Sack of Magdeburg 1631
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 20 May 1631 – 24 May 1631 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1631 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
| Era | Early modern (1500–1799) | derived from year |
| Location | Germany | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Swedish intervention in the Thirty Years' War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Catholic League, Holy Roman Empire, Magdeburg, Swedish Empire | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 52.1333, 11.6167 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Sack of Magdeburg, also called the Magdeburg Wedding (German: Magdeburger Hochzeit) or Magdeburg's Sacrifice (Magdeburgs Opfergang), was the destruction of the Protestant city of Magdeburg on 20–24 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 civilians. This event is considered the worst massacre of the Thirty Years' War. Magdeburg, then one of the largest cities within the borders of modern-day Germany, and having well over 25,000 inhabitants in 1630, did not recover its importance until well into the 18th century.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Sack of Magdeburg (revision 1371626790), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Browse more: battles in Germany · Europe · Early modern battles