Imagine French soldiers gathered here. Thousands of them once camped near this very spot at Napoleons Hauptquartier 1809. It’s hard to believe that this peaceful forest was once a military installation.
Two centuries ago, this was the scene of intense preparation for battle. We are standing at the historical site of Napoleons Hauptquartier 1809. Today, a stone obelisk marks the location. It stands at the end of Napoleonstrasse. This small dirt road winds through the wooded Lobau region.
In 1809, Napoleon suffered his first major defeat at the Battle of Aspern. Aspern lies on the other side of the Danube. But before that battle, this headquarters was a hive of activity. Can you picture the scene? Horses being readied. Artillery prepared for combat.
Napoleon occupied Vienna twice. The first time was in 1805. The second time was in 1809. He even stayed at Schönbrunn Palace. There, he felt confident enough to order operas. He held parades for his inspection.
However, the area around here had a more military purpose. This headquarters played a vital role in Napoleon’s campaigns. He massed his troops here. They prepared for the battles that would determine the fate of Europe.
If you head north to Aspern, you can visit Asperner Heldenplatz. There, a small museum is devoted to the Battle of Aspern. You can also find the former location of Napoleon’s Pulvermagazin. That was the powder magazine. Not far away is the Franzosenfriedhof. It is the French cemetery. Each site is marked by a stone obelisk.
There’s an impressive stone lion in front of the church in Aspern. Anton Dominik Fernkorn sculpted it to commemorate the battle. Closer to the Danube, at the corner of Praterstrasse and Zirkusgasse, you can see a cannonball. It is embedded in the wall of an orange building. The date 1809 is inscribed underneath.
Napoleon decisively defeated the Austrians six weeks later at the Battle of Wagram. Emperor Franz II then agreed to give his daughter, Archduchess Maria Louisa, to Napoleon in marriage. This alliance helped Austria avoid further conflict with Napoleon.
After Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Leipzig, Vienna hosted the Congress of Vienna in 1814. The Congress reshaped Europe after Napoleon’s reign.
The forestry service provides a leaflet for a circular walk. It is called “Napoleon – Rundwanderweg.” The walk is 11km long. The leaflet describes the walk.
So as you leave Napoleons Hauptquartier 1809, remember the grand sweep of history that unfolded here. Consider the thousands of soldiers and the strategic decisions that shaped Europe.