We have examined several historic UFO cases that happened long before the modern UFO era of the 1940s onwards. However, one particular sighting from 1665 in Stralsund in Germany stands out. Not least as it offers details that are almost identical to other similar sightings around Europe at (roughly) the same time.

Furthermore, the account was written about by other writers and researchers after the incident had appeared in the press of the time. This suggests, then, that the incident was perhaps one that made a great impression not only on the witnesses but on the wider community as well.

We might also ask, as we recount the events of that afternoon in 1665, just why these types of incidents – ones specifically mentioning “battles in the sky” – appear to take place during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries? Just what was happening in the skies of our planet during this time?

The case comes to us in the contemporary western world from Illobrand Von Ludwiger in his 1998 book Best UFO Cases – Europe.

A Star Wars-Like Aerial Battle Over 17th Century Germany!

On the afternoon of 8th April 1665 in Stralsund in Germany near the Baltic Sea, one of the most intriguing incidents of historical UFO encounters would unfold. On this particular afternoon, at around 2 pm, several fishermen would notice an unusually large swarm of birds over the sea, seemingly coming out of the north.

As the men watched, this swarm of birds “changed to battleships” in the sky. It is most likely here that there was not a physical change, but the men mistook the objects for birds when first seeing them. Either way, what followed next was an aerial battle that would perhaps sit better within the confines of a Star Wars movie.

The aerial crafts would fight “one against the other” during which a “lot of smoke developed”. Furthermore, more and more ships would appear in the sky, each immediately going to battle with these various sized and shaped crafts. This would continue for several hours.

Then, another huge object appeared overhead.

We will turn our attention to that in a moment. However, we should perhaps state that one of Ludwiger’s sources for the account is Erasmus Francisci, who would describe the incident in his 1680 writings as an “air vision”. And this is, from what we can ascertain, how the fishermen and others who witnessed such aerial displays which “were frequent in the medieval age, (and) saw it as a vision or a warning.

A “Flat, Round Form” Like “A Plate” Or “The Big Hat Of A Man!”

Following the “vanishing” of the vision (or the ceasing of the battle and dispersing of the aerial vehicles), a short calm ensued. Then, a “flat round form” appeared in the sky. It was, according to Francisci “like a plate (and) looking like the big hat of a man”.

The object would move through the sky, apparently “the color of the moon” before stopping over the top of St. Nikolai Church where it remained for several hours. Of course, such a destination would only confirm to the men that what they had witnessed was a divine vision as opposed to a very real physical aerial battle involving nuts-and-bolts aircraft.

We should note, though, that such buildings as churches (at the time) were likely the focal point of these communities. And they were certainly some of the tallest buildings of the era. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that they would attract the attention of aerial visitors.

Regardless of how they perceived the strange object, the fishermen soon became frightened by the “vision” and would “bury their faces in their huts”. The following day, however, “they fell sick with trembling all over and pain in (their) head and limbs”. According to another report, one of the men had even been physically sick “on his feet”.

As we might imagine, the men – at least two of them – were “interrogated” as to what they had seen and knew. And while the witnesses and the wider townsfolk believed the “vision” to be a sign from God, we today most likely view the events from a modern and better-informed perspective.

Descriptions That Sit Well In The Modern UFO Era

It would seem perfectly obvious to us that the fishermen had witnessed some type of aerial battle involving vehicles that were hundreds of years (at least) ahead of their era. And following this display, a plate (disc?) which was shaped like a man’s hat (with a dome on top?) would hover over the church of the town – most likely the main focal point of the community at the time.

Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that the witnesses became ill the following day. If they were in “relatively” close proximity to these strange aerial vehicles, and taking into account the symptoms we know of, is it not likely that they were suffering from some kind of radiation poisoning? As we will examine shortly, an account from Russia only two years previously shares some of the same details, not least radiation-type burns to several fishermen who were in very close proximity to the strange craft.

We should perhaps note that Francisci (and most likely others at the time) believed the “vision” was a warning of an upcoming war. And, in the decade and a half that would follow the incident, the Prussians and Swedish would indeed find themselves locked in conflict.

However, leaving aside the aerial battle aspect for a moment, we know that UFO sightings increase around wartime. Might that have been the case here? After all, Europe, both at the time and certainly in the centuries that proceeded it was hardly a place free of violence and misery.

Very Similar Cases During The Same Window Of Time

It is impossible to read this account and not recall the sky battles of the mid-1500s. Both of which occurred over Europe within five years of each other. The first, in Nuremberg in 1561 saw “hundreds of globes, crosses, and tubes” fill the sky. What’s more, they would do battle with each other resulting in “clouds of thick, black smoke”. Even stranger, following the battle, “spear-like” objects would hover overhead for several hours.

