The Thirty Years’ War (1618–48) was a time of religious conflict that took place mainly in Central Europe. As can be expected in a long war, there were many battles, conflicts, and skirmishes.
Magdeburg, Germany, strategically located by the Elbe River, was a hub for transport of supplies and manpower throughout the region. It was also in a unique position as it was once a Catholic stronghold, founded by Charlemagne in 806.
Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, also called Otto the Great, built up Magdeburg to be an important city in the 10th century. During his lifetime, he granted the city the privilege of a “Free Imperial City”; that is, a self-ruling entity under the empire. The need for self-governance became especially pronounced when, during the Protestant Reformation, Magdeburg became predominantly Lutheran. The Catholic rulers refused to honor Otto’s policy and let their stronghold go, dug in their heels further, which disenfranchised the Protestant population.
Emperor Otto I and his wife Edith arrive near Magdeburg, 1898, by Hugo Vogel. Public Domain
Past negotiations between the two warring religious factions were always short-lived, with no clear long-term resolution. The Thirty Years’ War had been raging for a dozen years, when Swedish King Adolphus Gustavus pledged his support to the northern Protestants, including those in Magdeburg. This allowed Protestant-majority territories to rebel against their Catholic rulers. Magdeburg was at a boiling point. It wasn’t long before tensions erupted, leading the Catholic rulers to allow the worst massacre of the conflict: the Sack of Magdeburg. In one day, 20,000 out of 25,000 never saw the summer of 1681.
Gertrud von le Fort’s “The Wedding of Magdeburg,” originally published in German in 1938, leads up to and includes that fateful day.
Novelization of a Historical Event
Johann Ahlemann is an Imperialist and a Protestant who continues to hold on to the Holy Roman emperors’ promise that Magdeburg will be a “Free Imperial City”—a self-ruling entity under the Holy Roman Empire. He had worked to petition the current Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II to acknowledge the privilege granted them by Otto. But Ahlemann, perceived to be a weak leader, is thrown out by the Magdeburgers.Meanwhile, Ahlemann’s nephew Willigis and his fiancée Erdmuth Plögen are preparing for their wedding day. During the third and final reading of the marriage banns, Willigis abruptly walks out, leaving everyone bewildered and Erdmuth incensed. The eve before the wedding is traditionally a night of partying and merriment as the maiden bids goodbye to her youth. However, Willigis doesn’t show up for that either. Erdmuth, after a few moments of self-pity, holds up her chin and declares she will find her “own way” in the world.
Willigis, on the other hand, has rushed to Wolmirstedt, where his uncle Johann has fled. Willigis finds himself in the same room as the Holy Roman Empire’s most trusted general, Count von Tilly.
Portrait of Johann T'Serclaes, Count von Tilly. Public Domain
While Willigis is away, the Swedish king’s ambassador, Col. Dietrich von Falkenberg, shows up at the city gates. The Magdeburgers take von Falkenberg’s appearance as an assurance of the Swedish king’s help in dealing with Tilly’s forces, who have now blockaded and surrounded the city in a bid to reclaim their hold on Magdeburg.
On May 20, the Imperial forces break through Magdeburg’s fortifications and proceed to ravage the city and its women. Although it seems that victory belongs to the Catholics, there are no real winners in the end. Only 5,000 people survive, and the city is left in ruins. Could the tragedy have been averted?
One “shadowy” character in the story provides an insightful analysis on “what could’ve been”—perhaps, the personal judgment of author von le Fort injected into the narrative.
A Well-Rounded Take on History
Readers of history will enjoy the creative retelling of this particular episode in the Thirty Years’ War. Playing up to the Sack of Magdeburg’s ironic moniker “Magdeburg’s Wedding,” found in German literature, von le Fort breaks up the story into three parts: Maiden’s Eve, The Dance of Honor, and The Bridal Chamber. Just as Erdmuth and Willigis prepare for their wedding day, Magdeburgers anticipate the arrival of their Swedish savior. In cleverly weaving these elements together, von le Fort stays true to the theme and personifies the event well.The story presents both sides of the conflict, and, unlike many works of historical fiction, the characters are multi-dimensional. As readers are pulled into the story, they get an inside look into the thoughts and feelings of Catholics and Lutherans as they debate on their city’s future. Readers can empathize or loathe the characters as the story moves along.
The Horrors of War
"The Sack of Magdeburg (The Magdeburg Virgins)," 1866, by Eduard Steinbrück. Public Domain
Aside from animating the historical figures in this book, the author deals delicately with sensitive topics of violence against women and the massacre of the 20,000 Magdeburgers. There are no gory details or sensationalized accounts of senseless violence. Von le Fort doesn’t skip over the facts, but presents them so that readers know exactly what’s happening without being given explicit details. The English translator, Chase Faucheux, is to be credited for his careful translation and choice of words.
For those unfamiliar with this event or have only a vague idea of what happened during the Thirty Years’ War, this book will capture imaginations and hearts. It puts readers in the shoes of Willigis, Erdmuth, and even Tilly. It’s a story of the undeniable losses and pains that come with war—whether just or not.
As Marine Corps veteran and president of Catholic Answers, Christopher Check states in the book’s introduction, “it should be required reading for the staff of those think tanks and journals ever advocating for more American funding of, and participation in, perpetual war.”
As for the general reader, it’s required reading because there is so much to be gained from learning history. As Winston Churchill clearly stated: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
‘The Wedding of Magdeburg’
By Gertrud von le Fort and Chase Faucheux
Ignatius Press, Nov. 15, 2024
Paperback: 245 pages
What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to [email protected]
