[1] Already at the outbreak of the war in 1367 the Swedish king, Albert, would besiege the fortress, yet would retreat after it proved unsuccessful.

[2][3] Later the Swedes went to the Danish Isles taking Nykøbing and Stege, in which at their return to Sweden, they likely besieged Helsingborg again.

[5] Eight days later, on 21 July, the garrison gave up, and Fikke Moltke and Hartvig Kale made an agreement with the besiegers.

In the agreement, the Danish were to surrender the city on 8 September, unless King Valdemar and his helpers in the meanwhile would kick out all foreign forces in Denmark, or unless Mecklenburg and the Hanseatic League would leave the Confederation of Cologne.

[6] The fall of Helsingborg was felt as a great tragedy all over Denmark, and rumours were even spreading that Valdemar was prepared to retake it.