Pyramid of Austerlitz

On September 10, 1804, General Marmont and his soldiers began the construction of this monument. After 27 days, approximately 30,000 cubic meters of soil had been raised to form this pyramid. The fact that this material was loose sand and gravel certainly helped with the quick construction. The Pyramid of Austerlitz is made of the local sand from this moraine. Not exactly an ideal material for a foundation. You will notice that the tower on top of the pyramid has also settled a bit and is not entirely upright anymore. This is not the original tower. The original tower was a 13-meter-high wooden obelisk. The festive opening took place on October 12, 1804. Napoleon himself was not present. In 1805, the soldiers left the camp and the Pyramid of Austerlitz fell into disrepair. The area came into the hands of the De Beaufort family. In 1894, J.B. de Beaufort, the then mayor of Woudenberg, had a stone obelisk built here. It is the one you now see standing as a local leaning tower of Pisa.

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