Explore the History of this artwork, Kastorbrunnen.
Jean Marie Thérèse Doazan, the prefect of the French department of Rhin-et-Moselle, built the neo-classical fountain made of basalt blocks in 1812 in front of the basilica. His hastily written inscription, inscribed in orthographically incorrect French, was intended to commemorate Napoleon's supposedly successful campaign in Russia.
The text says:An MDCCCXII / Mémorable par la campagne contre les Russes / sous le Prefectura de Jules Doazan.
(that is: In 1812 / Memorial to the campaign against the Russians / under the prefecture of Jules Doazan.)
In fact, Napoleon's campaign in Russia ended in catastrophic defeat. In the War of the Sixth Coalition on New Year's Eve of 1814, the predominantly Russian Army Corps under General Saint-Priest, which formed the right wing of Blücher's Silesian Army, crossed the Rhine between Neuwied and the Lahn estuary with the main focus on Koblenz. The French had recently vacated the city and left it to the Russians without a fight. Saint-Priest, however, showed humor and did not remove Doazan's fountain or the first inscription, but put a second one underneath. It is:Vu et approuvé par nous Commandant / Russe de la ville de Coblentz / le 1er janvier 1814.
(that is: Seen and approved by us, Russian commander of the city Koblenz, on 1 January 1814.)
Blücher Lahn Koblenz Jean Marie Thérèse Doazan Neuwied basalt Saint-Priest War of the Sixth Coalition Rhin-et-Moselle