Monument du Maréchal Lefèbvre

The monument of Marshal Lefèbvre is located in front of the town hall. François Joseph Lefebvre, born in 1755 at No. 1 rue de la Poterne in Rouffach, son of a non-commissioned officer, was practically an orphan at the age of 10. Raised by an uncle who was a priest, he did not like classes, but was very gifted. At first he was a wigmaker's boy and at the age of 18, he joined the French Guards Regiment as a private. In 1783, he married a laundress, born Catherine Hübscher, who went down in history as Madame Sans-Gêne, with whom he had 14 children, 13 of whom died in infancy. Sergeant in 1788, he joined the armies of the Republic in 1792 and became an infantry captain. In 1793, he was made Brigadier General, then Major General in 1794. Wounded at Pfullendorf, he was appointed Governor of Paris in 1799. Allied to Bonaparte, his position enabled him to play an important role during the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire. Napoleon will never forget him and for the time being he made him president of the Senate in December 1799. Marshal of the Empire during the first promotion, Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honour. On 27 May 1807, he received the Duchy of Danzig. He persuaded Napoleon to abdicate at Fontainebleau and voted for his disqualification. Within a hundred days, he joined Napoleon, who appointed him peer of France without a command of troops. Then came Waterloo and the second restoration, Louis XVIII had him removed from the House, but eventually restored his title in 1819. He died on 14 September 1820 in Paris, after having chosen his own place in the Père-lachaise.
Catherine Hübscher, alias Madame Sans-Gêne, was born in 1753 at the bottom of an Alsatian valley and was sent as a servant to Paris. She adored Napoleon, but despised the futile and wicked court. Beautiful spirits mocked her clumsiness and language, peddling a thousand derogatory gossip. However, she made the emperor laugh, and he appreciated her common sense and honesty.