Krieg an Agger, Rhein und Sieg - Das Gefecht von Siegburg 1796 | Siegburger Museumsgespräch

A Reconstruction

In 1789, the French Revolution broke out, leading to the rigorous abolition of the monarchy. After overcoming the initial crises of the new system, the revolutionary government declared war on its European neighbors in 1792. This conflict, later known as the First Coalition War, shook the old order in Europe and led to military conflicts that did not end until 1815 with Napoleon’s final defeat. In the spring of 1796, the present-day county seat of Siegburg and its surroundings were at the center of the war for one and a half days. Here, a large part of the French Sambre-Meuse Army encountered an advance guard of the Austrian Rhine Army. Between May 31 and June 1, heavy fighting broke out at the river crossings of the Agger and Sieg.  

A lecture by the District Archives will explain the immediate impact of the fighting on the region and its inhabitants. A multimedia presentation—featuring an animated battle map and digitally reconstructed scenes of decisive moments in the fighting—will bring the events of that time to life.

Speaker: Kay Harms, archivist and historian, Rhein-Sieg District Archives