The city's defense was led by Kiev's castellan Stefan Czarniecki, while Swedish forces were commanded by King Charles Gustav and Arvid Wittenberg.

[1] On August 2, 1655, when news of Swedish victories reached the city, the mayor of Kraków, Andrzej Cieniowicz, urged residents to organize defense of the ancient Polish capital.

The bishop paid for 300 soldiers, who strengthened the garrison, while the city council created an armed militia consisting of students and other residents.

Several members of the nobility abandoned the king, while the army, concentrated at Pradnik, organized itself into a confederation, demanding money and renouncing Hetman, Stanislaw Lanckoronski.

The garrison of Kraków, under Castellan Stefan Czarniecki and colonel of infantry Fromhold Wolff, consisted of some 5,000 men—soldiers of the regular army, plus city militia.

Since Polish royal army units, scattered around the city, did not engage themselves in any skirmishes with the Swedes, the defenders of Kraków felt abandoned, without hope of any support.

On October 6, Charles Gustav returned to Kraków, and while inspecting Swedish positions, his horse was killed by a Polish bullet, near St. Florian's Gate.

It guaranteed freedom of religion, safety of the Roman Catholic clergy, civil servants and residents, keeping all privileges of the city and its university, and exchange of prisoners of war.

The Swedes allowed Polish units to leave Kraków, and march to winter quarters in western Lesser Poland, near Oświęcim, Zator, Sławków and Siewierz.