Siege of Kraków ( 1655 ) The siege of Kraków was one of the battles during the Swedish invasion of Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth ( Second Northern War / " Deluge " ) . It started on 25 September 1655 and ended on 13 October 1655 . Capitulation treatment was signed 4 days later . Polish troops marched out the city on 19 October . The city ' s defense was led by Kiev ' s castellan Stefan Czarniecki , while Swedish forces were commanded by king Charles Gustav and Arvid Wittenberg . Background . On August 2 , 1655 , when news of Swedish victories reached the city , the mayor of Krakow Andrzej Cieniowicz urged residents to organize defense of the ancient Polish capital . He also collected taxes for employment of 1 , 000 - strong infantry unit . The garrison of Krakow was ordered to watch the city walls and control foreigners , especially Germans , who resided in the city . Furthermore , works on the fortifications were initiated under city engineer Izydor Affaita , and Krzysztof Mieroszewski of the local nobility . To cover the cost of the works , queen Marie Louise Gonzaga handed over some of her jewelry . On August 27 , Bishop of Krakow Piotr Gembicki urged residents to pledge allegiance to the king and to defend the city . The bishop paid for 300 soldiers , who strengthened the garrison , while city council created armed militia , which consisted of students and other residents . On September 19 , King Jan Kazimierz came to Krakow , after the lost Battle of Zarnowiec . The king brought a few thousand soldiers and levee en masse , but the morale of his army was low . Several members of the nobility abandoned the king , while the army , concentrated at Pradnik , organized itself into a confederation , demanding money and renouncing Hetman , Stanislaw Lanckoronski . On September 20 , the Council of the Senate had a meeting , in which allegiance to the king was confirmed . Soon after the meeting , the queen , together with Primate Andrzej Leszczynski left the city . On September 24 , Jan Kazimierz , who had initially planned to stay in Krakow , decided to leave the city as well . Together with Bishop Gembicki , the king at first headed eastwards , to Wojnicz . He then turned south , to Nowy Wisnicz , Nowy Sacz , and the Polish border . The Siege . The garrison of Krakow , under Castellan Stefan Czarniecki and colonel of infantry Fromhold Wolff , consisted of some 5 , 000 men - soldier of the regular army , plus city militia . In order to prepare the defence , Czarniecki burned the suburbs of Kleparz , Biskupie and Garbary , and constructed a system of Earthworks . On September 25 , the Swedes attacked Kazimierz , pillaging it after capture . On the same day , they tried to enter Krakow itself , but Polish counterattack forced them to retreat . On the next day , Charles Gustav ordered an artillery barrage , leaving Arvid Wittenberg with 8 , 000 soldiers . The Swedish king himself headed with a smaller army towards Wojnicz , where he once again defeated the Poles in the Battle of Wojnicz ( October 3 ) . News of this battle quickly reached Krakow , together with Swedish demands for capitulation . Since Polish royal army units , scattered around the city , did not engage themselves in any skirmishes with the Swedes , the defenders of Krakow felt abandoned , without hope of any support . Nevertheless , they continued to fight . On October 6 , Charles Gustav returned to Krakow , and while inspecting Swedish positions , his horse was killed by a Polish bullet , near St . Florian ' s Gate . As the siege progressed , morale among the defenders sank even lower . Czarniecki , well aware of this , on October 12 initiated negotiations . Further resistance meant destruction of Krakow and starvation of its residents , so on the next day , Czarniecki agreed to capitulate . Capitulation . On October 17 , a truce was signed with the Swedes . It guaranteed freedom of religion , safety of the Roman - Catholic clergy , civil servants and residents , keeping all privileges of the city and its university , and exchange of prisoners of war . The Swedes allowed Polish units to leave Krakow , and march to winter quarters in western Lesser Poland , near Oswiecim , Zator , Slawkow and Siewierz . These forces were to remain neutral until November 18 . After that date , they were to decide whether to join the Swedish or the Polish king . On October 19 , Czarniecki ’ s forces gathered at Krakow ’ s Main Square . Some 1 , 800 men with 12 cannons left the city , while Czarniecki was invited by Charles Gustav to a feast . Soon afterwards , 2 , 500 Swedish infantry plus 500 reiter s entered Krakow . The Swedish king came to the city on October 19 in the afternoon . After meeting the city council , Charles Gustav visited Wawel with its Cathedral church . The Swedes immediately broke the agreement , imposing high taxes and robbing churches . Altogether , the booty stolen by the Swedes was estimated at 5 million zlotys .