Bidspirit auction | Rare Copper Engraving 1759 –

Rare Copper Engraving 1759 – Battle of Meissen Kehlen Saxony Prussia Militaria - Antique copper engraving Meissen 1759 – Battle plan Weinböhla Zscheila Elbe Raspe The present sheet shows the Battle of Meissen (also known as the Battle of Kehlen) in December 1759. After the heavy Prussian defeat at Maxen, the Austrians tried to completely drive the Prussians out of Saxony. Near Meissen, an Imperial corps encountered the Prussian rearguard under General von Diericke (Dürike). The Prussians were forced to retreat across the Elbe under heavy fire. However, since the pontoon bridge had to be dismantled prematurely and the Elbe carried ice floes, a large part of the Prussian troops were stranded on the right bank of the Elbe and had to capitulate after bitter resistance. The large, flowing cartouche on the right side provides you with all the commercially relevant historical facts: Title: „PLAN of the affair that took place near KEHLEN not far from MEISSEN across the Elbe on the 3rd and 4th of Decemb. A. 1759, between the Imperial Royal Field Marshal Lieutenant Baron von Beck and the Royal Prussian Major General von Dürike.“ Actors & Units: The Imperial Corps under Field Marshal Lieutenant Philipp Levin von Beck (including the Hungarian units Esterházy and Nádasdy mentioned in the text) against the Prussian Corps under Major General Christian Andreas von Diericke (Dürike). Detailed „Explication“: The text describes the advance of the Austrians from Dresden (A), the Prussian quartering (B), the heavy Prussian cannon fire from the heights (F), the Austrian assault at Zscheila (G), and the dramatic Prussian retreat over the burning bridge (M), which ended in prisoner of war for many. Geographical Highlights on the sheet: On the left, the city of Meissen (MEISSEN) is enthroned on the Elbe. The entire surrounding area is shown, including Kehlen (today Proschwitz/Keilbusch), Zscheila (Zscheila), Weinböhla (Weinböhla), Niederau (Oberau), Gröbern (Cröbern), Bohnitzsch (Bohnitzsch), Spaar (Spaar), Zaschendorf (Alt / Neu Zafchendorff), Sornitz (Sorniz), Proschwitz (Brofchwiz), Korbitz (Korbiz), and Siebeneichen. Publisher: Fully signed bottom right with „Nürnberg in der Raspischen Buchhandlung“ (from the esteemed series „Neues Kriegs-Theater“). Condition II