Battle of Lechfeld
Lechfeld plain, near Augsburg, Bavaria
What happened
King Otto I of Germany, with Duke Conrad the Red and Bishop Ulrich, who defended Augsburg, fought a Hungarian army led by Bulcsú, Lél and Súr. For many years Hungarian horsemen had raided deep into Western Europe, and in 955 they surrounded the city of Augsburg in Bavaria. King Otto brought an army to the Lechfeld plain near the city and fought the Hungarians there on 10 August. Otto's army held the river crossings, and over the next two days heavy rain and flooding slowed the Hungarian retreat and their army was destroyed.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The victory ended nearly a hundred years of Hungarian raids into Western Europe. It greatly raised Otto's standing, and his soldiers hailed him as emperor.
What came next
The Hungarians stopped raiding westward and settled down, laying the foundation of the Hungarian state. Pope John XII crowned Otto Holy Roman Emperor in Rome in 962.
Did you know?
According to an account of Bishop Ulrich's life, he rode out to defend Augsburg unarmed, wearing only his church robe, and the arrows and stones missed him.
Timeline
- August 955Hungarian forces surround Augsburg, defended by Bishop Ulrich.
- 10 August 955Otto's army reaches Augsburg and fights the Hungarians on the Lechfeld.
- 11-12 August 955Rain and floods slow the Hungarian retreat.
- 2 February 962Pope John XII crowns Otto Holy Roman Emperor in Rome.
- 7 May 973Otto dies at Memleben.