The Sack (or Siege) of Magdeburg, Germany, 1630-1631, viewed as the largest massacre of the Thirty Years' War. Engraving from a book published in 1637. The Sack of Magdeburg saw the Protestant city of Magdeburg destroyed on 20 May 1631 by the Imperial Army along with the forces of the Catholic League. This event is also known as the Magdeburg Wedding (German: Magdeburger Hochzeit) or as Magdeburg's Sacrifice (German: Magdeburgs Opfergang). In 1630, Magdeburg was one of Germany's largest cities (similar to Hamburg and Cologne). Today, its population is circa 236,000, whereas Cologne today has over a million residents, and Hamburg is home to nearly two million. Click here to enlarge.