Sack of Magdeburg

The Sack of Magdeburg, also called Magdeburg's Wedding or Magdeburg's Sacrifice, was the destruction of the Protestant city of Magdeburg on 20-24 May 1631 by the Imperial Army and the forces of the Catholic League, resulting in the deaths of around 20,000, including both defenders and civilians.^¹ This event is considered the worst massacre of the Thirty Years' War.^¹ Magdeburg, then one of the largest cities within the borders of modern-day Germany, and having well over 25,000 inhabitants in 1630, did not recover its importance until well into the 18th century.^¹