BATTLE OF UJŚCIE POLAND 1696 PUFENDORF UNUSUAL ANTIQU COPPER ENGRAVED BATTLE MAP

Repræsentatio Difficillimarum Viarum circa Oppidum Ousztie et quomodo D: Marschallus Comes Wittembergius, postquam Nobilitatem vulgo Pospolita Rusziene et Exercitum Majoris Poloniæ, sub Posnaniensi et Calisiensi Palatinis, Opalinskio scil: et Grudzienskio, in deditionem accepiszet, fluvium Notetz traiecit. d: 15 Iul: Anno 1655. 

Description: Striking and highly detailed fine unusual copper engraved depiction of the historic Battle of Ujście, fought on July 25, 1655. This was the very first and decisive military clash that marked the beginning of the dramatic Swedish invasion of Poland—an event historically known as "The Deluge" (*Potop*).
 
The work shows the formal capitulation of the Polish army in the face of the advancing Swedish troops.
 
Context and details of the work
 
Authors and Publication: As with the previous views, the topographical and military field drawing is the work of the Swedish Field Marshal Erik Dahlbergh. The plate is included in Samuel von Pufendorf's celebrated historical work, *De rebus a Carolo Gustavo Sueciae Rege gestis*, published in Nuremberg starting in 1696.
 
The Cartouche (Bottom left): A large Baroque shield framed by acanthus leaves provides a detailed description of the event in Latin. The text begins with the phrase "Representatio Difficillimarum Viarum circa Oppidum Oustzie..." ("Representation of the extremely difficult routes around the town of Ujście..."), explaining the tactical challenges posed by the terrain and the course of the maneuvers. Directly below lies the troop legend, titled "Peditatus Suecor:" (Swedish Infantry).
 
• Map elements:
 
Top: Clearly visible is the fortified town of Ujście (marked on the map as "Oppidum Oustzie"), protected by the Noteć (Netze Fl.) and Gwda rivers and surrounded by vast marshlands (*Paludes*) that made maneuvering extremely complex.
 
Center: The rigorous, geometric formation of the Swedish army (*Acies Exercitus Suedici*), poised for attack with its infantry battalions and cavalry squadrons. Bottom right: An elegant foreground detail shows a group of high-ranking Swedish officers and commanders on horseback overseeing the troop deployment and surrender negotiations.
 
The historical event:
 
The battle is renowned not so much for the bloody clash itself as for its political outcome: the Polish nobles of Greater Poland (led by Krzysztof Opaliński), caught off guard and overwhelmed by Swedish tactical superiority, signed a total surrender at Ujście, swearing allegiance to King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and opening the kingdom's gates to the invaders.
 
Source: Samuelis liberi baronis de Pufendorf De rebus a Carolo Gustavo Sveciae rege gestis commentariorum libri septem, elegantissimis tabulis aeneis exornati, cum triplici indice. Norimbergae: Sumptibus Christophori Riegelii, Literis Knorzianis, 1696.

Date: 1696 ( undated )

Dimension: Paper size approx.: cm 44,7 x 34,4

Condition: Very strong and dark impression on good paper. Paper with chains and wiremarks. Sheet uncolored. Wide margins. Small foxing and browning. Small marginal holes. Map folded. Conditions are as you can see in the images. 

Mapmakers: Samuel von Pufendorf (8 January 1632 – 26 October 1694) was a German jurist, political philosopher, economist and historian. He was born Samuel Pufendorf and ennobled in 1694; he was made a baron by Charles XI of Sweden a few months before his death at age 62. Among his achievements are his commentaries and revisions of the natural law theories of Thomas Hobbes and Hugo Grotius. His political concepts are part of the cultural background of the American Revolution. Pufendorf is seen as an important precursor of the German Enlightenment. He was involved in constant quarrels with clerical circles and frequently had to defend himself against accusations of heresy, despite holding largely traditional Christian views on matters of dogma and doctrine.
 
Count Erik Jönsson Dahlbergh (10 October 1625 – 16 January 1703) was a Swedish military engineer, governor-general, field marshal and master-general of the ordinance. He rose to the level of nobility through his military competence. According to Cathal Nolan, Count Dahlberg was a highly innovative military engineer in the 17th and 18th century, often referred to as the "Swedish Vauban". He was expert in both building and destroying fortifications. In warfare he participated in several sieges, including the successful siege of Kronborg and of Copenhagen, where he and the Swedes were repelled. He famously led a Swedish army across the frozen Great and Little Belts to attack Copenhagen. Dahlberg commanded Swedish engineers in several wars and his historic influence was ensured via his skill at map-making, the fortresses he designed, and his widely read writings on military architecture. Today he is well known through his Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna, a collection of engravings of topographical research.
 
Willem Swidde (c. 1660 in Amsterdam – 1697 in Stockholm) was a Dutch draughtsman and engraver, active in Sweden. Willem Swidde's life is not well documented. He was recruited by Erik Dahlbergh to come to Sweden to work with illustrating topographical and historical books. He came to Stockholm in 1688. His first commission was to make illustrations for a history of Charles X Gustav of Sweden, De Rebus a Carlo Gustavo Sveciae Regis, written by Samuel Pufendorf. Swidde made 18 of the 123 plates for the book. His next, main and final commission, which kept him occupied for the rest of his life, was the engraving of the illustrations for the grandly projected book Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna, a topographical work in the tradition of Matthäus Merian, intended to glorify Sweden. Swidde was one of a team of engravers, making 76 of the book's plates. He worked from drawings made by Dahlbergh, often correcting and bettering the motifs in cooperation with Dahlbergh. He died in Stockholm in 1697.