du roi de Rome
Obélisque du roi de Rome
Obélisque du roi de Rome
Crédit photo : © Ralph Hammann - Wikimedia Commons - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
20 mars 1811
Birth of Napoleon II
1er quart XIXe siècle
Construction of the obelisk
1976
Restoration of the monument
1er octobre 1986
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Obelisk of the King of Rome (C 2043/74): inscription by order of 1 October 1986

Key figures

Adrien de Lezay-Marnésia - Prefect of Bas-Rhin Initiator of construction.
Maire Ossel - Mayor of Wissembourg In function at erection.
Alfred Zoog - Mayor of Wissembourg Responsible for restoration in 1976.
Regulato, Markgraf et Munzer - Municipal masons Obelisk builders.

Origin and history

The Obelisk of the King of Rome is a memorial located in Wissembourg, in the department of Bas-Rhin (Great East). Built in the early 19th century, it celebrates the birth of Napoleon II, the son of Napoleon I, on 20 March 1811. The initiative for its construction comes from Prefect Adrien de Lezay-Marnésia, under the mandate of Mayor Ossel. Made in Kronthal rose sandstone by the municipal masons Regulato, Markgraf and Munzer, it was initially installed in a nursery south of the city.

The monument consists of a pedestal of 3 meters high, topped by an obelisk of 5 meters. Three of its sides bear commemorative inscriptions, one in Latin: EXIGUUM/MONUMENTUM/SPES MAGNA/MAGNUS/AMOR. In 1976, under the mandate of Mayor Alfred Zoog, the obelisk was restored with the help of the Napoleonic International Friendships, as indicated by a plaque affixed. Ranked a historic monument in 1986, it remains owned by the municipality of Wissembourg.

Today, located at Wuerzenberg, King of Rome Street, the obelisk bears witness to the local attachment to the Napoleonic heritage. Its precise location, noted as mediocre (note 5/10), and its sober architecture make it a discreet but symbolic vestige of this period. Available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) confirm its status as a protected element of Alsatian heritage, linked to French imperial history.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum