[3] Some believed that his motive for entering the war was the possession of northern German ports that would allow him to control commerce in the Baltic Sea. It is certain that no more terrible work and divine punishment has been seen since the Destruction of Jerusalem. The Sack of Magdeburg Part of a Series on the Philosophy of History . Sack of Magdeburg - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core Although the soldier complains they only received one hour for looting, this apparent lie emphasizes the cost of human life, the cost of property, the cost of morality, and the cost of humanity itself in war. . Brecht employs the subtractive effect to emphasize the history from below. Jacob F. Field is an early modern historian based at the University of Cambridge. Soon afterward, Pappenheim and Tilly launched infantry attacks. THE WAR COVERS WIDER AND WIDER TERRITORY. In the early morning of May 20, the conquest began with heavy artillery fire. previous |. Mark Twain famously said that a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth gets its pants on. The troops are seen as majestic and plentiful, riding in but not quite invading. In March 1629, Emperor Ferdinand II passed the Edict of Restitution. The Sack of Magdeburg (German: Magdeburgs Opfergang or German: Magdeburger Hochzeit) refers to the siege and subsequent plundering of Magdeburg by the army of the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War. The Sack of Magdeburgrefers to the destruction of the largely Protestantcity of Magdeburgon 20 May 1631 by the Imperial Armyand the forces of the Catholic League. Throughout its colorful history, Magdeburg has been subjected to devastation and destruction, particularly the Sack of Magdeburg in 1631, in which the city was engulfed in flames . But I was more concerned about my wife on the account of the sick child than on the account of my injuries. I am sorry you and the ladies of the court were not there to enjoy the spectacle.. Von Falckenberg was shot, and fires were kindled in different quarters; then indeed it was all over with the city, and further resistance was useless. Merian mediates the history of the battle, illustrating itin a glorious fashion. My wife also brought me a large tankard of four measures [approximately four liters] of wine and had, in addition also found two silver belts and clothes, which I later redeemed for twelvethalers at Halberstadt. It was a victory of the musket over the pike, and the beginning of the long struggle between line and column. von Magdeburg ( 1552) im Halberstdter Dom", "Sovereignty, International Relations, and the Westphalian Myth", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sack_of_Magdeburg&oldid=1144939594, This page was last edited on 16 March 2023, at 11:54. Today's anniversary - Thirty Years War reenactment | Facebook [9] Magdeburg's defeat convinced many Protestant rulers in the Holy Roman Empire to take a stand against the Catholic emperor.[10]. Most especially was every one of the enemy bent on securing much booty. The prayers of innocence excited some compassion in the hearts of the Germans, but none in the rude breasts of Pappenheims Walloons. The wind fanned the flames, further spreading the fire, in the end destroying 1,700 of the city's 1,900 buildings. Another mediation of history is given by playwright Bertolt Brecht many years after the Thirty Years War. For fourteen days, charred bodies were carried to the Elbe River to be dumped to prevent disease. Notes. [6] The citizens refused to acknowledge Emperor Charles's Augsburg Interim and were besieged by Imperial troops under Maurice, Elector of Saxony in 1550/51. The engraving of the Sack of Magdeburg byMatthaus Merian in 1632 is a secondary source that provides a history from above. A rather different account of 20 May 1631 at Magdeburg can be found in Lord Actons Lectures on Modern History, in which Lord Actons focus is entirely on the actions of Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, and Gottfried Heinrich, Graf zu Pappenheim. In the early morning of 20 May, the attack began with heavy artillery fire. [citation needed] This meant that the archbishop of Magdeburg ruled the town and the lands around it in all matters, worldly and spiritual. [8] Pope Urban VIII expressed his satisfaction that "the nest of heretics" was destroyed. By days end, 20,000 of Magdeburgs inhabitants had been killedthe single greatest tragedy of the war. However, even after all parties present to the event have died, there are still partisans of one interpretation or another in subsequent generationsthose for whom questioning an event, or failing