Monuments at Eylau and Friedland

Battlefield Visit: Eylau

by J. David Markham, USA

It is only a short drive to Friedland, a battle of happier memories to fans of the Emperor. A Russian monument greets visitors at the entrance to the village (photo 15). A visit to the museum is the first order of business (photos 16 and 17), followed by a tour of the town.

11. The church at Eylau, showing the courtyard where Napoleon's guard had to rally to prevent his capture.
12. Looking from the church (see 11) toward the attacking Russians.
13. The Gothic style 19th century monument to the Battle of Eylau.
14. Close-up showing the dedication to d'Restock.
15. The Russian monument on the outskirts of Friedland.
16. David Markham and the Director of the Friedland Museum.

A short walk from the museum leads one to the church that was used as a hospital during the battle, and a marker (in German and Russian) for the common grave for Russian soldiers. (photos 18 and 19)

Across the street from the hospital is a massive monument to Kutusov. (photo 20) Nearby is the church from which Napoleon viewed the battlefield and the house he stayed in on 14 June 1807. (photos 20-21)

There are a number of interesting places to visit in the city of Kaliningrad, including the university. During our visit we had the great pleasure of meeting with the Vice-Rector, Vera Zabotkina. I had the great pleasure to present her the eagle of the International Napoleonic Society, as well as a copy of one of my books for the university library. (see photo 23)

Earlier, in Poland, I had the honor to present the INS Eagle to Alexander Panchenko.

I hope that this brief tour of the monuments of Friedland and Eylau will encourage you to visit those fascinating sites. The International Napoleonic Society is working on a Napoleonic Congress in Poland and Kaliningrad for 2006. Watch this space for further details!

J. David Markham is President of the Napoleonic Alliance in the US and Executive Vice-President of the International Napoleonic Society. His two books, Napoleon’s Road to Glory: Triumphs, Defeats and Immortality and Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon’s Grande Armée are available worldwide.

Monuments at Eylau and Friedland Battlefield Visits

Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire # 75
Back to First Empire List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 2004 by First Empire.
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com