Leipzig – Napoleons Battle of the Nation

Leipzig – Napoleons Battle of the Nations
Monday – Wal’s (Kees’) birthday. Brigitte and Andreas woke us up with a coffee and a birthday candle and gift, a beautiful photo in frame. There were many birthday messages which required a response, so we stayed in bed a lot longer. After our standard breakfast of orange juice, coffee, bread rolls, cheese and cut meats, we had our shower and departed for the Volkerschlacht-denkmal military memorial. This is the battlefield where Napoleon’s army, in October 1813, was defeated by the combined forces of Austria, Prussia, Sweden and Russia. The battle involved 560,000 soldiers with 133,000 casualties. This was known as the "Battle of the Nations". Inside the memorial we took the 364 steps to the top for a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside. Before going home, we stopped at the railway station to confirm our train bookings to Stuttgart. To our dismay the train we had booked and paid for in Australia had been cancelled but no notification sent to us. To arrange another service, we had to pay an extra fifty euro on the basis that we had made a change to our bookings and on top of that there were only first-class seats still available. The whole attitude from DB was very unprofessional and disappointing. Lunch was at home followed by a relaxing and welcome quiet afternoon as the snow continued to lazily drift down.

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations
German: Völkerschlachtdenkmal, is a monument to the Battle of Leipzig fought between 16 and 19 October 1813, also known as the Battle of the Nations, and was built between 1898 and 1913. The monument commemorates the defeat of Napoleon's French army at Leipzig, a crucial step towards the end of hostilities in the War of the Sixth Coalition. The coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden were led by Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg. There were Germans fighting on both sides, as Napoleon's troops also included conscripted Germans from the left bank of the Rhine annexed by France, as well as troops from his German allies of the Confederation of the Rhine. About half a million soldiers were involved and at the end of the battle, around 110,000 men had lost their lives, with many more dying in the days after in field hospitals in and around the city. The scope of the fighting was unprecedented. The Battle of the Nations was the decisive one in the war, cementing the French defeat and temporarily ending Napoleon's rule. The Emperor was exiled to Elba in May 1814, but briefly returned to power the following year, before being permanently banished following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. The monument is 91 meters tall and contains over 500 steps to a viewing platform at the top, from which there are views across the city and environs. The monument is said to stand on the spot of some of the bloodiest fighting, from where Napoleon ordered the retreat of his army.Read more