Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 8,792
After the battle of Austerlitz ...
On December 14, 1805, the Melk Abbey ...
... a devastating fire started in Lower Austria. Significant parts of the building fell victim to the fire ...:
The flames also killed almost 300 soldiers of the Imperial Russian Army.
They were previously captured by French troops during the Battle of Austerlitz on December 2nd ...
... driven to Melk...
... and in the north bastion of the monastery (in the following picture on the right) ...
... were locked up as prisoners of war.
Presumably (this has never been clarified exactly!) the miserably cold prisoners lit the fire in the unheated casemate themselves out of desperation to warm themselves - but did not take into account that the room had no smoke outlet!
Quickly passed out by the smoke, all Russians burned beyond recognition.
This monument in Melk reminds of them to this day ...:
The inscription reads:
"Eternal memory of 300 Russian soldiers who died in a foreign country in the city of Melk in 1805 and are buried here."
So they are not completely forgotten yet ...!
Cheers
On December 14, 1805, the Melk Abbey ...
... a devastating fire started in Lower Austria. Significant parts of the building fell victim to the fire ...:
The flames also killed almost 300 soldiers of the Imperial Russian Army.
They were previously captured by French troops during the Battle of Austerlitz on December 2nd ...
... driven to Melk...
... and in the north bastion of the monastery (in the following picture on the right) ...
... were locked up as prisoners of war.
Presumably (this has never been clarified exactly!) the miserably cold prisoners lit the fire in the unheated casemate themselves out of desperation to warm themselves - but did not take into account that the room had no smoke outlet!
Quickly passed out by the smoke, all Russians burned beyond recognition.
This monument in Melk reminds of them to this day ...:
The inscription reads:
"Eternal memory of 300 Russian soldiers who died in a foreign country in the city of Melk in 1805 and are buried here."
So they are not completely forgotten yet ...!
Cheers
