Source:
Memoirs of Christina, Queen of Sweden, volume 1, pages 241 to 242, by Henry Woodhead, 1863; original at the University of Michigan
The account:
By a curious coincidence, the first battle and the last operation of the Thirty Years' War took place at the same spot, — at Prague.
On the 15th of July, 1648, the Swedish general, Königsmark, took by surprise, and with the loss of only one man, the part which was called the Lesser Town of Prague, and which contained the royal palace, as well as the mansions of the principal nobility. The booty was immense, for many of the great Austrian families had taken refuge there. Thirty great chests of books were sent to Christina, besides a number of medals, pictures, and manuscripts. Few of the Swedes could appreciate these objects; and there is no doubt that a number of the enemy's guns and standards would have been more valued at Stockholm, and would have been more suitable trophies. The productions of thought have a kind of life of their own, which perishes or remains dormant when they are forcibly transplanted to a ruder people.
The total value of the spoil was estimated at 50 millions of French livres, and Königsmark did not omit to take care of himself. He left the books alone, but it was said that he appropriated five waggon-loads of gold and silver. The old town of Prague, situated on the opposite side of the river, continued to hold out, but Charles Gustavus, the new Generalissimo, arrived in September with four thousand fresh troops, and the place was then invested on all sides. The people, however, defended themselves so well, that peace was proclaimed, and the old town of Prague remained unconquered. The brave defence of the citizens furnished a contrast to the pusillanimous way in which the Protestants surrendered without a struggle after the battle of Prague, in 1620.
Above: Kristina.
Above: Karl Gustav.
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