Napoleon Soldier Statue in Bratislava, Slovakia Postcard

"French Napoleon Soldier Statue in Bratislava, Slovakia" by Catherine Sherman There are many quirky bronze statues in Bratislava, Slovakia, including The Napoleon Soldier, depicted leaning over a bench in Old Town Square. The bench is a popular spot for photos posed with the handsome soldier wearing a bicorne hat. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. Napoleon Bonaparte was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814, and briefly again in 1815. "The statue was made by Juraj Melis and commemorates two occasions when Napoleon's army entered the city. The statue was produced as the local town government wanted to create interesting features that would move the town away from its austere appearance," according to the Atlas Obscura website. "Napoleon and his army came to Bratislava in December 1805, when 9,000 infantry soldiers and 300 horsemen marched through the streets. While passing through the town, one of the soldiers is said to have fallen in love with a local girl. He decided to stay in Bratislava and began making sparkling wine which he named after himself, Hubert. The sculpture stands bent over one of the park benches lining the Old Town square." Napoleon Bonaparte sieged Bratislava in summer 1809. The Siege was part of Napoleon's 1809 Campaign against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Napoleon took Vienna (Wien), fought two major battles at Aspern and Wagram, but the Siege of Pressburg (now known as Bratislava) was not sucessful and French forces didn't take the city in spite of being besieged and bombarded. Leaving the city, however, French troops turned Devín Castle into a ruin, remaining in ruins until today. Bratislava hosts a reenactment of the Siege of 1809 every year.