On April 14th 1561, the economic and political stronghold of Nuremberg, was about to become the setting of one of the most famous cases of UFO activity in German history.
The 1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg was a mass sighting of unidentified flying objects, which has captivated the minds of citizens both then and now.
The apparently peaceful morning on April 14th 1561 was shattered, when in the skies above the city, hundreds of unidentifiable objects flew into view. The objects were said to be acting aggressively, and began fighting one another in an apparent war. The event has widely become known as the UFO Battle over Nuremberg.
As the war in the skies above raged, some of the objects were seen falling from the sky and crashing to the ground, as plumes of smoke began to rise. These plumes of smoke were so large, that they were seen for miles around the city. Despite the reports of crashes though, no remains were ever thought to have been retrieved from the sites of wreckage.
As many citizens poured out onto the streets to witness the spectacle, it was one man who would document and illustrate the event for the Nuremberg Gazette.
Hans Glaser
A printer and publisher known as Hans Glaser took it upon himself to report on the event. Hans produced an iconic woodcut engraving, and an accompanying article which is now housed at the Central Library in Zurich, Switzerland.
The article and engraving describes objects in the sky at dawn, and of a “very frightful spectacle” in which Glaser claims the objects “fight one another.”
The events were recorded on a broadsheet, which were essentially the newspapers of the time. Below is the broadsheet which shows the phenomena.
…the dreadful apparition filled the morning sky with cylindrical shapes from which emerged black, red, orange and blue-white spheres that darted about. Between the spheres, there were crosses with the color of blood. This frightful spectacle was witnessed by ‘numerous men and women.’ Afterwards, a black, spear-like object appeared. The author of the Gazette warned that ‘the God-fearing will by no means discard these signs, but will take it to heart as a warning of their merciful Father in heaven, will mend their lives and faithfully beg God, that he avert His wrath, including the well-deserved punishment, on us, so that we may, temporarily here and perpetually there, live as His children.’- Abstract from the Nuremberg Gazette.
From the broadsheet by Hans Glaser As posted on Ancient Origins
Carl Jungs Writings
Born in 26 July 1875, Kesswil, Switzerland, Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology.
Carl Jung’s 1958 book Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies, helped bring the event to modern fame. In the book, Jung claims that the phenomena was likely natural, but with religious and military interpretations overlaying it. A religious view for example, would emphasize the crosses.
Supernatural and religious beliefs at the time far outweighed scientific explanations, and so the objects people saw in the sky were probably interpreted and attributed to things that were known or believed in at the time.
Despite Jung claiming that the battle of Nuremberg was probably a natural phenomena, he did seem to be intrigued by UFO’s, as is evident in one of his letters. He provides scientific explanations for UFO’s as well as other phenomena in his famed works, though for many, his work is hard to understand.
Theories
The UFO battle over Nuremberg has become subject to numerous theories. One of the most popular is that of Frank Johnson, who claims that what Hans Glaser actually saw was a Sun Dog (also known as a mock sun or parhelion).
Despite this as one possible theory, there are obvious faults. As an example, a Sun Dog wouldn’t explain the huge plumes of smoke which was said to arise from the objects which had crashed.
Some of the more outlandish theories involve people witnessing a prophetic vision of a WW2 aerial battle, a time slip and even an outbreak of ergotism which led to mass hallucinations.
The people of Nuremberg had their own theory though. They saw the battle as an apocalyptic vision – a warning from God. Some witnesses took the vision as a heavenly battle which coincided with the religious wars that were ongoing at the time in Germany.
Other similar sightings have happened throughout history, including one in Basel, Switzerland, where citizens experienced objects in the sky at dawn on August 7, 1566. A broadsheet from the time of the event also depicts what was seen over the city. Both sightings happened at similar times in the day.
What are your theories on the Nuremberg UFO battle?
