Bombardment of Arnsberg

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Bombardment of Arnsberg
Part of: Seven Years War
Plan of the attaque of the Arensberg Castle in April 1762
Plan of the attaque of the Arensberg Castle in April 1762
date April 1762
place Arnsberg
output Allied victory
consequences Destruction of the castle and the city
Parties to the conflict

Allies

Royal Standard of the King of France, svg France

Commander

Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Muret

Troop strength
15,000 men 200 men
Seven Years War (1756–1763)
Western theater of war

The bombardment of Arnsberg in April 1762 during the Seven Years' War led to the destruction of Arnsberg Castle and large parts of the city of Arnsberg .

First years of war in Arnsberg

The city of Arnsberg was the dominant center of the Electoral Cologne Duchy of Westphalia . The Arnsberg Castle was the residence of the Cologne electors in this area. In the 17th and 18th centuries, they also valued the area for its good hunting opportunities. Clemens August von Bayern had the castle redesigned into a baroque building by Johann Conrad Schlaun between 1730 and 1734. The courtly splendor experienced a climax during this time.

The Elector's foreign policy was shaped by various changes of allies. Most recently he was allied with Austria and France in the seven-year war against Prussia.

Arnsberg Castle 1757 from the northeast

The war became a heavy burden for the Electorate of Cologne. The actual acts of war in Westphalia took place mainly on the plains, so that the duchy was initially only marginally affected. The Möhne and Diemel valleys served as military roads for the Allied army or French troops, depending on the war situation. There were several battles in this context at Marsberg . To protect the march routes, Ferdinand von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel had a permanently manned and fortified camp built near Rüthen . The country was initially mainly affected by the forced deliveries to the armies.

Apart from its importance as a seat of power, the city of Arnsberg was of a certain strategic importance due to road connections in the direction of the Rhineland and Hesse.

In the first two years of the war, Arnsberg was not directly affected by the war events. The French were militarily successful at this time and pushed the Allies out of Westphalia. A magazine for the French troops was set up on the electoral estate in Obereimer . In 1758, the fortunes of war turned and the French had to withdraw to the Rhine. The Allied troops took winter quarters in Westphalia. Hessian troops lay in Rüthen, Brilon and Arnsberg and Prussian hussars lay in Sundern . Several Hessian companies were quartered in Arnsberg. This led to stress on the civilian population. The ruling mayor of Romberg noted: “Every citizen who was only somewhat wealthy had eight to twelve, every poor person, every beggar, one or two men to accommodate and feed. There was dearth and impoverishment of the not very wealthy residents. "

War contributions to the various parties, valuations from the sovereign, confiscation of horses and wagons burdened the population. The armies also hunted recruits in the region. In one night alone, 1,800 men are said to have been forcibly recruited in the duchy. The fields lay fallow, epidemics and diseases broke out and the population became impoverished.

The troops left the winter quarters in March 1759. In the following months, small units of the different warring parties took turns in the city. In winter, Hessian troops moved into quarters again. Among them was a general with his staff. In addition, the city had to pay 4000 Reichstaler war contributions to Prussia. The taxes were similarly high in the following years.

In May 1760 the troops marched in the direction of Waldeck and Hesse. Instead, the French moved into Arnsberg in July 1760 under the command of Lieutenant General Comte de Saint Germain. His corps moved into a camp at Lüsenberg and an der Haar before moving on to Meschede. A small number of soldiers stayed behind to protect the food depot.

First attack in 1760

In addition, volunteer corps and hunter troops use the city as a starting point for raids on Allied troops who were garrisoned in Lippstadt . They took their booty to Arnsberg. An approximately 500-strong unit of Hanoverian troops with two cannons was set off from Lippstadt against Arnsberg. The guns were brought into position on Galgenberg (today Schreppenberg) while another part of the troops took the town. The French stores stored in the city were distributed to the citizens. The castle was shot at from the Galgenberg on July 15, 1760, at the same time it was attacked from the city side. The crew managed to repel both attacks in one hour of fighting. Cannons were used against the gallows hill, musket fire was sufficient against the soldiers approaching from the city side. Parts of the castle were damaged by the attack. The defenders had only a few slightly wounded, while the attackers had about 100 dead and wounded. It is unclear why the French withdrew a short time later. Perhaps the weak force feared stronger attacks. Perhaps the loss of supplies made the stay unnecessary.

Until December 1760 the city was spared by the military except for a few patrols on both sides. On December 24th, there was a fight within the city between two of these patrols. A short time later the city was occupied by an Allied corps. After the city delivered supplies to him, the troops withdrew. A small unit returned and occupied the castle, among other things. The French standing in Grevenstein attacked this troop in the night and took some prisoners.

French occupation

Floor plan of Arnsberg Castle with defenses (map from 1762)

As a result, the castle was occupied by the French, while the city continued to be traversed by small troops from both sides. Eventually the citizens organized a permanent post service, which ended the passage of patrols. After the defeat of the French at Vellinghausen in July 1761, part of the French army marched under Charles de Rohan, prince de Soubise through Arnsberg to Herdringen , where they camped for a few days. The army then moved on towards the Rhine.

Arnsberg remained in French hands. City commander was a certain Muret. He commanded 150 men from the Alsace Regiment, 130 men from a free corps and 40 hussars. The mounted men, in particular, had the task of exploring whether there were any conspicuous activities to be observed around the weapon areas of the opponents in Hamm and Lippstadt. They worried the population and stole people, ammunition and food. The city was of strategic importance in the winter of 1761/62 because it protected the connection between two French armies on the Lower Rhine and in Hesse. For the Allied commander, Duke Ferdinand von Braunschweig, it was therefore of great importance to remove this line of communication. The French were evidently received in a friendly manner. They organize banquets, musical performances and dance events in which the city's dignitaries and the local nobility took part.

siege

Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

The French garrison of around 200 men was well aware of the danger posed by the Allies. The soldiers were systematically preparing for an attack from the beginning of April 1762. Extensive fortification work was carried out. So walls, parapets, bastions and palisades were built. Some of the planks were removed from the monastery bridge to make it more difficult to cross the Ruhr. The castle was provided with cannons. In some cases, guns were brought in from other castles such as Schnellenberg or Wocklum . However, there were only a few and bad cannons. A contemporary map shows various bastions with gun emplacements and other defensive structures. Particularly noticeable is an apparently strong wall on the plateau of the Schlossberg.

On April 12, activities by the opposing side near Hamm indicated an impending attack. Coming from Munster, the Hamm troops marched into the Duchy of Westphalia under the personal command of Hereditary Prince Karl Wilhelm of Braunschweig . He commanded a corps of about 15,000 men. It consisted of cavalry, infantry, hussars and hunters, as well as numerous artillery pieces. The army moved in two columns. A second Allied troop marched from Lippstadt towards Arnsberg under the command of Lieutenant General von Oheim.

The city commandant in Arnsberg sent the cavalrymen, who were useless during a siege, away, also for relief. In Werl, all carpenters who could be reached were obliged by the Allies to repair a Ruhr bridge near Bremen for the river crossing, as the river was flooding. In addition, further bridges were built to bring the troops quickly across the Ruhr. The Allies marched into other parts of the duchy with light troops and forced the inhabitants to take respected personalities as hostages. The main Allied power advanced on Arnsberg. Various places in the area such as Hövel , Hachen , Sundern and Hellefeld were occupied. The area in the direction of Meschede was also secured to prevent possible reinforcements for the French.

Plan of the expedition made by the Allied troops under the command of the Hereditary Prince of Braunschweig with 11 battles, 15 Esquadrons and 21 heavy pieces on Arensberg

On April 16, the Allies reached Arnsberg and surrounded the city. During a scouting ride, the horse was shot away under the Commander-in-Chief at Wedinghausen Monastery . One day later, on April 17th, the Allies began to post gun batteries about 300 fathoms from the castle on the Gallows Hill. Batteries were also placed on the Römberg. On the contemporary plans of the bombardment, the mountain is sometimes incorrectly referred to as Seltersberg. The trapped tried in vain to disrupt these preparations with cannon fire. In total, the Allies are said to have carried eight mortars, eight howitzers and twenty-four heavy cannons. According to a contemporary newspaper report, all “women” found in the area were required to build the positions. The background to this unusual measure is that most of the men had fled before to avoid forced recruitment.

The Allies asked the city to surrender. There are different accounts of the course of the negotiations. According to one account, the French city commander was ready to do so on the condition that the city be neutralized and not shelled. The Hereditary Prince agreed to the conditions and the French withdrew from the city to the castle. The French commander was ready to hand over the castle under certain conditions. But when he was denied an honorable withdrawal, he decided to defend himself. According to another account, the commandant replied not to give up until the sackcloth burns in his coat . After that, the then Arnsberg mayor Arens appeared with a delegation at the castle and warned of the consequences of a bombardment for the city. Because he was expecting relief, the commandant refused to surrender, but was finally ready to evacuate the city and let Hesse be occupied by a small troop.

On the morning of April 19, the bombardment began from both the Galgenberg and the Römberg. While the guns from Römberg only caused damage to the castle, cannonballs from Galgenberg also reached the city. The occupiers in turn responded with gunfire. The bombardment continued throughout the day. A strong fire broke out in the castle and eventually the main stock of ammunition blew up. The crew first fled into underground passages and when these were no longer safe to the outer works. Most of the city was also set on fire. A total of 2,000 cannon balls, 300 fireballs and 1,200 bombs are said to have fallen on the castle and town. 53 houses in the city fell victim to the flames. Other data speak of 63 houses. Among the damaged buildings was the Jesuit mission . The water art for supplying the city with drinking water was also damaged

According to one account, Muret rejected another Allied surrender offer. Meanwhile, the flames in the castle continued to spread. The attempts to extinguish the fire failed. The Hereditary Prince is said to have been impressed by the perseverance of the French in the face of the fire and the smoke and ordered the fire to be stopped. The French were still not ready to hand over. When the fires finally reached the outer works, they had no choice but to leave the castle from the so-called Galgentor. As it was called at the time, the French were allowed to withdraw with all "war honeys". Another account reports that Mayor Arens urged Muret to surrender. The French then gave up. However, they were not granted an honorable withdrawal, but were taken prisoner of war.

consequences

A few days later the Allied commander had the walls and parts of the castle blown up. He left the remaining French flour to the citizens. In addition, he donated a considerable sum of money for the burned-down citizens to alleviate the first misery. On the news that strong French units were approaching, the Allies withdrew. Numerous men fit for military service were conscripted and hostages were taken with them. Among these was the abbot of Wedinghausen Monastery and the pastor of Sundern.