to question an event, is treated as an affront to the lived experiences of past generations. "The Battle of Breitenfeld (17 September 1631)," in Tryntje Helfferich, ed., http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_tilly.html, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Subjects: History Military History. MOTHER COURAGE: What, you cant pay? "A Personal Account of the Destruction of Magdeburg." Trans. For other uses, see. The most famous eyewitness account of the sack comes from a chronicle composed by Magdeburg mayor Otto Guericke (1602-86). Soonafter, Pappenheim and Tilly started marching against Magdeburg. The wind rising rapidly, spread the flames, till the blaze became universal. [9] In 1626, he led an army from Lower Saxony into the Battle of Dessau Bridge. One of the immediate consequences of the sack of Magdeburg was the Elector of Brandenburg's alliance with Gustavus Adolphus, but the moral effects were certainly just as important. More than 6,000 bodies were thrown into the Elbe to clear the streets; a much greater number had been consumed by the flames. [6] When the city was almost lost, the garrison mined various places and set others on fire. Most especially was every one of the enemy bent on securing much booty. Neither innocent childhood, nor helpless old age; neither youth, sex, rank, nor beauty, could disarm the fury of the conquerors. Magdeburg, sack of In a letter, Pappenheim wrote of the Sack: I believe that over twenty thousand souls were lost. There are other implications of the account of the Sack of Magdeburg that sound contemporary, meaning that there are elements of contemporary history that likely have their origins in this early modern conflict: terror and propaganda. As I was now bandaged up, my wife went into the city, even though it was completely on fire, since she wished to fetch a cushion and cloth for me to lie on and for the dressings. The terms "Magdeburg justice", "Magdeburg mercy" and "Magdeburg quarter" also arose as a result of the Sack, used originally by Protestants when executing Catholics who begged for quarter. Sack of Magdeburg - YouTube [9] Since about 1600, he styled himself Administrator of Magdeburg, as did other Protestant German notables assigned to govern principalities that were de jure property of the Catholic church. Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden had given Magdeburg assurances of protection, and when Count Tilly led a substantial army to besiege it in earnest on 3 April, Gustavus Adolphus moved to protect the city. After two months of siege and despite the Swedish victory in the Battle of Frankfurt an der Oder on 13 April 1631, Pappenheim finally convinced Tilly, who had brought reinforcements, to storm the city on 20 May with 40,000 men under the personal command of Pappenheim. After Magdeburg's capitulation to the Imperial forces, there were disputes between residents who had favoured resistance to the emperor and those who had opposed it. 1. Constructing Black Legends continues in our own day, with manufactured atrocities spread by social media. 1. File:Sack of Magdeburg 1631.jpg - Wikimedia Commons The Sack of Magdeburg (German language: Magdeburgs Opfergang or German language: Magdeburger Hochzeit) refers to the siege, the subsequent plundering, and the massacre of the inhabitants of the largely Protestant city of Magdeburg by the forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic League during the Thirty Years' War. Ser. For another fourteen days, charred bodies were carried to the Elbe River to be dumped to prevent disease. Even King Gustavus Adolphus joined in the finger pointing, claiming that the citizens of Magdeburg had not been willing to pay the necessary funds for their defense. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (15591632), Graf Gottfried Heinrich von Pappenheim (I found one contemporary account of the Sack of Magdeburg that puts atrocity in scare quotes, as I have just done, to emphasize the disputed character of the event.) On the latter date, Imperial Field Marshal Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu . Lecture. Arolsen Klebeband 18 061 1.jpg 1,261 916; 971 KB Eduard Steinbrck Die Magdeburger Jungfrauen.jpg 1,957 1,332; 235 KB [10]:167, When the Magdeburg citizens refused to pay a tribute demanded by the emperor, Imperial forces under the command of a Flemish mercenary, Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly laid siege to the city within a matter of months. Not all Protestant rulers within the Holy Roman Empire had immediately embraced Adolphus, however. [1], Whilst Magdeburg was razed by the fire, many Imperial soldiers supposedly went out of control. 