Although the 'Deluge' is most often associated with the looting carried out by the Swedish army, similar actions - but with slightly different motivations - were carried out by the Swedish army during the reign of Charles XII Wittelsbach.

When, at the end of 1697, the then 15-year-old Charles Wittelsbach was crowned King of Sweden, plans for an anti-Swedish alliance were only just taking shape. Less than two years later, the Elector of Saxony Frederick August I, who was also King of Poland (August II), King Christian V of Denmark and Tsar Peter I, later known as the Great, formed an alliance, known in historiography as the Northern League. Its aim became to defeat the young monarch, as Denmark hoped to regain Skåne, lost four decades earlier, Russia pinned its hopes on gaining a 'window on the Baltic' and regaining Ingria and Karelia, and the Elector of Saxony wanted to gain Inflants in order to create a hereditary rule there for the Wettin dynasty and, above all, for his son. Neither of the alliance countries, planning to attack from three sides, expected the army of the teenage Charles XII to defeat its opponents one by one on each front.

First, in 1700, Charles XII's army defeated the Danes, then the Russians at the Battle of Narva, and the Saxon army the following year. The Swedish monarch, having analysed the situation, decided that Denmark and Russia had been weakened and did not threaten him, so he decided to have Wettin dethroned in the Republic. The situation was complicated by the fact that formally Poland was not a party to the war (it only became one in 1704).

The movements of the Swedish and Saxon armies were followed by Bishop of Warmia Andrzej Chryzostom Załuski, who - together with Chełmno Voivode Tomasz Działyński - made attempts to protect Royal Prussia from the army of Charles XII. Among other things, he summoned the nobility to a general move, but when the Swedish army failed to appear, the nobility dispersed. At the end of December 1703. Charles XII arrived with his troops in Warmia, where he spent several days in Braniewo, Frombork in Lidzbark Warmiński. In the latter he stayed for eight months, occupying the castle and the bishop's palace for his residence. Soon after arriving in Warmia, the Swedish army imposed tributes on the inhabitants, as well as the obligation to provide provisions and fodder for the horses. Polish and Lithuanian troops loyal to Wettin or allied with the Swedes also appeared in Warmia at this time. The troops of Charles XII plundered the surrounding estates, mainly those of the bishops, and burned properties, including the palace in Smolajny and Bischdorf.

During the Swedish army's stay in Warmia, the local bishop's archive suffered losses, but also books, manuscripts and several dozen portraits of Warmian bishops were looted. In the 17th century, the portrait collection was located in the so-called bishop's gallery, and was taken to Sweden probably as early as 1703, and now twelve portraits are stored at Skokloster Castle. The castle began to be built in the 1750s, on a lake allowing shipping between Uppsala and Stockholm; its owner was General Karl Gustav Wrangel. In the 18th century the castle passed into the hands of the Bielke and Brahe families, among others, and indirectly with the Pipers.

Among the surviving twelve portraits we can identify the bishops: Maurycy Ferber, Tiedeman Giese, Szymon Rudnicki, Jan II Strympock, Michał Stefan Radziejowski, Jan Stefan Wydżga, Wacław Leszczyński, Fabian Luzjański, Jan Albert Waza, Henryk II Wogenap, Paulus de Legendorff (Polish: Pawel Mgowski), Jordan (bishop in 1327-1328). The castle inventory states that they were the property of Charles XII, some of which the king later gave to Carol Piper. The oil paintings are painted on canvas and are similar in size (approx. 50 x 58.5 cm), but it is not known who painted them. It is known, however, that the Warmia Historical Society repurchased four portraits of the bishops at the end of the 19th century, but not all of the objects taken to Sweden have survived. At present, the portraits adorn one of the side walls of the Skokloster Castle library, which also contains books exported from the Republic.

Portrait of Henry II Wogenap

Bishop of Warmia (1329-1334)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 49 x 59 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11681

Portrait of Jordan

Bishop of Warmia (1327-1328)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 50 x 60 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11683

Portrait of Jan II Strympock

Bishop of Warmia (1355-1373)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 50 x 58.5 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11670

Portrait of Paulus de Legendorff (Pawel Mgowski)

Bishop of Warmia (1458-1467)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 50 x 58.5 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11682

Portrait of Fabian Luzjansky

Bishop of Warmia (1512-1523)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 50 x 58.5 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11677

Portrait of Maurice Ferber

Bishop of Warmia (1523-1537)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 50 x 57.5 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11667

Portrait of Tiedeman Giese

Bishop of Warmia (1549-1550)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 49.5 x 58.5 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11668

Portrait of Szymon Rudnicki

Bishop of Warmia (1604-1621)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 49 x 59 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11669

Portrait of Jan Albert Vasa

Bishop of Warmia (1621-1633)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 50 x 58.5 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11678

Portrait of Wacław Leszczyński

Bishop of Warmia (1644-1658), Archbishop of Gniezno from 1658

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 48 x 57 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11676

Portrait of Jan Stefan Wydżga

Bishop of Warmia (1659-1679)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 49 x 56.5 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11674

Portrait of Michał Stefan Radziejowski

Bishop of Warmia (1679-1688)

Technique: canvas, oil

Dating: circa 1688-1703

Dimensions: 49 x 59 cm

Collection: Skokloster Castle

Inv. no.: 11671