The remains of the castle were completely looted. After the Allies had withdrawn, the electoral authorities took action against this and had house searches carried out in and around the city and stolen items confiscated. Most of these were also later lost, so that hardly anything is left of the interior of the castle. The castle itself was not rebuilt. The stones were later used to build a prison (later government, now Arnsberg Administrative Court ). The remains of the castle are now in ruins. A 160 mm medal was struck to commemorate the destruction of the castle. In the middle the burning castle can be seen in a rare front view, on which glowing projectiles fall. The Arnsberg Eagle hovers above it. In addition, conquest and surrender are indicated. The inscription reads: "SO BRANTE DV RH GES C H V TZ - D ES A DL ERS FE I NER S I TZ"

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The presentation is essentially based on the more or less contemporary reports collected by Karl Féaux de Lacroix in his History of Arnsberg. A more recent presentation also makes use of this in essence.
  2. ↑ cf. in addition: Katrin Liebelt: The social structure of the royal seat of Arnsberg in the 17th century. Dortmund 1996
  3. ↑ compare to the castle building u. a .: Karl-Heinz Strothmann: The hunting and pleasure palace of Elector Clemens August Arnsberg. Arnsberg, undated [around 1967]
  4. ^ Ernst Plaßmann: Experiences at the time of the Seven Years' War from the Balve office. In: Leaves to the closer customer of Westphalia. 1857 p. 55 ff.
  5. ^ A b Report Romberg for 1759. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: Geschichte Arnsbergs. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 435.
  6. ↑ Jürgen Schulte-Hobein: Arnsberg in the seven years war. (Part 1) In: Heimatblätter des Heimatbund Arnsberg. 8/1987 p. 65.
  7. ^ Report Romberg for 1760 and 1761. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: Geschichte Arnsbergs. Stein, Arnsberg 1895 (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 437.
  8. ↑ Diary of an old Arnsberger. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 438 f.
  9. ^ Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 439.
  10. ^ Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 441.
  11. ↑ a b Diary of an old Arnsberger. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 442.
  12. ↑ a b report by Lorenz Hüppe. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 441 f.
  13. ^ A b Jürgen Schulte-Hobein: Arnsberg in the seven years war. (Part 2) In: Heimatblätter des Heimatbund Arnsberg. 9/1988, p. 66.
  14. ^ Newspaper report Cologne 1762 In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: Geschichte Arnsbergs. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 445.
  15. ^ Report of the Frankfurter Staats-Ristretto 1762 In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: Geschichte Arnsbergs. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 449 f.
  16. ^ Report by Lorenz Hüppe. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 442.
  17. ^ Newspaper report Cologne 1762 In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: Geschichte Arnsbergs. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 445.
  18. ↑ a b Diary of an old Arnsberger. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895 (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 448.
  19. ↑ a b c d e Jürgen Schulte-Hobein: Arnsberg in the seven years war. (Part 2) In: Heimatblätter des Heimatbund Arnsberg. 9/1988 p. 67.
  20. ^ Report by Lorenz Hüppe. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 442 f.
  21. ^ Report by Lorenz Hüppe. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 442 f.
  22. ↑ Diary of an old Arnsberger. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 448 f.
  23. ^ Report by Lorenz Hüppe. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 443 f.
  24. ^ Newspaper report Cologne 1762 In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: Geschichte Arnsbergs. Stein, Arnsberg 1895 (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 446.
  25. ↑ Diary of an old Arnsberger. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895 (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 449.
  26. ↑ Diary of an old Arnsberger. In: Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895 (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 449.
  27. ^ Karl Féaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895. (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983) p. 451 f.

literature

  • Karl Féaux de Lacroix : History of Arnsberg. Stein, Arnsberg 1895 (Reprint: Stein, Werl 1983).
  • Jürgen Schulte-Hobein: Arnsberg in the seven years war (part 2) In: Heimatblätter des Heimatbund Arnsberg 9/1988 P. 66–69.
  • Georg Joseph Rosenkranz: Siege and destruction of the Arnsberg Castle in 1762. In: Westfälische Zeitschrift. B. 11 1849, pp. 345-355 ( digital copy PDF).

Web links

Wikisource: Siege and destruction of Arnsberg Castle 1762  - sources and full texts
Wikisource: Destruction of Arnsberg Castle  - Sources and full texts