Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
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- Jul 11, 2008
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The destruction of Zittau
https://figure-mad.com/smf2/index.php?action=reporttm;topic=1696.17;msg=158232
The year is 1757 and the Seven Years' War is raging in Germany.
After Prussia's catastrophic defeat near Kollin (July 18, 1757), the king and the rest of his army had to retreat along the Elbe via Leitmeritz and Pirna.
A second part of the army under Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia marches to Leipa via Hirschberg and Neuschloss.
This détachement has the command of the large flour magazine in the Saxon town of Zittau...
After Prussia's catastrophic defeat near Kollin (July 18, 1757), the king and the rest of his army had to retreat along the Elbe via Leitmeritz and Pirna.
A second part of the army under Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia marches to Leipa via Hirschberg and Neuschloss.
This détachement has the command of the large flour magazine in the Saxon town of Zittau...
...to cover: More than 8,000 four-horse wagons with flour, oats and powder stand there; all the streets around the city are crowded with these chariots.
But the Austrian main army under Count Daun...
... and Duke Charles of Lorraine...
...is faster - their vanguard reaches Zittau on July 17th and 18th - on July 21st the entire Austrian army positions itself in a semicircle around Zittau.
The Prussians did not arrive at Herwigsdorf until the evening of July 22 and tried to get to Zittau the following day to carry out their mission.
But with every step forward they are being pressed more and more by the Austrians!
Throughout July 23 there is constant fighting, three Prussian cavalry regiments are already surrounded by the Austrians and in danger of being captured, when General von Winterfeld...
... rush in with one regiment of cuirassiers and three regiments of infantry and throw the Austrians back!
On hearing of the approaching Prussians, the Austrians tightened their ring around the city before Zittau.
There are 10,000 Prussian soldiers in the city - more than Zittau has inhabitants!
The city had already been asked to hand it over on July 18. However, the Prussian city commander, Colonel Christian-Friedrich von Diericke, rejected all requests. Later, on the 22nd, the Austrian artillery colonel, Walter von Waldenau...
... with a trumpeter at the Webertor and, as usual, was led blindfolded to General Schmettau. Both he and the Prince of Brunswick-Bevern replied that they would defend themselves as soldiers should.
On July 20th and 22nd, however, the Seidlitz cavalry, the Norman dragoon regiment and nine battalions of infantry, together with 500 bread wagons and artillery, the Prince von Bevern and General von Schmettau retreated to the Prussian camp near Herwigsdorf. The Austrian cavalry, which wanted to prevent this, was chased away by Seidlitz.
Only about 800 crew members remained in Zittau. And the bulk of the supplies.
On July 23, 1757, at 9 a.m., the Austrian colonel appears again, accompanied by the trumpeter, and is led to the commandant. The request to hand over the city is again rejected.
At 10 a.m., the Austrians, with two batteries stationed in the Frauenkirchhof and in a meadow to the right of the Mandau, launch a six-hour, uninterrupted bombardment of Zittau to prevent the Prussians from gaining possession of the supplies!
Every fourth ball is first made glowing and only then shot down!
The bombardment, which is led by the already mentioned Colonel von Waldenau, has devastating consequences for the city of Zittau!
Within a quarter of an hour, the city is already burning in nine places. Deleting is out of the question. One street after the other is engulfed in flames. Soon the various fires will unite into one big bonfire!
Since the gates remain occupied by the Prussians who stayed behind in the city and have strict orders to defend Zittau to the last man, none of the inhabitants can flee!
The Prussians in their camp near Herwigsdorf could only watch helplessly as Zittau fell.
When the shelling ends after six hours, Zittau is 80 percent destroyed and countless residents are dead.
The Prussian garrison is partially saved; a few manage to reach the camp near Herwigsdorf, many of them, including Saxons who had been pressed into the Prussian army, defect to the Austrians - also out of bitterness at the destruction of the city.
Three regiments of Austrians penetrate the glowing heap of rubble that was once Zittau, capture part of the undamaged flour supplies, 14,535 bushels, ten flags, lots of ammunition - and take 270 Prussians prisoner.
Among them is the former city commander, Colonel von Diericke. However, since he claims that he only stayed in the city in order to be able to receive any other Austrian parliamentarians who might arrive, he is released again.
The destruction of an entire city attracted the widest attention and sympathy in Europe at the time and was often compared to the fate of Magdeburg during the Thirty Years' War.
The Prussians have little choice but to mint this commemorative medal...:
But the Austrian main army under Count Daun...
... and Duke Charles of Lorraine...
...is faster - their vanguard reaches Zittau on July 17th and 18th - on July 21st the entire Austrian army positions itself in a semicircle around Zittau.
The Prussians did not arrive at Herwigsdorf until the evening of July 22 and tried to get to Zittau the following day to carry out their mission.
But with every step forward they are being pressed more and more by the Austrians!
Throughout July 23 there is constant fighting, three Prussian cavalry regiments are already surrounded by the Austrians and in danger of being captured, when General von Winterfeld...
... rush in with one regiment of cuirassiers and three regiments of infantry and throw the Austrians back!
On hearing of the approaching Prussians, the Austrians tightened their ring around the city before Zittau.
There are 10,000 Prussian soldiers in the city - more than Zittau has inhabitants!
The city had already been asked to hand it over on July 18. However, the Prussian city commander, Colonel Christian-Friedrich von Diericke, rejected all requests. Later, on the 22nd, the Austrian artillery colonel, Walter von Waldenau...
... with a trumpeter at the Webertor and, as usual, was led blindfolded to General Schmettau. Both he and the Prince of Brunswick-Bevern replied that they would defend themselves as soldiers should.
On July 20th and 22nd, however, the Seidlitz cavalry, the Norman dragoon regiment and nine battalions of infantry, together with 500 bread wagons and artillery, the Prince von Bevern and General von Schmettau retreated to the Prussian camp near Herwigsdorf. The Austrian cavalry, which wanted to prevent this, was chased away by Seidlitz.
Only about 800 crew members remained in Zittau. And the bulk of the supplies.
On July 23, 1757, at 9 a.m., the Austrian colonel appears again, accompanied by the trumpeter, and is led to the commandant. The request to hand over the city is again rejected.
At 10 a.m., the Austrians, with two batteries stationed in the Frauenkirchhof and in a meadow to the right of the Mandau, launch a six-hour, uninterrupted bombardment of Zittau to prevent the Prussians from gaining possession of the supplies!
Every fourth ball is first made glowing and only then shot down!
The bombardment, which is led by the already mentioned Colonel von Waldenau, has devastating consequences for the city of Zittau!
Within a quarter of an hour, the city is already burning in nine places. Deleting is out of the question. One street after the other is engulfed in flames. Soon the various fires will unite into one big bonfire!
Since the gates remain occupied by the Prussians who stayed behind in the city and have strict orders to defend Zittau to the last man, none of the inhabitants can flee!
The Prussians in their camp near Herwigsdorf could only watch helplessly as Zittau fell.
When the shelling ends after six hours, Zittau is 80 percent destroyed and countless residents are dead.
The Prussian garrison is partially saved; a few manage to reach the camp near Herwigsdorf, many of them, including Saxons who had been pressed into the Prussian army, defect to the Austrians - also out of bitterness at the destruction of the city.
Three regiments of Austrians penetrate the glowing heap of rubble that was once Zittau, capture part of the undamaged flour supplies, 14,535 bushels, ten flags, lots of ammunition - and take 270 Prussians prisoner.
Among them is the former city commander, Colonel von Diericke. However, since he claims that he only stayed in the city in order to be able to receive any other Austrian parliamentarians who might arrive, he is released again.
The destruction of an entire city attracted the widest attention and sympathy in Europe at the time and was often compared to the fate of Magdeburg during the Thirty Years' War.
The Prussians have little choice but to mint this commemorative medal...:
https://figure-mad.com/smf2/index.php?action=reporttm;topic=1696.17;msg=158232