12 September 2012. . The city was dealt another blow when Swedish colonel Dietrich von Falkenberg was shot dead by Catholic imperials. The city's councillors had been emboldened by King Gustavus Adolphus's landing in Pomerania on 6 July 1630:[1] the Swedish king was a Lutheran Christian, and many of Magdeburg's residents were convinced that he would aid them in their struggle against the Roman Catholic Habsburg emperor, Ferdinand II. Print. The siege lasted from November 1630 until 20 May 1631. Youtube Steam Group:http://steamcommunity.com/groups/Lord_JohnYoutubeTwitch: http://www.twitch.tv/thelordjohn1/profileFacebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/. 30 Year's War - Sack of Magdeburg - YouTube Questions or concerns? This is quoted in several sources, but I am unable to find any collection of correspondence for Tilly or Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II to verify the quote or the read the letter for myself. Sack of Magdeburg | Eric Flint Wiki | Fandom [5] In a matter of months, imperial forces under the command of the Count of Tilly laid siege to the city and significant military assistance from the king of Sweden was nowhere to be found.[3]. . There we captured several entrenchments in the forest in front of Magdeburg. After the city fell the Imperial soldiers went out of control and started to massacre the inhabitants and set fire to the city. God will find his own. The Imperial troops careened out of control and a horrible massacre resulted. Unparalleled Slaughter: The Sack of Magdeburg - The 1440 Review God with us. sack of madgeburg - ohthewoesofwar Thus I was brought back to my tent, half dead. In less than twelve hours, this strong, populous, and flourishing city, one of the finest in Germany, was reduced to ashes, with the exception of two churches and a few houses. The Croats amused themselves with throwing children into the flames; Pappenheims Walloons with stabbing infants at the mothers breast. The city's councilors had been emboldened by King Gustavus Adolphus's landing in Pomerania on 6 July 1630. The sack of Magdeburg, also called Magdeburg's Wedding (German: Magdeburger Hochzeit) or Magdeburg's Sacrifice (Magdeburgs Opfergang), was the destruction of the Protestant city of Magdeburg on 20 May 1631 by the Imperial Army and the forces of the Catholic League, resulting in the deaths of around 20,000, including both defenders and non-combatants.The event is considered the worst massacre . He had our company for ten days, after which he resigned. For fourteen days, charred bodies were carried to the Elbe River to be dumped to prevent disease. Engraving by Matthaus Merian, The Sack of Magdeburg,Wikia, 1632, http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/ericflint/images/f/f2/754px-Magdeburg_1631.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140317221910, Peter Hagendorf, translated diary entry, 1631. In a letter, Pappenheim wrote of the Sack: "I consider it cost the city more than 20,000 souls, and most certainly no greater horrors and divine justice have been seen since the Destruction of Jerusalem. Omissions? The Sack of Madgeburg 1631, a painting by Johann Phillip Abelin, portrays the battle in a completely different light. Some officers of the League, horror-struck at this dreadful scene, ventured to remind Tilly that he had it in his power to stop the carnage. Lecture. The History of Us is a registered trademark, View other events that happened in November 1630. Sack of Magdeburg | Historica Wiki | Fandom The Sack of Magdeburg refers to the destruction of the largely Protestant city of Magdeburg on 20 May 1631 by the Imperial Army and the forces of the Catholic League. During fierce fighting, Imperial troops numbering 24,000, roughly the same number as Magdeburg's entire population, conquered several sconces of the city's fortification and Tilly demanded capitulation.[16]. The 20th of May we attacked and stormed in earnest and also conquered. [7] It took only one day for all of this destruction and death to transpire. The imperial Catholic general Tilly placed the town of Magdeburg, a centre of Lutheranism, under close siege in March 1631 From: [7], After Magdeburg's capitulation to the Imperial forces, there was much bickering between the residents who had favored resistance against the emperor and those who had been against such an action. Tilly, with difficulty, saved the Cathedral, and handed it over to the Catholics. (LogOut/ [1] Tilly finally ordered an end to the looting on 24 May, and a Catholic mass was celebrated at the cathedral on the next day. One of them has a womans fur coat about his shoulders. 