Pressburg Under Siege

The dawn of the nineteenth century found Europe in deep turmoil. Napolean's legions were rolling across the continent, overwhelming the Austrian, Prussian and Russian armies. In 1806, his forces laid siege to the ancient city of Pressburg whose Jewish community was led by Rabbi Moshe Sofer, universally acclaimed as the Chasam Sofer. Only the Danube River impeded Napolean's onslaught. What followed was a siege lasting forty-two days during which the people of Pressburg experienced the unbridled fury of French firepower. The beleaguered city was turned into a scene of utter devastation, its populace decimated. Miraculously, the Jewish population escaped virtually unscathed.