The fortress's baptism of fire

The main assault by Napoleon's forces took place on 28 June 1807. The fighting reached Srebrna Góra after the surrender of other Silesian fortresses, at Nysa and Kłodzko. Defences built three decades earlier now had to fulfil their original purpose.

Preparations began before the June fighting. In February, General Dominik Vandamme had called on the garrison to surrender, while the Prussian general Friedrich Wilhelm von Götzen ordered defensive preparations. Cavalry captain von Biberstein received funds to repair earlier damage.

Forces led by Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon's younger brother, advanced on the fortress. An armistice interrupted the fighting, and the Peace of Tilsit brought the campaign to an end. Srebrna Góra was not captured. Its defence depended both on the local fortifications and troops, and on the outcome of the wider war.

The description 'unconquered' refers to the result of this siege, not to centuries of repeated battles. The events of 1807 were the fortress's baptism of fire. Its later military history included further periods of readiness, repairs and the eventual withdrawal of the troops.