Benedetti-Stone & Emser Depeche (telegram)

The rock in the flower-bed was erected in memory of an incident in European history that happened in this place. This incident made Bad Ems enter the history books for ever and is known as “Emser Depesche” (Ems Telegram). This incident led to the outbreak of the Franco – Prussian War (1870/71). Otto von Bismarck altered the massage, which reported about the meeting of the French ambassador Benedetti and King Wilhelm I in this place on 13th July, and thus made it worse. After publishing it the war started.