Imagine 4000 men digging here. It’s November 1792. These are the Custine-Schanzen. They were ordered to be built by French commander Graf Adam-Philippe de Custine.
These earthworks before you are a testament to a brief but intense period. French Revolutionary troops occupied the Taunus during the First Coalition War. Custine ordered these fortifications to defend against approaching Prussian and Hessian forces.
The Custine-Schanzen consisted of three gun emplacements in the Oberursel city forest. They are on the Borkenberg. These positions faced northeast toward the valley path about 500 meters away. Each measured about 30 meters by 30 meters. They stood approximately 300 meters apart.
Sadly one of the Custine-Schanzen is gone. The westernmost was removed when the new local cemetery was created. These Custine-Schanzen were built to provide a clear line of fire. The line of fire extended over the Urselbach into the valley. But the attack came from a different direction.
On December 2nd, 1792, Hessian troops attacked downhill. They came from Oberreifenberg. The French had to retreat on December 3rd. They moved via Kronberg and Eschborn toward Frankfurt am Main.
In 1911, a team from the Saalburg Museum excavated the site. They found only cookware. There were no other artifacts from the French troops. Today, the Custine-Schanzen are still visible in the terrain.
These Custine-Schanzen and Custine himself are the focus of an exhibit. It is titled “Expedition Custine – Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and the failed Freedom 1792/93”. The exhibit was held in the new forest garage of the Taunus Nature Park.
A new circular route near Oberursel now passes by the Custine-Schanzen. These Custine-Schanzen are one of eight stations with information panels. The tour is about seven kilometers long.
The area of the Custine-Schanzen is a protected historical site under Hessian law. Any research or collection of finds requires permission. Accidental finds must be reported to the monument authorities.
So as you stand here, remember the soldiers who toiled. Remember the brief moment when revolution and war touched this place. The Custine-Schanzen remain a silent reminder of a turbulent past.