University of Groningen

Nederlandse ingenieurs en de fortificatiewerken in het eerste tijdperk van de Tachtigjarige Oorlog, 1573-1604 Westra, Frans

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Publication date: 1992

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Citation for published version (APA): Westra, F. (1992). Nederlandse ingenieurs en de fortificatiewerken in het eerste tijdperk van de Tachtigjarige Oorlog, 1573-1604. Groningen: s.n.

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Dutch engineers and the in the first developments in fortifications and it was here that period of the Eighty Years War, 1573-1604 the pentagonal , which originated from Byzantium, came into use in the beginning of the Due to legislation the major part of the fortifica­ . During the first half of the 16th cen­ tions in the was demolished in the last tury there were probably some hundreds of quarter of the nineteenth century. The industrial engineers working in the Italian territories. In Ger­ revolution required more space for factories and many Albrecht Durer was the first to publish about for an infrastructure of railroads and canals. In fortifications, but the most famous engineer and many fast growing cities, such as Utrecht, the walls influential writer about military architecture was were transformed into parks and boulevards. In Daniel Speckle from Strasbourg. Around the year smaller towns, such as Enkhuizen, the fortifica­ 1540, however, Italian engineers began to replace tions remained intact. In the 20th century, especial­ German military architects, as for instance the ly after the Second World War, some Dutch famous Alessandro Pasqualini. At about the same strongholds were entirely reconstructed, for exam­ time in Austria, which was important as a ple Naarden, Heusden and, most recently, Bour­ stronghold against the Turks, Italian engineers tange. worked on fortifications in Vienna. The greater part of the Dutch fortifications In and France similar developments can originated in the 16th century, with Simon Stevin be noticed . Local constructors were replaced by and Adriaan Anthoniszoon being well-known con­ Italian engineers, or at least were engaged because structors, the former as theorist and tutor of prince of their expertise. Some very important engineers Maurice and the latter as the 'patriarch' of Dutch gained their training through working on Malta, fortificators. It is however wrong to suppose that which was constantly under threat from the all these fortifications were built by only a few Turkish enemy. Some of these important engineers engineers. played a prominent role in the Spanish army in the Although there have been several publications in Netherlands. As for and Portugal, little is recent years which have uncovered details about known about domestic engineering. Even in the the activities of Dutch engineers during the Eighty Spanish colonies in Central America Italian Years War, an integrated history of Dutch engineers were employed. Portugal was not engineers was written only about the nineteenth renowned for skilled engineers, which was the century. This current book intends to meet Charles reason, according to the English envoy, Rogers, Duffy's complaint, in his book about war­ that the country was conquered by Spain in 1580. fare, about the fact that so little was heard until In the Netherlands the building of walls began now about individual Dutch engineers in the around the year 1300. This work was carried out by and 1580s. architects, constructors or carpenters. The first The profession of engineer was nevertheless much ones to construct fortifications were several older. Since classical times there arc reports of members of the famous Keldermans family of engineers and their activities. After the fall of the Malines in the . In addition, Roman Empire the period of the migration of the in the first half of the 16th century, fortifications nations in western Europe undermined the faith in were built in the town of Utrecht by Jean de Ter­ fortifications. Under the government of remonde and Willem van Noort, whose son and Charlemagne the building material for fortifica­ grandson succeeded him as municipal architect of tions was even used for the construction of Utrecht. cathedrals. But the expeditions of the Vikings and From 1540 onwards, as a result of a the political disintegration of the empire of program issued by the emperor Charles V, constant Charlemagne witnessed a renewed interest in for­ work ensued on fortifications in the Netherlands. tifications, and the rise of the power of cities and One of the principal engineers was Sebastian van small states also proved an incentive for building Noyen, whose activities were concentrated near the walls and fortresses. The word engineer began to French border. His nephew Jacques van Noyen was occur in the vernacular as well as in Latin in his successor around the year 1560. Apart from England, France, Spain and Italy during the 12th these Dutch or Flemish architects and engineers, century. Particularly in Italy there were rapid several Italian engineers were also engaged for for­

147 tifications in the Netherlands. In Donato several works of fortification. Two other Dutch de Buoni Pellezuoli constructed new walls from engineers were also active in the years 1584 and 1542 onwards. The aforementioned Alessandro 1585 in and around Antwerp. Anthony van der Pasqualini also worked in the towns of 's-Herto­ Vate and Pieter Timmermans fortified several genbosch, Kampen, Middelburg, Utrecht and Am­ strongholds along the river Schelde north of Ant­ sterdam. His colleague Marco di Verona was active werp, and constructed several floating war in Luxemburg, and Groningen, where machines which were intended to break the siege of he was brutally murdered by locals because of a Antwerp by the duke of Parma. Illustrative of this quarrel in a pub. situation of transition was the fact that Abraham The most prominent Italian engineers were serving Andriessen drafted the new major fortress of in the Spanish army that, under the duke of Alva, Willemstad in west Brabant, but returned into was supposed to subdue the unrest in the northern Spanish service following the capitulation of Ant­ provinces of the Netherlands. Under the duke, and werp in 1585, as did Jacques van Noyen. The other his successors Alessandro Farnese, Luis de Re­ engineers either left the service or moved to quesens and Ambrosio Spinola, an impressive and in order to assist their col­ number of engineers played a leading role in the leagues in the struggle against Spain. The only successive from (1573) to Italian engineer who still continued to work for the (1601-1604). Apart from these there were also Estates-General, Frederico Genibelli, pursued his Dutch engineers serving the Spanish army, such as career in England. Ostend remained the only place Joost Janszoon who was an architect in Amster­ in that was virtually held by the Dutch dam and worked on the Spanish side during the rebels after the capitulation of Antwerp and here siege of (1574). Another example was the the engineer Matthijs Tasson was in charge of the engineer Hans Hanker who defected from the fortifications until the famous siege in the years troops of prince Maurice and commanded the con­ 1601-1604. struction of the important fortress of St. Andries in In the northern Netherlands the beginning of new 1599. In total, the Spanish army could dispose of fortifications on a grand scale occurred in the year some sixty engineers between 1573 and 1604, of 1573. Following the loss of Haarlem it was obvious whom fifteen were Dutch or Flemish. It was this that the fortifications in all essential towns had to potential which had to be matched by the Dutch be renewed and modernized. William of Orange engineers in the revolutionary provinces. had inspected several cities in 1572 and 1573 and In the southern Netherlands, after the first signs of from J574 onwards he began to appoint the revolt against Spain, there was a situation of fortification-masters and engineers. In the province transition. For example, the Estates-General in The of Zeeland Germain Le Febvre, Pieter Timmer­ Hague engaged the engineer Jean Schilde, who still mans and Abraham Andriessen were entrusted called himself 'engineer of His Royal Majesty', with the task of modernizing the fortifications, meaning the king of Spain. William of Orange also with Adriaan Anthoniszoon, Hans Duyck and worked with Italian engineers such as Battista Leon de Futere being appointed in Holland. In Grimaldi and Aurelio de Pasino. In 1579 the latter Amsterdam the architect Joost Janszoon began to published a book on fortifications and military ar­ work for the United Provinces in 1577, although he chitecture which was to serve the rebels in their had witnessed the in J574 as an defense against Spain. From 1577 onwards Jacques engineer on the Spanish side. In the province of van Noyen, who formerly used to work for Utrecht, the architect and engineer Cornelis Margaretha of Parma, was employed by the Bloemaert, along with several less important Estates-General and fortified several towns in the engineers, began to work in the Dutch army at the southern Netherlands. The Dutch engineers Hans fortress of Vredenburg in J 576. In the eastern and Duyck and Matthijs Tasson were employed in the northern parts of the Netherlands, several cities in West-Flanders. During the siege of Maas­ engineers and fortification-masters began their tricht in 1578 and 1579 the engineer Sebastiaan fortification-work in J577. With the start of the Tapijn was in charge of the defense of the town fortification of Coevorden and Bourtange on the against Parma's troops. In Antwerp the major part north-eastern boundaries of the revolutionary pro­ of the fortifications was devised by an engineer vinces around 1580, engineers were working in the called Abraham Andriessen. In the year 1572 he entire realm under control of the Estates-General. still worked for the Spanish king. In his company The most prominent engineer was Adriaan An­ the famous architect Hans Vredeman de Vries was thoniszoon. Due to the imminent siege of working as an engineer and was responsible for in 1573 he had been requested to build four new

