A visit to Jena
I hope that you will find some interest here in a few pictures and observations I took whilst visiting the battlefield at Jena recently. This was of course behind the iron curtain before 1989 so access has been limited in the past and even now it is relatively difficult to casually visit as there are no really close airports. I obtained a good OS (German) map of the area beforehand in a rather obscure shop in Jena, so was able to plan a reasonable walking route (about 16k) and which took me most of the day to complete. It was October when I visited and thus very close to the actual battle anniversary which made it seem appropriate, but also gave a good idea of the conditions and colours around at that time of year. The day, like the battle, started misty and foreboding but the sun streamed through by 10 o’clock and was soon hot and beautiful. The woods were particularly striking, the Ginko leaves still being on the trees and mostly being a light yellow at this time of the year, mixed with some copper beach and fir green to make quite the wargame modeller’s dream.
I began by climbing up the Landgrafen which towers over the town of Jena using a route most likely to have been taken by Napoleons Guard Artillery on the night of the 13th. This is no light walk!!!! And it struck me (and my calf muscles) that these guys must have been DEDICATED experts to get these huge weights up this sort of incline in one night.
The Sonnenberg
The Landgrafen
Route up Landgrafen
The wooded ascent rapidly opens out at the top into a rough moor like feature called the Windknollen and as you climb onto the Napoleon Stein at the summit (a relatively modern short tower) -
Looking towards the Napoleon Stein on the Windknollen
Before you to the North lies a quite perfect battlefield scene. Rolling, open countryside, small copses, wooded hilltops and small hamlets dotted regularly over the plateau, every one cuddling in its own little orchard and although lacking the windmills, each having a distinctive church spire peaking out. Interestingly there were plenty of obvious vantage points where a CinC could view nearly the whole battlefield. My first impression was that this really was a great place for manoeuvre and a CAVALRY generals heaven!!!
Looking from Windknollen North towards Lutzeroda and Closewitz
Leaving the Windknollen and the village of Cospeda, I aimed to take Ney’s route throughout the day and ambled down the small road towards Lutzeroda. Across a hidden defile (the Ziskauer Thal) between the hamlets that would be a perfect screen for at least a battalion and acted as the defensive front for von Cerrini’s brigade as they faced the advancing 21st Line that morning when they emerged through the mists from the Windknollen.
Hidden ground before Lutzeroda
Also a route for General Augereau on his way to take on the Saxons.
Augereau Way
Looking towards Isserstadt along the Ziskaur Tal defile
Then rising again into Lutzeroda looking out East at the road in between Cospeda and Closewitz that formed the main Prussian line of defence, a bleak open stretch. A quick glance at Lutzeroda church (memorial to the 1st WW fallen) and renovations
Lutzeroda church
Then out onto an open road (no close hedges here) heading for Isserstadt and its accompanying dense woodland to the west (held by the Saxons on the day).
Looking towards Vierzehnheilingen from Lutzeroda (Ney's Route)
Looking towards Vierzehnheilingen from Lutzeroda (zoom)
Isserstadt woods
The wood looked dense and difficult terrain so I veered North and could see the obvious next ridge and the hamlet of Vierzehnheiligen in the near distance, its medieval church a rallying point for the advancing Grognards.
Flat terrain here but the ground was heavy, sticky and clod filled. Not the place to run from or charge over on foot. Yet, less than a half hour walk and I was through the wood and into Vierzehnheiligen. The perfect Napoleonic village, Church, Green, Cross, Small individual wooden middle European houses, Barns. It felt like I was visiting one of those websites that advertises wargames houses fully painted…..
Vierzehnheligen church
Vierzehnheligen Green
A memorial to the Prussians and Saxons of 1806
and then out onto the open ground beyond. The Prussian second defence line and counter attack came here. Ney advanced too far to the near West of this hamlet, without support, and was saved from death and disgrace by the quick thinking of The Corsican. Vierzehnheiligen changed hands a few times and was the very heart of the battle, such a small place, probably not more than 20 buildings, but closely knit and in some places heavy stone parapets, perfect for those hardened Legere veterans I thought. To the west and east are small orchards and to the north is an ancient long barn that leads out onto open ground and the killing fields for many a Prussian.
Vierzehnheiligen killing ground (North)
Entrance to hamlet
Here are memorials to the fallen (Major von Eberhardt of Regiment Grawert No 47 : Von Schimonski’s Brigade) and views back over the battlefield to Lutzeroda, Closewitz and to the near east, Krippendorf.
From here the exposed position of the Prussians is revealed, very very open fields behind them and no real defensive position on either side.
Prussian position looking South towards Lutzeroda and Closewitz
Prussian position looking South towards Krippendorf and Aachberg wood
Prussian ridge line . Just like in the Osprey.......:D
They must have watched the whole French advance from this vantage, more and more columns arriving every hour. Also the arrival of Murat’s Cavalry…. waiting…. poised to crucify them when they broke. What a terrifying feeling it must have been…….
There was the East side yet to explore and St Hilaires advance, but the weather was closing in and the German Beer Keller was calling…....Ok, Ok the weather was great...I just needed a beer.
I really recommend a visit here, but be aware it is difficult to reach. Lastly, I should mention there is a small museum in Cospeda run by a very Prussian caretaker that is limited, but in keeping with the atmosphere and worth the small entrance fee, even if just to see the array of ancient Historex figures!!!
So why not dig out that prize (but little used) collection of 1806 Prussians and give Jena another go…it might surprise you. It delighted me.
