Arvid Wittenberg facts for kids
Arvid Wittenberg (1606 – 7 September 1657) was a famous Swedish count and a high-ranking military leader called a field marshal. He was also a member of the Privy Council, which was a group of important advisors to the king.
Arvid Wittenberg was born in Porvoo, Finland. He preferred to use his family's original name, Wirtenberg von Debern. He died in a prison in Zamość, Poland, in 1657.
Life and Military Career
Arvid Wittenberg was born at Johannesberg in Porvoo. His parents were Johannes Wirtenberg von Debern and Magdalena Schönfeld. Arvid Wittenberg became a count in 1652, which was a special title of nobility. He was married twice. First, he married Eva Margareta von Langen in 1642. After she passed away in 1646, he married Maximiliana Elisabeth von Schönburg in 1648.
Arvid Wittenberg started his military journey in 1622. He fought as a colonel in the Battle of Nördlingen in 1634. During this battle, he was captured by the enemy but was later set free. He then took part in other important battles, including Wittstock in 1636 and Chemnitz in 1639. After these battles, he was promoted to major general.
He later served under the command of Lennart Torstenson, another famous Swedish general. Together, they fought in the Thirty Years' War. Arvid Wittenberg commanded the Swedish right side in key battles like Breitenfeld in 1642 and Jankov in 1645. When Torstenson retired in 1645, Arvid Wittenberg took charge of the Swedish army until Carl Gustaf Wrangel arrived.
As Charles X Gustav prepared for the Second Northern War, Arvid Wittenberg was promoted again. In 1655, he became a field marshal. He was given command of an army of 17,000 soldiers to attack Poland. He surrounded the Polish army of nobles (Szlachta) and made them surrender at Ujście on 25 July 1655. He then took control of the Poznań and Kalisz areas.
Arvid Wittenberg also led the siege of Kraków, a major Polish city. Kraków surrendered on 7 October 1655. He also made the Polish commander Koniecpolski and his army give up. Arvid Wittenberg was then put in charge of defending Warsaw. He defended the city against the Polish army led by John II Casimir of Poland. However, Warsaw was eventually given up on 21 June 1656. Even though there were agreements for his release, he was put in prison in Zamość, where he later died.
Arvid Wittenberg was known for his strong military skills. He was also a very strict and tough leader.
After Arvid Wittenberg died, his young son, Leonard Johan Wittenberg (born 1646), was cared for by Arvid's friend, Carl Gustaf Wrangel. In 1673, Leonard Johan married Wrangel's daughter, Polidora Christiana. Arvid Wittenberg was also the father of Beata Magdalena Wittenberg.
See also
In Spanish: Arvid Wittenberg para niños
