| Battle of Prague | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theThirty Years' War | |||||||
 Swedes on the Charles Bridge. Adiorama created in 1891 by brothersKarel andAdolf Liebscher depicts the highlights of stubborn defense of right-bank Prague by students led by theJesuit Jiří Plachý | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Swedish Empire |  Bohemia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Arvid Wittenberg |
Hans Georg Kauffer | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| c. 7,500 soldiers (unconfirmed), plus 6,000 reinforcements led byCharles X Gustav of Sweden | c. 2,000 soldiers, plus local militia and university students | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 500 dead, 700 wounded | 219 dead, 475 wounded | ||||||
 | |||||||
TheBattle of Prague, which occurred between 25 July and 1 November 1648 was the last action of theThirty Years' War. While the negotiations for thePeace of Westphalia were proceeding,Sweden took the opportunity to mount one last campaign intoBohemia. The main result, and probably the main aim, was to loot the fabulous art collection assembled inPrague Castle byRudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (1552–1612), the pick of which was taken down theElbe in barges and shipped to Sweden.[1]
After occupying the castle and the western bank of the Vltava for some months, the Swedes stopped assaulting the Old and New Town at the eastern bank when news of the signing of the treaty reached them. They still remained a garrison on the western bank until their final withdrawal on 30 September 1649.
It was the last major clash of the Thirty Years' War, taking place in the city of Prague, where the war originally began 30 years earlier.
GeneralHans Christoff von Königsmarck, commanding Sweden's flying column, entered the city, which was defended by the Governor FeldmarschallRudolf von Colloredo, a veteran of the siege ofMantua and of thebattle of Lutzen, where he served underAlbrecht von Wallenstein. The Swedes, by a sudden night raid targeting a wall deemed weak due to ongoing construction, managed to enter the whole part of Prague on the western bank of theVltava river – i.e.,Prague Castle and quartersHradčany andLesser Town. They then rushed to Strahovská gate, where they killed the guards and opened the gate, allowing Königsmark and other Swedish divisions to easily enter the town.[2] Two days later, they attempted to enter theOld Town on the eastern bank of the river, but were repulsed on theCharles Bridge by Colloredo's men. When a third Swedish army commanded byPrince Carl Gustaf came close to Prague (25 September), all three Swedish armies launched a number of attacks against the city – not only from the west, via theCharles Bridge, but also from the north (bombardment from theLetná Plain) and especially from the eastern plains, towards another city quarter, theNew Town. These attacks were repelled largely thanks to the skill of theFeldmarschall and the energy of his troops, as well as the fierce resistance of theburghers' militia and student volunteer troops (Academic Legion) under CzechJesuit priestJiří Plachý andGerman priestjurist Hans Georg Kauffer.
The looting of Lesser town, Hrad town, and the castle began immediately after the assault on the left bank had begun;[3] some historians have argued that this was the main purpose of the raid. Many of the treasures collected byEmperor Rudolf II (such as theCodex Gigas andCodex Argenteus) were taken to Sweden, where some can be found inDrottningholm Palace, for example, several statues byAdrien de Vries.[4] However, before these could be taken to northern Germany, they had to wait for peacetime. Not all treasure made it to Stockholm either; many ordinary soldiers managed to take treasures. The cream of the artworks were taken into exile byChristina, Queen of Sweden (r. 1632–1654), and dispersed in groups after her death in 1689, the paintings forming the core of theOrleans Collection, which was sold in London after theFrench Revolution, so that many of Rudolf's paintings are now in the United Kingdom. A Swedish inventory of 1652 lists 472 paintings as having come from Prague.[5]
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On theOld Town Square aMarian column was erected to remember the salvation of Prague.
A monument erected during the 19th century on Colloredo's tomb in the Church of the Maltese Order in Prague recalls his victory over the Swedes. Its German inscription reads thus:
HIER RUHT RUDOLF GRAF COLLOREDOK.K. FELDMARSCHALL UND MALTHESERORDER GROSSPRIORVertheidiger der Alt und Neusstad Prags gegen die SchwedenGeb. am 2 Nov. 1585Gest. am 27 Jan. 1657.
("Here lies Rudolf, count Colloredo, Imperial and Royal Feldmarshall and Grand Prior of the Order of Malta, defender of the Old and New Town of Prague against the Swedes.Born 2. Nov. 1585Dead 27 Jan. 1657")
On Charles Bridge tower a 17th-century Latin inscription says:
SISTE VIATOR, SED LUBENS, AC VOLENS UBI SISTERE DEBUIT, SED COACTUS GOTHORUM, AC VANDALORUM FUROR
"Rest here, walker, and be happy: you can stop here willing, but unwilling were stopped the Goths (Swedes) and their Vandalic ferocity"
