Qualla: Siege of Kalmar (1525) https://qualla.com/siege-of-kalmar-1525 en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:05 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/u/6/5/d/siege-of-kalmar-1525-wp/hero-small.webp Qualla: Siege of Kalmar (1525) https://qualla.com/siege-of-kalmar-1525 Siege of Kalmar (1525): Introduction https://qualla.com/siege-of-kalmar-1525/ Photo credit Unknown author, Public domain. It began with dinner. In 1524, during the Swedish invasion of Gotland, commander Berend von Melen accepted an invitation to dine with the enemy, Soren Norby, who held the island for Denmark. King Gustav Vasa called it treason. Berend was summoned to Stockholm under promise of safe passage, then arrested upon arrival. The castle at Kalmar, which Berend controlled, would not accept this betrayal quietly. What followed was a siege that tested the limits of loyalty, a defense mounted by fifty against thousands, and an ending so bloody it earned the name of massacre.

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]]> Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/6/5/d/siege-of-kalmar-1525-wp/u65d-siege-of-kalmar-1525-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Siege of Kalmar (1525): Brothers Against the Crown https://qualla.com/siege-of-kalmar-1525/ Photo credit Unknown author, Public domain. When Gustav Vasa arrested Berend, he sent a fleet and thousands of troops to seize Kalmar Castle. The townspeople opened their gates to the royal army, but the castle itself remained closed. Berend had transferred command to his brother Henrik von Melen, who declared that only Be...

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]]> Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/6/5/d/siege-of-kalmar-1525-wp/u65d-siege-of-kalmar-1525-brothers-against-the-crown.mp3 0:06 2 full Siege of Kalmar (1525): Whitsun Eve Raid https://qualla.com/siege-of-kalmar-1525/ Photo credit Unknown author, Public domain. Inside the castle, Berend found his situation precarious. He sent word to Oland, securing oaths from four knights who swore to defend the fortress and not surrender. When Berend attempted to escape, these same knights dragged him back. They had sworn to fight, and fight they woul...

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]]> Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/6/5/d/siege-of-kalmar-1525-wp/u65d-siege-of-kalmar-1525-whitsun-eve-raid.mp3 0:06 3 full Siege of Kalmar (1525): The Walls Hold Twice https://qualla.com/siege-of-kalmar-1525/ Photo credit Unknown author, Public domain. Gustav Vasa built earthworks between the town and the castle moat, positioning artillery to breach the curtain wall. When the guns opened a gap, Swedish troops stormed through, launching simultaneous assaults along the entire perimeter to divide the defenders. The garrison, men a...

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]]> Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/6/5/d/siege-of-kalmar-1525-wp/u65d-siege-of-kalmar-1525-the-walls-hold-twice.mp3 0:06 4 full Siege of Kalmar (1525): A King's Tears, Then Vengeance https://qualla.com/siege-of-kalmar-1525/ Photo credit Unknown author, Public domain. Gustav Vasa wept. His army had suffered catastrophic losses against a garrison of fifty. But the defenders had paid equally. Roughly half lay dead or gravely wounded. On the morning after the second assault, the survivors offered to surrender, likely requesting safe passage. The ...

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]]> Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/6/5/d/siege-of-kalmar-1525-wp/u65d-siege-of-kalmar-1525-a-kings-tears-then-vengeance.mp3 0:06 5 full Siege of Kalmar (1525): The Bloodbath https://qualla.com/siege-of-kalmar-1525/ Photo credit Unknown author, Public domain. When Swedish troops entered the castle, they found that Berend, Henrik, and Berend's wife Margareta had escaped to Soren Norby on June 9th, more than a month before the final surrender. The garrison had held out for their lord even after he had abandoned them. Two notable prisone...

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]]> Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/u/6/5/d/siege-of-kalmar-1525-wp/u65d-siege-of-kalmar-1525-the-bloodbath.mp3 0:06 6 full