1. Vol. [4] Regardless, the city of Magdeburg had good reason to ally itself with him; the Swedish king had one of the most efficient armies of that time period and he did not rely on mercenaries as much as other rulers did at the time. Updates? The King of Sweden made no attempt to relieve the besieged city; and in May 1631 Pappenheim, the hardest hitter among the German commanders, took the place by storm. Please, anniversary of the Sack of Magdeburg, which occurred on 20 May 1631. Lord Acton was a traditionalist in history, in a sense, insofar as he made political and military developments the structure of his narrative; the sufferings of Magdeburg and its people, so central to Schillers narrative, have no part to play in Lord Actons account. When a marauding party entered a house, if its master had anything to give he might thereby purchase respite and protection for himself and his family till the next man, who also wanted something, should come along. He received an annual sum of 12,000 thaler from the revenues of the archbishopric of Magdeburg under the Peace of Prague. At this point, in the manner described by General Pappenheim1, a considerable force of men gathered on the wall near Reustadt [Neustadt?] Scarcely had the fury of the flames abated, when the Imperialists returned to renew the pillage amid the ruins and ashes of the town. Hampden-Sydney College. Linkedin. .' was a song that, according to the con-temporary account of the Premonstratensian provost Zacharias Bandhauer, was sung in 1629 and in the . (End), Note: Perhaps modern historians will lower the death toll and start a Magdeburg debate. [14]:109. The Army of Gustavus Adolphus. The siege was ended and Imperial Field Marshal Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, and Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, attacked Magdeburg for its rich stores of goods. The living crawling from under the dead, children wandering about with heart-rending cries, calling for their parents; and infants still sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers. Today is the 392nd anniversary of the Sack of Magdeburg, which occurred on 20 May 1631. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. Two SOLDIERS are being served at a counter by KATTRIN and MOTHER COURAGE. At the time of the Peace of Westphalia, ending the Thirty Years' War in 1648, the city's population had further dropped so that only 450 people were still living in the city. Magdeburg - New World Encyclopedia In last years post, discussing Schillers account, I noted that the idea of Magdeburgization is familiar in our own time, although by different names. His account demonstrates the cost of human values for respect and property ownership andfurnishesreaders and historians another perspective into the battle, allowing us to gain a deeper and more well-rounded understanding of the battle. History from above provides a grandiose and glorified view of history that omits the gore or brutal details. Afterward I was taken to the camp and bound up, for I had been shot once through the stomach (shot right through from the front), and a second time through both shoulders, so that the bullet was caught in my shirt.The army doctor bound my hands behind my back so he could use the gouge on me. Magdeburg further suffered from the loss of its fundamental resources and several epidemics due to the massive destruction. Better sourced is this quote from Gottfried Heinrich, Graf zu Pappenheim: I believe that over twenty thousand souls were lost. So it will be with the histories of our time. The terms "Magdeburg justice", "Magdeburg mercy" and "Magdeburg quarter" also arose as a result of the Sack, used originally by Protestants when executing Catholics who begged for quarter. The Sack of Magdeburg - by J. N. Nielsen (15941632) king of Sweden 161132, See all related overviews in Oxford Reference Infantry (Men-at-Arms). There were reports of rapes[1] and torture. