The siege of Stralsund was an armed engagement between the Electorate of Brandenburg and the Swedish Empire from 20 September to 15 October 1678, during the Scanian War.[1] After two days of bombardment on 10 and 11 October, the severely devastated Swedish fortress of Stralsund surrendered to the Brandenburgers.[1] The remainder of Swedish Pomerania was taken by the end of the year,[2] yet most of the province including Stralsund was returned to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Peace of Lund, both concluded in 1679.
| Siege of Stralsund | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Scanian War | |||||||
 Plan of Stralsund in 1678 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Brandenburg-Prussia |
 Swedish Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg | Otto Wilhelm von Königsmarck | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
21,500 80 guns |
6,000 154 guns | ||||||
Prelude
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The Scanian War reached Swedish Pomerania when after the Battle of Fehrbellin (1675) the retreating Swedish forces were pursued by a Brandenburgian army under "Great Elector" Frederick William I's command.[1] Stralsund was one of only two major fortresses Sweden maintained in Pomerania, the other one being Stettin.[3] After the Brandenburgian army had captured Stettin and Wolgast, Stralsund was seriously threatened.[1] In addition, Danish forces had landed on Rügen in 1677, aided by a disloyal Rugian noble.[4]
Thus, all buildings outside the fortifications were levelled in 1677 to strip an imminent Brandenburgian attack of cover.[1] Stralsund then held a population of 8,500, including armed burghers,[5] and close to 5,000 Swedish, German and Finnish foot and horse.[6]
Siege
editFrederick William I positioned his artillery south of the town and started bombardment on 10 October 1678.[1] His aim was to force Swedish commander Otto Wilhelm von Königsmarck[7] into surrender by abundantly firing incendiary bombs on the burghers' mansions.[1] The small, newly created Brandenburgian navy also took part in the siege.[8]
Most of the southern half of the town was destroyed when the defendants surrendered the town on 11 October,[1] namely 285 houses, 476 huts, and 194 servant dwellings.[9][10]
Aftermath
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Despite great efforts of Frederick William I to win the loyalty of the Swedish Pomeranian population,[11] including generous aid programs to rebuild Stralsund and Stettin,[12] most remained loyal to Sweden.[11] After the fall of Stralsund, there were only few Swedish-held areas left in Swedish Pomerania, all of which Frederick William I had cleared by the end of 1678.[2]
Stralsund was returned to Sweden in the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1679).[1] Due to the devastating bombardment of 1678, as well as another fire on 12 June[10] 1680, the population was reduced to about 6,000, with an additional 2,000 garrisoned Swedes.[5] After the 1680 fire destroyed an additional 48 houses, 89 huts, and 82 servant dwellings, only 205 houses, 408 huts, and 158 servant dwellings were still standing.[13]
See also
editSources
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Grabinsky (2006), p.12
- ^ a b Bohmbach (2003), p.298
- ^ Langer (2003), p. 397
- ^ Meier (2008), p.18
- ^ a b Lorenz (2003), p.429
- ^ Lorenz (2003), p.428
- ^ Rystad (2001), p.333
- ^ van der Heyden (2001), p.12
- ^ Markfort (2006), p.181
- ^ a b Kroll (2003), p.107
- ^ a b Meier (2008), p.71
- ^ Meier (2008), p.166
- ^ Kroll (2003), p.108
Bibliography
edit- Bohmbach, Jürgen (2003). "Zuviel Geld für Pommern". In Asmus, Ivo; Droste, Heiko; Olesen, Jens E. (eds.). Gemeinsame Bekannte: Schweden und Deutschland in der Frühen Neuzeit (in German). Berlin-Hamburg-Münster: LIT Verlag. ISBN 3-8258-7150-9.
- Grabinsky, Anne (2006). "Die Stralsunder Doppelkatastrophe von 1678/80: Wiederaufbau nach zwei vernichtenden Stadtbränden". Kleine Stadtgeschichte (in German). Vol. II. Berlin-Hamburg-Münster: LIT Verlag. ISBN 3-8258-8994-7.
- Langer, Herbert (2003). "Die Anfänge des Garnisionswesens in Pommern". In Asmus, Ivo; Droste, Heiko; Olesen, Jens E. (eds.). Gemeinsame Bekannte: Schweden und Deutschland in der Frühen Neuzeit (in German). Berlin-Hamburg-Münster: LIT Verlag. ISBN 3-8258-7150-9.
- Lorenz, Maren (2003). "Schwedisches Militär und seine Justiz". In Asmus, Ivo; Droste, Heiko; Olesen, Jens E. (eds.). Gemeinsame Bekannte: Schweden und Deutschland in der Frühen Neuzeit (in German). Berlin-Hamburg-Münster: LIT Verlag. ISBN 3-8258-7150-9.
- van der Heyden, Ulrich (2001). Rote Adler an Afrikas Küste: die brandenburgisch-preussische Kolonie Grossfriedrichsburg in Westafrika (in German) (2 ed.). Selignow. ISBN 3-933889-04-9.
- Kroll, Stefan; Gyula Pápay (2003). "Wohnen und Wirtschaften in Stralsund um 1700". Stadtgeschichte und Historische Informationssysteme: der Ostseeraum im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert (in German) (2 ed.). Berlin-Hamburg-Münster: LIT Verlag. ISBN 3-8258-7103-7.
- Markfort, Ursula (2006). Stefan Kroll, Kersten Krüger (ed.). Städtesystem und Urbanisierung im Ostseeraum in der Frühen Neuzeit: urbane Lebensräume und historische Informationssysteme (in German). Berlin-Hamburg-Münster: LIT Verlag. ISBN 3-8258-8778-2.
- Meier, Martin (2008). Vorpommern nördlich der Peene unter dänischer Verwaltung 1715 bis 1721: Aufbau einer Verwaltung und Herrschaftssicherung in einem eroberten Gebiet (in German). Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag. ISBN 978-3-486-58285-7.
- Rystad, Göran (2001). Karl XI: en biografi (in Swedish). Historiska Media. ISBN 91-89442-27-X.