During the reign of Emperor Napoleon, the Rhine formed the boundary line between France and Germany. However, because of their strategic importance both Kastel and Kostheim on the right side of the Rhine were also annexed by the French. Not far from this panel would have been French territory. Napoleon was forced to abandon his expansion into the East just outside the burning city of Moscow in the harsh winter of 1812. The returning troops received a decisive blow in October 1813 at the battle of Leipzig and were forced to return behind the Rhine Line. In November 1813, Hochheim was one of the last bastions liberated from French occupation before Mainz. An alliance between Austria, Prussia, Bavaria and Cossacks fought a brave battle here, near the “Kippel“ and defeated 12-15000 French soldiers from occupied Mainz, driving them back across the Rhine.

After the battle, until February 1814, Hochheim experienced a period of pillaging, starvation and depravity and its citizens were harassed. The town had to provide quarters and supplies for 83 generals, 5261 officers and 219,620 soldiers. 240 citizens of Hochheim died of typhus in the months following the battle. In Mainz, 20,000 people died, most of them soldiers .