Five years later in 1566 over Basel, many “large, black balls” appeared over the city. They too would do battle with each other. They would move at “high speed toward the sun” and make “half-turns”. According to the report, some were even “consumed and died out”.

Another account, only several years earlier in Russia, is also worth mentioning here. Not least as it occurred only two years before the sighting over Stralsund. In August 1663, while most of the town of Robozero were at the church, a “great ball of fire” would come out of the sky. It would hover, leave, and then return over the area several times. It would even approach a small fishing boat on the water. The fishermen would suffer from severe burns on their bodies following the incident.

Given that a “vision” is highly unlikely to be the real cause of these strange aerial occurrences, we have to ask, was there some kind of aerial conflict taking place around Europe and Russia?

Might there even be other accounts that have simply not been recorded? It is a distinct possibility, whether through the remoteness of some locations or, with The Church still having far too much influence than they should, many might have been as keen to keep such sightings to themselves as many do in the modern era.

Unknown Indigenous Enemies?

Let’s assume that these strange crafts overhead were indeed the result of two alien races. Ones locked in some kind of cosmic war. What is their connection to the Earth? Why would such a battle take place here, and even then, why in random places and across several years?

Might it be the case that one or even both of those races were, in fact, indigenous to the Earth? Might they have been the underground or Inner Earth civilizations that so many ancient writings speak of? If that is the case, were these sightings just “flare-ups” or trouble that died down just as quickly? And if so, are these civilizations still here today, somewhere deep inside the planet?

Most dismiss claims of underground civilizations as nonsense without investigation. They may well be right in their ultimate assessment. There is certainly, though, a wealth of information to examine that is suggestive of an “inner race”. One that some believe still resides within the planet.

As bizarre a notion as it might be to most, might there even be the possibility of some elite and obviously highly advanced sector of human society that might have had access to these futuristic aerial machines? Admittedly, this is not very likely. And there are certainly no suggestions of a cover-up of such technology in this particular period in history. It is still, however, an intriguing notion.

Of course, perhaps the whole thing was some bizarre mirage or hallucination. Or perhaps we should turn our attention, however outlandish, to other potential possibilities.

Unintentional Arrival Through Portals Or Gateways?

Perhaps another point to consider here is that these sightings of “battling UFOs” might be an intentional manifestation. One that occurred in the skies above Europe specifically. Perhaps this was a crashing into our realm of existence by these battling factions. And perhaps this was achieved through an unintentional portal or gateway.

After all, it would appear that these two waring factions simply appeared overhead “out of the skies”. Why, would they purposely travel the reaches of space to then do battle high in the atmosphere.

Perhaps such weaponry combined with unknown aspects of the universe created such a gateway? For example, for the sake of argument, if we say the above possibility is correct, what is to say that the home world and society of these battling factions that appeared here in the skies of our planet do not wonder just what happened to the crafts that disappeared from their skies? As we do likewise with the many cases of disappearing planes on record.

Maybe we should consider the possibility of time travel and whether these apparent adversaries had arrived here not from far away in the galaxy but from a different point in time? Perhaps this was a purposeful decision so as to battle it out away from their own world. The speculation could continue ever onward. The basics of the incident, though, suggest that, relatively speaking, just as many people in the mid-1600s were witnessing UFOs as they are in our modern world today.

A Credible Historic UFO Case?

The sighting over Stralsund would appear to be one of the more credible from the historic UFO files. Perhaps not least as it was documented by writers of the time and the press. Some consider the incident was nothing more than a hoax by the fishermen. The fact that they suffered such illness after the event, however, would suggest this not to be the case.

Furthermore, if we assume it is perhaps unlikely, although not impossible, that they were aware of the incidents a century previously, how likely is it that they would concoct such an account that would match the details so precisely?

And we should also consider the disc-like description of the craft that appeared after the apparent battle. Once more, how likely is it that they would manufacture such a craft that would be almost identical to those seen by thousands of people in our modern world? Even the spear-like descriptions from the Nuremberg incident are reminiscent of the equally seen cigar-shaped objects as we would call them today.

We still see UFOs across the world today. We rarely, however, witness “battles”. And certainly not ones that result in explosions and thick, black smoke. So, once more, we should ask, were there factions on the Earth – terrestrial or extraterrestrial – that had the ability to not only traverse the skies but to wage war from them?

Check out the video below. It looks at the more famous sky battle of Basel and Nuremberg in a little more detail. Just how long have aliens been visiting the Earth?