Treaty or Peace of Lübeck ( da, Freden i Lübeck, german: Lübecker Frieden) ended the
Danish intervention in the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...
(Low Saxon or Emperor's War, Kejserkrigen). It was signed in
Lübeck on 22 May 1629 by
Albrecht von Wallenstein and
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian mona ...
, and on 7 June by
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II (9 July 1578 – 15 February 1637) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1619 until his death in 1637. He was the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. His parents were dev ...
. The
Catholic League was formally included as a party. It restored to
Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway ( Danish and Norwegian: ) was an early modern multi-national and multi-lingual real unionFeldbæk 1998:11 consisting of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway (including the then Norwegian overseas possessions: the Faroe ...
its pre-war territory at the cost of final disengagement from imperial affairs.
Background
The treaty of Lübeck ended a stage of the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...
referred to as the Lower Saxon or Emperor's War ( da, Kejserkrigen), which had begun in 1625.
[Oakley (1992), p. 62] Initial success was with the Danish armies, commanded by
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian mona ...
and
Ernst von Mansfeld. Then, in 1626, their opponents, a
Catholic League army commanded by
Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly
Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly ( nl, Johan t'Serclaes Graaf van Tilly; german: Johann t'Serclaes Graf von Tilly; french: Jean t'Serclaes de Tilly ; February 1559 – 30 April 1632) was a field marshal who commanded the Catholic League's ...
, and an army of
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II (9 July 1578 – 15 February 1637) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1619 until his death in 1637. He was the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. His parents were dev ...
, commanded by
Albrecht von Wallenstein, turned the tide in the battles of
Dessau Bridge and
Lutter am Barenberge. Mansfeld moved his army toward
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. S ...
and
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
, but that campaign failed in 1627, and Mansfeld deserted and later died of plague.
[Lockhart (2007), p. 168]
Wallenstein and Tilly subsequently gained central and northern Germany, joined their forces during the summer of 1627, invaded Danish
Holstein in September, and advanced through the
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
peninsula
[ as far as Limfjord.][ While Christian IV's control of the western ]Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
and the Danish isles
This is a list of islands of Denmark.
Overview
There are about 406 islands in Denmark, not including the Faroe Islands or Greenland. Some 70 of them are populated while the rest are uninhabited. Some of the uninhabited islands have only become u ...
was unchallenged,[Schormann (1985), p. 40][Fuhrmann (2002), p. 377][Lockhart (2007), p. 169] Wallenstein was given the Duchy of Mecklenburg ''vis-a-vis'' Denmark in January 1628, and was preparing to construct a navy of his own at the occupied ports of Ålborg
Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of A ...
, Wismar
Wismar (; Low German: ''Wismer''), officially the Hanseatic City of Wismar (''Hansestadt Wismar'') is, with around 43,000 inhabitants, the sixth-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the fourth-largest cit ...
, Rostock
Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state ...
and Greifswald starting in late 1627.[
Christian responded with an amphibious campaign in 1628, using his fleet to make landfalls along the occupied coastlines, and destroying the naval facilities in Ålborg, Wismar, and Greifswald.][ Wallenstein, who had nevertheless managed to build thirteen vessels in ]Wismar
Wismar (; Low German: ''Wismer''), officially the Hanseatic City of Wismar (''Hansestadt Wismar'') is, with around 43,000 inhabitants, the sixth-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the fourth-largest cit ...
under Philipp von Mansfeld, was unable to use them, because Swedish ships were blockading that port.[Oakley (1992), p. 64] Christian IV concluded an alliance with Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...
in April,[Lockhart (2007), p. 170] and both supported Stralsund in her successful resistance against Wallenstein.[Press (1991), p. 213] In August, an attempt to secure another bridgehead on the southern Baltic shore failed with Christian IV's defeat in the Battle of Wolgast
The Battle of Wolgast was an engagement in the Thirty Years' War, fought on 22 August (O.S.)Döblin (2001), p.1017 or 2 September (N.S.)Bedürftig (1998), p.250 1628 near Wolgast, Duchy of Pomerania, Germany.In the 17th century, the Julian ca ...
.[ After this battle, the final one in the Kejserkrigen, Christian IV was ready to negotiate][—and so was Wallenstein, whom the Scandinavian alliance seriously threatened.][
]
Negotiations
In September 1627, Tilly and Wallenstein had drafted a peace proposal for the Catholic League and the Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
.[ The proposal had ]Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian mona ...
:
*surrender all imperial offices,[
*surrender his bishoprics in the Lower Saxon Circle,][
*buy out his provinces of Holstein, Schleswig and ]Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
from the imperial occupation forces for two million Reichstaler each,[
*cede either Glückstadt or Holstein to ]Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II (9 July 1578 – 15 February 1637) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1619 until his death in 1637. He was the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. His parents were dev ...
