Hugo Grotius Statue in Delft
Hugo Grotius, a Dutch philosophic attorney and writer who forwarded the concept of ‘international law’ in the early 17th century, is remembered by a monument on the main square in Delft…
EARLY YEARS
Hugo Grotius was born in Delft in 1583. He was intelligent beyond his years as was evidenced by his admission to Leiden University at age 11. By the time he was 16, in 1599, he was appointed advocate to The Hague.
Over the next several years his association with Johan van Oldenbarnevelt as his resident adviser, helped accelerate his rise in Dutch government. By 1607 Grotius had become attorney general of Holland and two years later was named mayor of Rotterdam at the age of 26.
GOVERNMENT & RELIGION
In early 17th century Holland, religion had started to impact Dutch politics and and society in general, with diverging offshoots of Calvinistic theology increasingly opposed to one another. Such was the case at Leiden University when the head of the theology department died in 1609. Controversy ensued as to who should replace him and which administrative body should make that decision. Grotius came out in support of the civil authority’s right to make the appointment rather than religious authorities.
Van Oldenbarnevelt and the States of Holland were supportive of religious freedom and Grotius was called upon to write an edict stating such. This was completed around 1614, a point in time when the relationship between Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and Prins Maurits of Nassau had already begun to sour.
ARREST & ESCAPE
The friction between civil leaders and religious leaders continued to grow over the next few years and in 1618 the Synod of Dort was called to settle issues among various factions within the Dutch Reformed Church. This special church leadership conference continued into the next year and when it ended, it announced that Arminianism was outlawed. This led to the arrest of prominent Arminianism supporters, including Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and Hugo Grotius, who were made to stand trial. The court sentenced Van Oldenbarnevelt to death and Hugo Grotius to life in prison at Loevenstein Castle.
EXILE IN FRANCE
Two years later, with the help of his wife, Hugo Grotius escaped by hiding in a wooden book chest. He fled to Paris where he lived in exile and continued to write. In 1625 his most popular work was published, On the Law of War and Peace, which consisted of three volumes. It was the same year that Prins Maurits of Nassau died.
Hugo Grotius returned periodically to Holland following the prince’s death, as religious freedom grew in acceptance. He even taught at the Presbyterian seminary which had been newly established in Amsterdam.
DEATH & INTERNMENT
In 1634, the King of Sweden offered Grotius the position of ambassador to France which he accepted. He performed in this capacity for the next 10 years. In 1645, he left Sweden on his last voyage but never made it to Holland. The boat he was traveling on became shipwrecked near Rostock. He survived to make it to shore, but died shortly later. His body was returned to Holland where he was laid to rest in the Nieuwe Kerk (Delft).
The statue memorializing the life of Dutch statesman Hugo Grotius sits on Markt square in the Delft city center, just in front of the Nieuwe Kerk. The bronze sculpture was created by Franciscus Leonardus Stracke in 1886.
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