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1991. Two days later the suburbs fell and the city was reduced to its inner defenses. Artist artist QS:P170,Q4233718,P1774,Q57968 Title Deutsch: Magdeburger Hochzeit English: Sack of Magdeburg Object type engraving/ watercolor painting Description Sack of Magdeburg 1631, imperial troops conquer the toll redoubt and the suburbs in April 1631 Depicted place Magdeburg Date 1659 date QS:P571,+1659-00-00T00:00:00Z/9 Medium See more Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels Augustus of Saxe-Weissenfels (Dresden, 13 August 1614 - 4 June 1680, Halle), was a Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Querfurt of the House of Wettin and administrator of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg. . The city was dealt another blow when Colonel Dietrich von Falkenberg, a nobleman sent by King Gustavus to direct Magdeburg's military affairs, was shot dead by Catholic imperials. Both circumstances are fertile grounds for those who would make mischief with history. "[c][19]:48, The Imperial treatment of defeated Magdeburg helped persuade many Protestant rulers in the Holy Roman Empire to stand against the Roman Catholic emperor. God with us.. A Local Apocalypse - The Sack of Magdeburg (1631) When King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and his army landed on German territory in June 1630, Catholic commanders saw Magdeburg on the Elbe River as the best base for defending their northern gains, keeping watch on Saxony and Brandenburg, and blocking the Swedish passage to the south. In one church fifty-three women were found beheaded. The terms "Magdeburg justice", "Magdeburg mercy" and "Magdeburg quarter" also arose as a result of the sack, used originally by Protestants when executing Roman Catholics who begged for quarter. Previously, our failures to understand the past were, in part, due to lack of materials. Battle of Magdeburg | Summary | Britannica The archbishopric of Magdeburg was established as an ecclesiastical principality in 968. At the time, about 24,000 Imperial soldiers gathered around the walls. The Sack of Magdeburg: A Document Based Analysis Quick Reference. Let us know. On the latter date, Imperial Field Marshal Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, and Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, attacked Magdeburg for its rich stores of goods. News of the sack of Magdeburg ran like wildfire through Protestant Europe. Print. Sack of Magdeburg - dictionary.sensagent.com Then was there naught but beating and burning, plundering, torture, and murder. The representational choices of this engraving reveal the cost of mass human life upon further inspection. [a] All of our soldiers became rich. So then General Pappenheim collected a number of his people on the ramparts by the New Town, and brought them from there into the streets of the city. Many . They each provide a unique point of view and skew the events of the siege to fit their perspectives. 1. [2][8], Openly Lutheran Christian William of Brandenburg, elected to be archbishop in 1598, was denied recognition by the imperial authorities. Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, commander of Imperial Catholic forces, is said to have written the following to Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II after the Sack of Magdeburg: Never was such a victory since the storming of Troy or of Jerusalem. [8], After Magdeburg's capitulation to the imperial forces, there was much bickering between the residents who had favored resistance against the emperor and those who had been against such an action. [14]:108, There are written reports of the attackers setting fire to single houses to dislodge persistent defenders. The most magnificent garments, hangings, silk stuffs, gold and silver lace, linen of all sorts, and other household goods were bought by the army sutlers for a mere song and peddled about by the cart load all through the archbishopric of Magdeburg and in Anhalt and Brunswick. The Sack of Magdeburg - Medium Infantry (Men-at-Arms). The link was not copied. [14]:107 The city was besieged from 20 March 1631 and Tilly put his subordinate Imperial Field Marshal Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, a Catholic convert, in command while he campaigned elsewhere. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. foreign guests are coming to cast thee out. We set ourselves up in the local villages and blockaded the city [of Magdeburg] for the entire winter, staying encamped in villages until the spring of 1631. The terms "Magdeburg justice", "Magdeburg mercy" and "Magdeburg quarter" also . [3] Yet the city of Magdeburg had additional good reason to ally itself with him: the Swedish army was one of the most efficient of the time, and Gustavus Adolphus did not rely on mercenaries as much as other rulers did. Tillys ranks were ten deep, and the Swedes only three, so that every musketeer fired. After defeat at Dessau and Denmarks withdrawal, the Protestants had received a boost when Sweden invaded Germany in 1630, but they could not prevent the imperial armys sack of Magdeburg, the most infamous episode of the Thirty Years War. [7], The Roman Catholic archdiocese had de facto turned void since 1557, when the last papally