.[
While the Danish rigsraadet accepted the proposal as a basis for negotiations, this was rejected by Christian IV.][ While the Catholic League pressed the emperor to continue the war, and Christian IV was urged likewise by ]England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
and the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, both sent their emissaries to Lübeck for negotiations in January 1629.[ The emperor had Wallenstein negotiate for him, and Christian IV had sent entrusted delegates whom he had selected bypassing his rigsraadet.][ Initially, both sides proposed diametrical peace terms:
Christian IV's position was somewhat strengthened by his military successes in 1628, but more so by Wallenstein's fear of a Danish- Swedish alliance.][ Bagging that fear, Christian IV personally met with ]Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...
in February 1629, at Ulvsbäck.[Oakley (1992), pp. 64–65] Gustavus Adolphus proposed a joint invasion of the empire, either from Stralsund
Stralsund (; Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin, N ...
or from Glückstadt, yet under the premise that overall command was with him, and that the invasion force would consist of more Swedish than Danish forces.[Oakley (1992), p. 65] Christian IV refused.[
Both Christian IV and Wallenstein were aware that neither of them would be able to get all their demands through, thus they resorted to secret negotiations in Güstrow, Mecklenburg.][
]
Treaty
The treaty was concluded by Albrecht von Wallenstein and Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian mona ...
on 22 May 1629,[Albrecht (1998), p. 672] and ratified by Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II (9 July 1578 – 15 February 1637) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1619 until his death in 1637. He was the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. His parents were dev ...
on 7 June.[Albrecht (1998), p. 691] The Catholic League was formally added as a party.[ The treaty restored to Christian IV his pre-war possessions, and obliged him to cede his claims to Lower Saxon bishoprics, to discontinue his alliances with the North German states, and to not interfere with further imperial affairs in the future.][Kohler (1990), p. 37][Heckel (1983), p. 143]
Tilly had not succeeded in implementing a compensation of the imperial war costs on Christian IV.[ Also not included in the treaty's text was that Christian IV stop supporting ]Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V (german: link=no, Friedrich; 26 August 1596 – 29 November 1632) was the Elector Palatine of the Rhine in the Holy Roman Empire from 1610 to 1623, and reigned as King of Bohemia from 1619 to 1620. He was forced to abdicate bo ...
, as demanded by Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria.[
]
Consequences
The treaty marked a turning point in Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway ( Danish and Norwegian: ) was an early modern multi-national and multi-lingual real unionFeldbæk 1998:11 consisting of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway (including the then Norwegian overseas possessions: the Faroe ...
's status, subsequently reduced from that of a major European power to a politically insignificant state.[Lockhart (2007), p. 172] The new Nordic power would be Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
,[ who was to turn the tide of the ]Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...
after her forces landed in Pomerania in 1630, and, starting with the Torstenson War
The Torstenson war, Hannibal controversy or Hannibal War ( no, Hannibalsfeiden) was a short period of conflict between Sweden and Denmark–Norway from 1643 to 1645 towards the end of the Thirty Years' War. The names refer to Swedish general ...
, subsequently deprived Denmark of her trans- Kattegat provinces.
The treaty further divided Christian IV and the Rigsraadet, for Christian IV argued that if the latter had been in charge, it would have accepted the initial imperial territorial and financial demands.[
Ferdinand II had hoped for more favourable terms, and was surprised and disappointed of what Wallenstein had negotiated.][Heckel (1983), p. 144] While he had arranged for imposing his war costs on Christian IV, this was no longer an option.[
Deprived of Danish-Norwegian protection, the North German states faced the Edict of Restitution, issued by Ferdinand II already during the negotiations.][ It aimed at a re-Catholization of northern Germany, and the restitution of former ecclesial possessions that had been secularized during the ]Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...
.[
]
See also
* History of Denmark
*History of Norway
The history of Norway has been influenced to an extraordinary degree by the terrain and the climate of the region. About 10,000 BC, following the retreat inland of the great ice sheets, the earliest inhabitants migrated north into the territor ...
*List of treaties
This list of treaties contains known agreements, pacts, peaces, and major contracts between states, armies, governments, and tribal groups.
Before 1200 CE
1200–1299
1300–1399
1400–1499
1500–1599
1600–1699
1700–1799
...
Sources
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Encarta Encyclopedia: Thirty Years' War
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luebeck, Treaty Of
Thirty Years' War treaties
History of Lübeck
Treaties of the Holy Roman Empire
1629 in Denmark
1629 in Norway
1629 treaties
Treaties of Denmark–Norway
1629 in the Holy Roman Empire
Denmark–Holy Roman Empire relations
Albrecht von Wallenstein