Pyramid of Austerlitz, Netherlands

by Digital Art Nederland

The Pyramid of Austerlitz is a 36-metre-high monument made of earth and turf, situated at the highest point of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, in the municipality of Woudenberg. It is the only pyramid in the Netherlands and was built in 1804 by French soldiers under the command of General Auguste de Marmont. The monument is a unique remnant of the French period in the Netherlands.

In 1804, General De Marmont assembled a massive army of some 18,000 French and Batavian soldiers here. This took place on what was then heathland (now woodland) between Zeist and Woudenberg. To keep his soldiers fit, disciplined and occupied – and to impress the British – De Marmont had them build a colossal monument. A few years earlier, De Marmont had been on a campaign in Egypt with Napoleon and had been deeply impressed by the Egyptian pyramids.

The soldiers built the pyramid in just 27 days. Originally, a 13-metre-high wooden obelisk stood on top of it.
General De Marmont originally named the hill Mont Marmont. But in 1806, when Napoleon Bonaparte won the legendary Battle of Austerlitz (in what is now the Czech Republic), the new King of Holland, Louis Napoleon, decided to rename the monument the Pyramid of Austerlitz. The nearby village was also given the name Austerlitz at that time.

The original wooden obelisk at the summit soon fell into disrepair and was eventually blown over. In 1894, the current stone obelisk was erected at the summit, where it still stands today.

The pyramid has often subsided in the past due to erosion and drought, but following a major restoration at the start of this century, it now looks neat and green once more.

The poster is based on a photograph I took on 30 July 2018