148 major bulwarks on the outer side of the city walls. ging at the siege os Steenwijk in 1592. In combination with hydrographic measures, this Johan van Rijswijck's highlight was the draft for proved [0 be sufficient to repulse the Spanish the entrenchment of the Estates-General in Gron­ enemy, and its retreat from Alkmaar was hailed as ingen, which was constructed in the year 1600. a great success in the revolutionary provinces. This The constant activity of fortification in the nor­ also made Anthoniszoon very famous, and he thern Netherlands required more engineers than began to fortify allover the northern Netherlands. those mentioned above. While there were six Although he continued to be addressed as a engineers employed in the year 1575, this had risen surveyor, in the year 1579, when he was about to to a total of 27 engineers serving the revolutionary begin fortifying the stronghold of Muiden, he was provinces in 1598. Among these several achieved cited as 'engineer' for the first time. In the next prominence, such as Nicolaes de Kemp, who year he was asked to advise about fortifications in entered the service in 1593 and who was initiated in , but his activities also stretched as far as the secrets of fortification by Adriaan Anthonis­ Zeeland. Apart from the defense of Alkmaar in zoon, Jacob Kemp and Johan van Rijswijck. In 1573, however, he only once visited a siege, which 1595 Jan Lenaerts succeeded Jacob Kemp, but he was when prince Maurice attempted to conquer the was severely wounded in 1598. The engineer An­ town of Geertruidenberg in 1593. His main objec­ dries de Roy, who was also very important, started tive was to renew and extend the fortifications of his career as a mason in Willemstad and was finally towns won by prince Maurice and count William killed in 1602 at the . In the northern Louis. Once taken over from the Spaniards, An­ regions the engineers Jetze Iges and Pauwel thoniszoon would come, inspect the fortifications, Symons succeeded Joost Mattheus. In Zeeland draft new projects, and mark out the new David van Orliens became the most important bulwarks. With the notable exception of Gro­ engineer following the departure of J ohan van ningen, there is almost no town to be found in the Rijswijck to around the year 1600. Van revolutionary provinces where he did not work. In Orliens could have learned a lot from Simon 1595 he fell ill and requested the Estates-General Stevin, with whom he cooperated in Harderwijk in for assistance from one of his sons in future pro­ 1598 and 1599. This was Stevin's first actual activi­ jects. ty in the field as an engineer, although in 1594 he This was granted and he continued fortifying until had already published De Sterctenbouwing, the the year 1607, when he had reached the age of 66. first book in Dutch about fortifications. Stevin also It is obvious that Adriaan Anthoniszoon could not made plans for the fortification of the stronghold handle all fortifications in the Netherlands, of IJzendij ke in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, which had although he had been fortifying some 75 towns and been conquered by prince Maurice and count strongholds. In the 1580s he gained the support William Louis in 1604, and a map of his plans still from three prominent engineers in different parts remains in the archives of the Estates-General. An of the country. In the central area around the big instruction about fortification by prince Maurice rivers, Jacob Kemp, a bailiff from Gorcum, began for the engineers at IJzendijke has also survived the his career as an eminent engineer. His career ended years (including the bombardment of Middelburg in 1595 whilst besieging the town of Grol () during the Second World War). Apart from for­ in Gelderland. In Zeeland the engineer Johan van tifications in Arnhem, however, no other activities Rijswijck began a longlasting career which con­ of Stevin as an engineer have been documented. tinued until after the year 1600 and which finally The ultimate confrontation between Spanish and ended in Germany. In the northern regions count Dutch enigneers before the Twelve Years' Truce William Louis assured himself of the services of the took place at the in the years 1601­ engineer Joost Mattheus, who had fled the town of 1604. This siege, which was typified by contem­ Aalst in 1576 following the sack and the massacre porary writers as an 'academy' for engineers, in­ by the Spaniards. Although his activities have been volved the work of twelve engineers on the Dutch least well documented, he nevertheless played a side; of whom seven were killed. Among the sur­ prominent role in the so-called war of the redoubts, vivors was an English engineer, Raeff Dexter. The which culminated in the reconquest of the town of town eventually had to capitulate in 1604, which Groningen in 1594. Unfortunately, he was shot and meant the loss of the last big town in Flanders for died in 1593, while observing the possibilities for a the rebels against Spain, but the consequent con­ siege of the castle of Wedde in eastern Groningen . quest of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen made it possible to both Joost Mattheus and Jacob Kemp became very continue with the blockade of Antwerp . famous when they applied new techniques of dig­ The Dutch engineers during the first half of the