Cheers
Maturin
I hope that you will find some interest here in a few pictures and observations I took whilst visiting the battlefield at Jena recently. This was of course behind the iron curtain before 1989 so access has been limited in the past and even now it is relatively difficult to casually visit as there are no really close airports. I obtained a good OS (German) map of the area beforehand in a rather obscure shop in Jena, so was able to plan a reasonable walking route (about 16k) and which took me most of the day to complete. It was October when I visited and thus very close to the actual battle anniversary which made it seem appropriate, but also gave a good idea of the conditions and colours around at that time of year. The day, like the battle, started misty and foreboding but the sun streamed through by 10 o’clock and was soon hot and beautiful. The woods were particularly striking, the Ginko leaves still being on the trees and mostly being a light yellow at this time of the year, mixed with some copper beach and fir green to make quite the wargame modeller’s dream.
I began by climbing up the Landgrafen which towers over the town of Jena using a route most likely to have been taken by Napoleons Guard Artillery on the night of the 13th. This is no light walk!!!! And it struck me (and my calf muscles) that these guys must have been DEDICATED experts to get these huge weights up this sort of incline in one night.
The Sonnenberg
The Landgrafen
Route up Landgrafen
The wooded ascent rapidly opens out at the top into a rough moor like feature called the Windknollen and as you climb onto the Napoleon Stein at the summit (a relatively modern short tower) -
Looking towards the Napoleon Stein on the Windknollen
Before you to the North lies a quite perfect battlefield scene. Rolling, open countryside, small copses, wooded hilltops and small hamlets dotted regularly over the plateau, every one cuddling in its own little orchard and although lacking the windmills, each having a distinctive church spire peaking out. Interestingly there were plenty of obvious vantage points where a CinC could view nearly the whole battlefield. My first impression was that this really was a great place for manoeuvre and a CAVALRY generals heaven!!!
Looking from Windknollen North towards Lutzeroda and Closewitz
Leaving the Windknollen and the village of Cospeda, I aimed to take Ney’s route throughout the day and ambled down the small road towards Lutzeroda. Across a hidden defile (the Ziskauer Thal) between the hamlets that would be a perfect screen for at least a battalion and acted as the defensive front for von Cerrini’s brigade as they faced the advancing 21st Line that morning when they emerged through the mists from the Windknollen.
Hidden ground before Lutzeroda
Also a route for General Augereau on his way to take on the Saxons.
Augereau Way
Looking towards Isserstadt along the Ziskaur Tal defile
Then rising again into Lutzeroda looking out East at the road in between Cospeda and Closewitz that formed the main Prussian line of defence, a bleak open stretch. A quick glance at Lutzeroda church (memorial to the 1st WW fallen) and renovations
Lutzeroda church
Then out onto an open road (no close hedges here) heading for Isserstadt and its accompanying dense woodland to the west (held by the Saxons on the day).
Looking towards Vierzehnheilingen from Lutzeroda (Ney's Route)
Looking towards Vierzehnheilingen from Lutzeroda (zoom)
Isserstadt woods
The wood looked dense and difficult terrain so I veered North and could see the obvious next ridge and the hamlet of Vierzehnheiligen in the near distance, its medieval church a rallying point for the advancing Grognards.
Flat terrain here but the ground was heavy, sticky and clod filled. Not the place to run from or charge over on foot. Yet, less than a half hour walk and I was through the wood and into Vierzehnheiligen. The perfect Napoleonic village, Church, Green, Cross, Small individual wooden middle European houses, Barns. It felt like I was visiting one of those websites that advertises wargames houses fully painted…..
Vierzehnheligen church
Vierzehnheligen Green
A memorial to the Prussians and Saxons of 1806
and then out onto the open ground beyond. The Prussian second defence line and counter attack came here. Ney advanced too far to the near West of this hamlet, without support, and was saved from death and disgrace by the quick thinking of The Corsican. Vierzehnheiligen changed hands a few times and was the very heart of the battle, such a small place, probably not more than 20 buildings, but closely knit and in some places heavy stone parapets, perfect for those hardened Legere veterans I thought. To the west and east are small orchards and to the north is an ancient long barn that leads out onto open ground and the killing fields for many a Prussian.
Vierzehnheiligen killing ground (North)
Entrance to hamlet
Here are memorials to the fallen (Major von Eberhardt of Regiment Grawert No 47 : Von Schimonski’s Brigade) and views back over the battlefield to Lutzeroda, Closewitz and to the near east, Krippendorf.
From here the exposed position of the Prussians is revealed, very very open fields behind them and no real defensive position on either side.
Prussian position looking South towards Lutzeroda and Closewitz
Prussian position looking South towards Krippendorf and Aachberg wood
Prussian ridge line . Just like in the Osprey.......:D
They must have watched the whole French advance from this vantage, more and more columns arriving every hour. Also the arrival of Murat’s Cavalry…. waiting…. poised to crucify them when they broke. What a terrifying feeling it must have been…….
There was the East side yet to explore and St Hilaires advance, but the weather was closing in and the German Beer Keller was calling…....Ok, Ok the weather was great...I just needed a beer.
I really recommend a visit here, but be aware it is difficult to reach. Lastly, I should mention there is a small museum in Cospeda run by a very Prussian caretaker that is limited, but in keeping with the atmosphere and worth the small entrance fee, even if just to see the array of ancient Historex figures!!!
So why not dig out that prize (but little used) collection of 1806 Prussians and give Jena another go…it might surprise you. It delighted me.
Cheers
Maturin