▁bank , ▁which ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁maintained ▁after ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁had ▁left ▁and ▁had ▁fallen ▁into ▁dis use . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁promoted ▁fruit ▁production ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁( for ▁example , ▁cher ry ▁growing ▁in ▁Bad ▁Sal zig , ▁like ▁it ▁was ▁pract iced ▁in ▁Norm andy ). ▁ ▁This ▁partly ▁replaced ▁the ▁vit icult ure , ▁which ▁had ▁decl ined ▁sharp ly ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁▁ ▁The ▁French ▁included ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁area ▁in ▁the ▁department ▁of ▁Rh in - et - M os elle , ▁with ▁its ▁seat ▁in ▁Kob len z . ▁The ▁new ▁government ▁replaced ▁the ▁German ▁princes ▁with ▁French ▁sec ular ▁r ul ers , ▁abol ished ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁system , ▁seized ▁land ▁from ▁the ▁church ▁and ▁nob ility ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁res ell ▁it ▁and ▁introduced ▁French - style ▁legisl ation . ▁ ▁On ▁New ▁Year ' s ▁Day ▁ 1 8 1 4 , ▁an ▁army ▁under ▁general ▁Bl ü cher ▁crossed ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁at ▁Ka ub . ▁ ▁This ▁marked ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁rule , ▁the ▁final ▁defeat ▁of ▁Napoleon ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ ▁Pr uss ian ▁rule ▁over ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁Congress ▁of ▁Vienna ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁Pr uss ia ▁received ▁its ▁" Watch ▁on ▁the ▁Rh ine " ▁on ▁the ▁left ▁bank . ▁ ▁The ▁right ▁bank ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁H