More about the Siege and Relief of Leiden
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In 1567, King Philip the Second of Spain appointed the Duke of Alba as governor of the Netherlands. Leiden, which as a predominantly Catholic city had originally sided with the Spanish king, ultimately decided to turn against Catholic rule and in 1572, took the side of William of Orange. In an attempt to bring the Leidenaars back in line, the Duke of Alba installed his army around the city. He was convinced that once all routes in and out of the city were blocked, he would be able to starve the population into submission. But that’s not how events played out.
What the Duke didn’t know was that Leiden’s city council was already aware of his plans to besiege the city and had stocked up on provisions in preparation. But the lengthy siege meant that hunger couldn’t be kept at bay forever and the people of Leiden endured great hardship. Many were tempted to surrender, but the city council’s firm yet fair leadership succeeded - despite the illness, hunger and despair - in keeping the population united.
On the 3rd of October 1574, Leiden was relieved. The town had been besieged for almost a year and, for a number of months, had been cut off from the outside world completely. Its relief came in the form of the Sea Beggars who, under the command of William of Orange, cut through the dikes, flooding the low-lying land surrounding Leiden. This allowed them to push on to Leiden’s city walls. As they sailed in on the Vliet canal, the Spaniards turned on their heels and fled. Leiden was relieved! The Beggars distributed herring and white bread to the starving population. In the Pieterskerk, a service of thanksgiving was held to celebrate the long-awaited relief. And in recognition of Leiden’s heroic resistance, in 1575 William of Orange founded the Netherlands’ first university in the city. Success in Leiden was good for morale in the ongoing revolt against Spain. As the saying went: ‘Leiden relieved. Holland freed!’ Nevertheless, the war would continue for a total of eighty years. It was only brought to an end in 1648 with the Treaty of Münster.
Since the 3rd of October 1575, Leiden’s relief has been commemorated on an annual basis. With more than 200,000 people attending the festivities each year, it has grown to become the largest popular festival in the Netherlands. On the eve of the 3rd of October, Leidenaars serve hutspot, a hotchpotch dish of potatoes, carrots and onions, and then early the next morning, they receive the traditional herring and white bread at the Waag, Leiden’s Weigh House. Following this, there’s a memorial service at the Pieterskerk where Leidenaars fill the church with the sound of their hearty singing. A visit to the 3rd of October collection here at Museum De Lakenhal also forms part of the celebrations.
What the Duke didn’t know was that Leiden’s city council was already aware of his plans to besiege the city and had stocked up on provisions in preparation. But the lengthy siege meant that hunger couldn’t be kept at bay forever and the people of Leiden endured great hardship. Many were tempted to surrender, but the city council’s firm yet fair leadership succeeded - despite the illness, hunger and despair - in keeping the population united.
On the 3rd of October 1574, Leiden was relieved. The town had been besieged for almost a year and, for a number of months, had been cut off from the outside world completely. Its relief came in the form of the Sea Beggars who, under the command of William of Orange, cut through the dikes, flooding the low-lying land surrounding Leiden. This allowed them to push on to Leiden’s city walls. As they sailed in on the Vliet canal, the Spaniards turned on their heels and fled. Leiden was relieved! The Beggars distributed herring and white bread to the starving population. In the Pieterskerk, a service of thanksgiving was held to celebrate the long-awaited relief. And in recognition of Leiden’s heroic resistance, in 1575 William of Orange founded the Netherlands’ first university in the city. Success in Leiden was good for morale in the ongoing revolt against Spain. As the saying went: ‘Leiden relieved. Holland freed!’ Nevertheless, the war would continue for a total of eighty years. It was only brought to an end in 1648 with the Treaty of Münster.
Since the 3rd of October 1575, Leiden’s relief has been commemorated on an annual basis. With more than 200,000 people attending the festivities each year, it has grown to become the largest popular festival in the Netherlands. On the eve of the 3rd of October, Leidenaars serve hutspot, a hotchpotch dish of potatoes, carrots and onions, and then early the next morning, they receive the traditional herring and white bread at the Waag, Leiden’s Weigh House. Following this, there’s a memorial service at the Pieterskerk where Leidenaars fill the church with the sound of their hearty singing. A visit to the 3rd of October collection here at Museum De Lakenhal also forms part of the celebrations.
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