The treasure in
Baesweiler forest
The Baesweiler Erb-
forest or bush as part of the large Propsteier forest. When the later
Baesweiler Erbwald separated from the Propsteier forest cooperative and
became independent can no longer be determined.
At the beginning of the 19th century, French troops often camped in Baesweiler.
pen. This led to the tradition of the following local history legend:
After the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, the defeated French fled
sian troops west behind the Rhine. Many also passed through ours
area and stayed in our villages. A troop set up camp in the
Baesweiler hereditary forest, which at that time still extended here. At night
one of the soldiers stole the war chest and buried it.
The troops moved on the next morning. Nothing was heard for years.
The owner of the forest knew nothing of his precious land and bo-
den, cut down trees and planted new ones.
After about 10 years, a closed stranger came to Baesweiler,
bought a shovel and pickaxe and started digging in the Baesweiler bush.
At first he was smiled at, until word got around that the stranger was looking for a
searched for buried treasure. Soon others also tried on their own
part of the hereditary forest to raise the treasure. But none of the treasure hunters
had success.
As early as 1829, the heirs to the bush decided to liquidate it
of the forest, while the royal government at Aachen supported the continuation of the
forest wished. After much back and forth, due to a
chen District Court of Aachen on July 03, 1840 issued judgment of Baesweiler
Erbbusch dissolved, but the disputes were not yet over.
closed. It was not until the end of 1866 that a settlement was reached that
opportunity finally settled.
Source: W. Reinartz: Heimatbuch der Gemeinde Baesweiler