104
Rinnebäcksvad Lilla Harrie o retake Skåne, Halland and Blekinge, which had The Battle of Lund was a battle during the Scanian War that Krutmöllan Lilla Harrie church been lost to Sweden by the Peace of Roskilde in Kävlinge River occurred on 4 December 1676 in an area north of Lund. The V. Hoby 1658, Denmark declared war on Sweden in the Väggarp battle was between a Danish army under King Christian V T autumn of 1675. In June 1676 a Danish army landed and the Swedish army under King Charles XI. It is one of the near Råå south of Helsingborg and quickly recaptured bloodiest battles ever fought on Nordic soil. The war was Skåne and Blekinge. The only place that remained an attempt by Denmark to regain the provinces of Skåne, Håstad under Swedish control was Malmö, which had strong Halland and Blekinge, which had been lost to Sweden by the fortifications. The Swedish forces in Skåne were weak Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. and had to retreat to Småland. Stångby church
Svenstorp The monument in Lund, photo by Ingemar D Kristiansen/Bilder i Syd. Front page: Painting by Johan Philip Lemke. Portrait of Karl XI by David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl. In August 1676 the Danish and Swedish forces met in Skälshög battle outside Halmstad. The Swedes won and the Danish
◄ The monument army retreated down into Skåne to set up camp there for to the Battle of the winter and avoid more fighting that year. The Swedes Stångby Odarslöv Lund was erected followed and in November the two armies were each in 1883 and is camped separately north of Lund, in sight of each other designed by ar- chitect Helgo Zet- THE BATTLE OF LUND but separated by the Kävlinge River. Vallkärra tervall. The mon- Kävlingevägen ument is intended At the end of November/beginning of December, the sit to commemorate uation for the Swedes was desperate. Their supplies were Norra Nöbbelöv the reconciliation church in great shortage and diseases were spreading among Annehem E 22 and fellowship Nöbbelöv between Denmark the soldiers. It was then decided to bet everything on one and Sweden. De- attack on the Danish camp. On the night of 4 December Oscars- Gunnesbo hem Norra Fäladen spite their many the Swedish army crossed the frozen river. The Swedish wars in the past, army consisted of about 8,000 men and the Danish army Lerbäckshög Norra Ringen the two countries can now live in MAPS AND GUIDE TO THE BATTLEFIELD of about 13,000 men. Both armies were led by their kings: peace. 1676 Sweden’s Charles XI and Denmark’s Christian V. Monument Park Kävlingevägen/ Getingevägen LUND Charles XI returning to the battlefield, Lundagård If you would like to learn more about the battle and a painting by Johan Philip Lemke. ▼ also enjoy a guided tour around the battlefield you can download the app “The Battle of Lund” which has INFORMATION SIGNS FOR THE BATTLE OF LUND been produced by Katedralskolan. In it, both the battle and society in the 17th century are described via films, animations, Monument Park. Monument to the fallen. Sign summarising pictures and texts. The app is currently available for iOS and the battle. Lerbäckshög. The intersection of Kävlinge an Android version will be launched in June 2018. The app is vägen/Getingevägen. To the north of this intersection lay available in Swedish, English, Danish and Spanish. Väderkvarnshöjden (Windmill height) and the gallows hill. The battle began here. Lundagård. The Cathedral and Kungs huset. Information about Bishop Peder Winstrup. Skälshög. The Danish camp lay here. Svenstorp Castle. The Danish king This folder is published by Lund had his headquarters here and Charles XI stayed overnight here Tourist Center as a guide to the after the battle. Lilla Harrie. The Swedish camp lay here. The battlefield. sign is inside the cemetery. Rinnebäcksvad. This is where Text: Göran Larsson. the Swedes crossed the Kävlinge River. Krutmöllan. Here the Graphic design, maps and retreating Danes fled across the Kävlinge River. Norra Nöbbe illustrations: Lönegård & Co. löv church. From the cemetery you can see out across the field where the final battle was fought. One of the mass graves from For more information about the Battle the battle has been found at the church. of Lund see www.visitlund.se SWEDISH CAMPBenstorp Rinnebäcks- Finally the ice gave way and hundreds of Danish soldiers Despite the Danish superiority, the Swedish army had won möllan THE COURSE OF THE BATTLE River ävlin ge (the times are approximate) drowned. At this time Charles XI and the Swedish leader the Battle of Lund but the loss of human life was terrible. K Krut- Lilla ship were far away from the actual battlefield at Lund. The Danish losses amounted to at least 6,000 men and the möllan Harrie Örtofta 02:30: The Swedish army left its camp at Lilla Harrie. Swedish ones to 2,500 to 3,000. Losing up to half of the 10:00–12:00: The remnants of the two armies began total number of combatants is very rare in the history of Hoby 04:00: The army began crossing the Kävlinge River on fighting along the road to Kävlinge between Vallkärra and warfare. the ice at Rinnebäcksvad. Lerbäckshög. Here the Danes had the advantage and the Swedish forces were hard pressed. After fierce fighting both Due to the intense cold it was not possible to dig any Håstad 07:00: The first Swedish troops were close to Stångby sides pulled back to reorganise their forces and then moved graves. Instead the bodies had to lie at the church ceme church. At this time the Danes discovered what had hap southwards towards Lund. teries until the beginning of February 1677. The dead were Svenstorp pened and quickly prepared for full combat. The Swedes buried in mass graves without any distinction between the Stångby Skälshög then had to abandon their plan to attack the Danish camp 13:30–15:00: The fighting continued immediately north of Danish and Swedish soldiers. One such mass grave was DANISH CAMP and instead continued on towards Lund. The Danes also Lund. The Swedes were hard pressed and Danes prepared discovered in 1995 in Norra Nöbbelöv church cemetery. A Odarslöv chose to march towards Lund from their camp to the east a final attack to give the Swedes the final blow. Then some During the night the monument now marks the spot. Swedish army crosses of the Swedes. thing happened that completely changed the situation. the Kävlinge River. Not If the Swedes had lost the Battle of Lund, Denmark would until 7:00 does the At about 15:15 Charles XI surprisingly returned to the Danish army notice the 08:30: The two armies’ vanguards met at Väderkvarns probably have won the war. Instead the victory meant that approaching Swedes. höjden (Windmill height) at what was then Lund’s north battlefield with about 1,000 cavalry. In order not to be the Swedes were able to stay in Skåne and continue what The armies head south Vallkärra surrounded the Danes turned northwards to encounter the towards Lund. ern city boundary. After a brief battle the Swedes seized would be known as the Scanian War. The fighting continued At around ten o’clock the height of land. Immediately after this initial skirmish Swedish forces. The Danes’ superior numbers stopped the until September 1679 when peace was agreed in Lund. The Nöbbelöv the Danish left wing and the Danish King both armies’ main forces met, each with 2,000 cavalry, Swedes but the king himself managed to get through the war changed nothing; the borders remained unchanged. During the morning Christian V flee. Swedish between Väderkvarnshöjden (now the Bryggeriet area) Danish lines to reach Lund. He got the Swedish forces there heavy fighting occurs troops led by King along Kävlingevägen Charles XI go in pursuit. and Lerbäckshög (at the monument). to attack northwards towards the Danes, who were now between Vallkärra and The Danes cross the Lund. Kävlinge River and con- surrounded by Swedish troops. Gallows hill 10:00: After heavy fighting the Danes were pushed back Lerbäckshög tinue on towards Lands- At 8.30 the forces krona. and began to flee towards their camp at Skälshög and 15:30–16:30: The final struggle occurred in the terrain have reached Väder- Väderkvarnshöjden on towards the Kävlinge River, pursued by the Swedes between Norra Nöbbelöv and Vallkärra. The Danish forces kvarnshöjden (Wind- Allhelgonaklostret were now being squeezed from all sides by the Swedes. A Swedish cavalryman from the mill height) north of led by King Charles XI. Most of the Danish troops, Allhelgonaklostret Battle of Lund. In his hat is the wisp including King Christian V, escaped across the There followed brief but incredibly bloody hand-to-hand (All Saints Monastery). of straw that was used to identify 0 1 2 km river and continued on towards Landskrona. fighting between the exhausted troops. The day drew to the Swedish soldiers; at this time Lund a close and in the growing darkness the remnants there were not yet any consistent of the Danish army managed to escape and uniforms. The Danes wore a white Pikemen were soldiers equipped retreat towards Landskrona. armband. ► with four-metre-long pikes, which At 15:15 Charles XI Swedish were mainly intended to stop returns with 1,000 forces cavalry to the battlefield. cavalry attacks. ▼ Lund 1676. A detail from Danish forces Erik Dahlbergh’s depiction Vallkärra To avoid being of the battle. ▼ surrounded the Church Village Nöbbelöv Danish forces turn northwards. Mill In the late afternoon Older burial Kungs- mound the final struggle högen occurred in the area near Castle Nöbbelöv and Vallkärra.
Charles XI breaks through Gallows hill the Danish lines and gets the Swedish troops at Väder- During the afternoon kvarnshöjden to surround the Swedish forces are the Danes. hard pressed and appear to be about to lose the battle. Lund