page_title: Siege of Malmö
section_title: Prelude
hierarchical_section_title: Siege of Malmö / Prelude
caption_attribution_description: English: Portrait of Swedish field marshal Fabian von Fersen (1626-1677)
context_page_description: The Siege of Malmö was an unsuccessful Danish siege on the Swedish-held city of Malmö, fought between June 11 and July 5, 1677. Fought towards the end of the Scanian War, the siege was one in a string of Danish losses that saw Swedish forces under King Charles XI of Sweden establish control over the southern region of Sweden.
context_section_description: The fortified city of Malmö was the only Swedish stronghold that had not fallen into the hands of the Danes during the 1676-1677 period of the Scanian War.  It was used as a base for Swedish operations in the southwestern corner of Scania. To win the war, it was important for King Christian V of Denmark to capture Malmö and strike a blow against Swedish presence in the region. The siege began on June 11, with the Danish navy anchoring in the roadstead north of the town and the Danish army camping on the plain south of the town. Danish engineers soon began digging trenches leading up to the castle in the west and to the eastern and southern gates on the city wall. On June 12, the Danes brought in 28 siege guns and 27 mortars, using them to start bombarding the castle and the city walls. 
  The Swedish administration of Malmö was unsure of the loyalty of the local citizens, as they had only been under Swedish rule since 1658. But reports from Kristianstad about how Christian V had allowed his soldiers three hours of plunder after the capture of the town by the Danes in August 1676, convinced the local citizenry that their best option was to support the Swedes. The Swedish defense was under the command of General Fabian von Fersen, who served as the Swedish Chief Commander in the regions of Scania, Halland and Blekinge. During the siege, he suffered a head wound from Danish musket fire. Fabian passed away on July 30th, following an unsuccessful operation.
caption: A portrait of the Swedish commander, Fabian von Fersen.
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