Gommern: Historical Site Kienberg

The site at Kienberg, a hill located near the village of Nedlitz, serves as a reminder of a time between 1806-1815 when the French Regime inflicted massive humiliations and killings among the inhabitants of the city of Gommern and its surburbs. From 1806 until 1814 many French soldiers were stationed in the fortress of Magdeburg, forcing the surrounding inhabitants (and the city of Gommern) to provide them with a steady supply of food for both them and their animals. This injustice caused many residents to suffer the cost of financing the war, feeding the soldiers and their animals, and contributing to a high income tax. A bounty was placed on residents who were unable to pay. Additionally, the French soldiers would often forceably inhabit the households of the already poor inhabitants, which ruined many of the farmers. But that was not all; the soldiers often looted and behaved violently. The shape of the memorial serves as a kind of "protective barrier," reflecting the terrible conditions with which the people had to cope.