confirmed prince-archbishop, the Lutheran Sigismund of Brandenburg came of age and ascended to the see. It was only when everything had been brought forth and there was nothing left to give that the real trouble commenced. Sack of Magdeburg | World History Project (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2023. [citation needed], During the Thirty Years' War, Administrator Christian William entered into an alliance with Denmark. The Army of Gustavus Adolphus. Excerpts from his account are reproduced below. in At Breitenfeld, a few miles out of Leipzig, Gustavus, feebly aided by the Saxons, defeated the Imperialists in the greatest battle of the war. Historical Event and Contemporary Experience: The Capture and The devastations were so great that Magdeburgisieren (or "magdeburgization") became an oft-used term signifying total destruction, rape, and pillaging for decades. There is, in fact, so much material from the twentieth century that future historians will have to be even more selective in the material they use to tell their histories, and this selection offers an avenue for human, all-too-human bias and prejudice to enter. The Thirty Years . Robinson, ed. Many were suffocated by the smoke; many found rich booty in the cellars, where the citizens had concealed their more valuable effects. While Count von Pappenheim is said to have ordered at first that the citizens and inhabitants be made anxious and fearful, later the vile rabble of soldiers showed no discretion and would not stop. A cross in thelower right hand corner of the imagesymbolizes death witnessed near thesite. There I entered the city by storm without incurring any injury. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. 3 quick facts: The Sack of Magdeburg is also called Magdeburg's Wedding, symbolising a pure virgin that has her virtue stripped from her. geopolicraticus.substack.com. Left by their generals silence masters of the lives of all the citizens, the soldiery broke into the houses to satiate their most brutal appetites. Reports of the tragedy were spread by at least twenty newsletters and nearly 250 pamphlets, as well as printed sermons, poems, and at least one drama. In this frenzied rage, the great and splendid city that had stood like a fair princess in the land was now, in its hour of direst need and unutterable distress and woe, given over to the flames, and thousands of innocent men, women, and children, in the midst of a horrible din of heartrending shrieks and cries, were tortured and put to death in so cruel and shameful a manner that no words would suffice to describe, nor no tears to bewail it . Sack of Magdeburg - YouTube All Rights Reserved. Otto von Guericke, an inhabitant of Magdeburg, claimed that when civilians ran out of things to give the soldiers, "the misery really began. However, it is interesting to note that Guericke's account had been translated several times, and each translation seems to tell a very different story. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He was then able to begin the reconstruction of the city. Battle of Magdeburg, (November 163020 May 1631). Then, what with blows and threats of shooting, stabbing, and hanging, the poor people were so terrified that if they had had anything left they would have brought it forth if it had been buried in the earth or hidden away in a thousand castles. J. H . The Sack of Magdeburg (German language: Magdeburgs Opfergang or German language: Magdeburger Hochzeit) refers to the siege, the subsequent plundering, and the massacre of the inhabitants of the largely Protestant city of Magdeburg by the forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic League during the Thirty Years' War. It was specifically aimed at restoring the situation of the 1555 Peace of Augsburg in ecclesiastical territories that had since strayed from "legal" Catholic faith and rule. (3) Haiduks were mercenary infantry from Hungary. Nevertheless some of the soldiers and citizens did try to make a stand here and there, but the imperial troops kept bringing on more and more forces cavalry, too to help them, and finally they got the Krockenthor open and let in the whole imperial army and the forces of the Catholic League, Hungarians, Croats, Poles, Walloons, Italians, Spaniards, French, North and South Germans. She got out of the city after one and a half hours with an old woman from the city. Brzezinski, Richard. Return in an hour, was his answer; I will see what I can do; the soldier must have some reward for his danger and toils. These horrors lasted with unabated fury, till at last the smoke and flames proved a check to the plunderers.
