Battle of Lutzen
1632 CE · Germany (Saxony)
The Battle of Lutzen was fought in 1632 CE in Germany (Saxony) between Sweden and Protestant allies vs the Holy Roman Empire; Swedish victory, but Gustavus Adolphus was killed in the fighting.
Battle of Lutzen: quick facts
- Date
- 1632 CE
- Location
- Germany (Saxony)
- Belligerents
- Sweden and Protestant allies vs the Holy Roman Empire
- Commanders
- Gustavus Adolphus vs Albrecht von Wallenstein
- Result
- Swedish victory, but Gustavus Adolphus was killed in the fighting.
- Era
- ⛵ Colonial & Napoleonic Era
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Lutzen?
King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was killed leading a cavalry charge into thick fog at Lutzen while fighting Wallenstein's Imperial army. Despite losing their inspirational king, the enraged Swedish army fought on and drove the Imperial forces from the field. The battle was a tactical Swedish victory but a strategic blow, as the loss of Gustavus Adolphus deprived the Protestant cause of its greatest military leader and prolonged the devastating Thirty Years' War for another sixteen years.
Did you know?
When Gustavus Adolphus's body was recovered at Lutzen, it had been stripped of armor and clothing and bore multiple bullet and sword wounds, making identification initially difficult.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Lutzen on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.