‘I doe not find him, howsoever our great Enemy, to have deserved such an end’: Reactions to the Assassination of Albrecht von Wallenstein, c.1634–1700

Abstract

Abstract Albrecht von Wallenstein was one of the most colourful and controversial figures of the Thirty Years War, and his dismissal by the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II and eventual assassination was one of the most talked about events of the conflict. This article examines how the downfall of the imperial generalissimo and massacre of his subordinate officers at Eger, in Bohemia, were viewed and reported across Europe at various pro- and anti-Habsburg courts. In addition to assessing how Wallenstein’s demise was discussed in diplomatic circles, the article addresses how the events at Eger were portrayed in newsprint published in the German states as well as further afield in Sweden, England and the Italian states. An examination of political and private correspondence, as well as a comparison of news publications from across the continent, provides valuable insight into how information and intelligence were collected and disseminated throughout early modern Europe. By examining the depiction of Wallenstein’s downfall in the arts, such as poetry and stage plays in various European cities in the immediate aftermath of the assassination and in the mid- and later 1630s, it is also possible to determine what information had been received in different locations at different times. The final section of the article addresses how Wallenstein’s reputation had changed by the end of the seventeenth century, with the result that he was almost universally regarded as a notorious rebel and would-be regicide.