The Chasam Sofer and the Pressburg Flood

The dawn of the nineteenth century found Europe in deep turmoil. Napoleon’s legions were rolling across the continent in an irresistible advance, overwhelming the Austrian, Prussian, and Russian armies. In 1809, his forces laid siege to the ancient city of Pressburg whose Jewish community was led by the illustrious Rabbi Moshe Sofer, universally acclaimed as the Chasam Sofer. Only the mighty Danube River impeded Napoleon’s onslaught. What followed was a terrifying siege lasting 42 days during which the people of Pressburg experienced the unbridled fury of French firepower. The beleaguered city, pounded by an uninterrupted rain of bombs, rockets, and missiles was turned into a scene of utter devastation, its populace decimated. Miraculously, the Jewish population was shielded from harm and escaped virtually unscathed. In his Sefer Zikaron, translated under the title of Pressburg Under Siege (CIS publishers), the Chasam Sofer offers a description of the spectacular events surrounding this time in Jewish history.

Some time before the siege, parts of the Danube River had frozen over. When the river began to thaw, a torrent of water flooded many cities and villages. One of those cities that flooded was Pressburg. Many Jewish homes and businesses were destroyed. People were saved from the roofs of their houses via boats. There was an outpouring of communal chesed for all who were affected. The Chasam Sofer remarked, “Maybe we needed the zechus of the tremendous chesed during the flooding to merit being saved from a different upcoming catastrophe.” The Chasam Sofer’s words seem prophetic when applied to the siege that followed soon after.