149 Eighty Years War were in general employed by the had begun in the meantime. In 1600 the training Estates-General, the States of the provinces, or by was initiated and teaching was done in the Dutch municipal authorities. In addition, prince William, language. The pupils were first supposed to take prince Maurice and count William Louis also ap­ theoretical lessons in surveying and mathematics. pointed engineers. From the beginning of the revolt Once they were able to measure and draw in scale, in the Netherlands, prince William had played an they were then sent out to the field to bring their active part in the appointment of engineers. His knowledge into practice. Apart from that they had son, prince Maurice, was stimulated by his uncle, to devise models of fortifications in clay and wood count William Louis, and by Simon Stevin, to and they had to make drafts of fortifications on cultivate a well qualified corps of engineers. The paper. The teaching was carried out by two lec­ siege of Steenwijk (1592), which was virtually won turers or professors, the most important of whom by the engineers, proved particularly important was Ludolph van Ceulen, who used to teach and provided the incentive for the training of mathematics in private schools before he was engineers. The importance of engineering was also engaged by . He gave all the underlined by the loss of the town of Hulst in 1596. theoretical and mathematics lectures to the By 1598 the town of was seriously threatened students of the school of engineers. He was second­ by the Spanish enemy, which prompted prince ed by Symon Franszoon van Merwen, who had oc­ Maurice to provide the city with food supplies, am­ cupied several public functions in the city of Leiden ple ammunition, a garrison, and last, but not least, and who had begun his career as a surveyor. As 'qualified engineers'. The need for educating master of public works he had met Adriaan An­ engineers culminated in the institution of the thoniszoon and had also worked on new fortifica­ school of engineers as a department of Leiden tions at Leiden. Because of lack of archives, university by prince Maurice in the year 1600. At however, there is little that can be said about the the same time the study of mathematics at Franeker student population. One request, made by the university was expanded to include lessons in for­ students presumably in 1610, indicates that the ma­ tification, these being given by Adriaan Metius, a jority had a background as artisans, for instance son of Adriaan Anhoniszoon. This expansion was masons or carpenters. The first student of the carried out on the instigation of count William school of engineers who was officially enlisted in Louis. the Dutch army as an engineer was Pieter The formidable achievements of the Dutch Bilderbeeck in the year 1630. Nevertheless, in 1614, engineers did not remain unnoticed abroad, and prince Maurice showed himself to be very happy from about 1590 requests were made by foreign with the results of the school, when he declared sovereigns to bid for the services of Dutch that several students had become useful engineers. engineers. Antonius van Opberghen and Simon Stevin were working in the areas around Dantzig In the first years of the revolt of the Netherlands before 1600, and after this year alleast three Dutch against Spain, the rebels could not dispose of engi­ engineers transferred their activities abroad. 10han neers other than the ones who had already served for van Rijswijck fortified German towns and Spain in the southern Netherlands. During the siege strongholds such as Mannheinl, Heidelberg, of Haarlem in 1573 a shrineworker had to be used Wulzburg, Ulm, Bremen, Hamburg, Lubeck, as an engineer, and during the siege of Zierikzee the Wesel and Lippstadt, where he became chief engineer Germain Le Febvre did not have time engineer of the count of Lippe. The Frisian enough to prepare new fortifications. In Holland, engineer, letze Iges, also worked for the count of Adriaan Anthoniszoon was the first to develop the Lippe, following the completion of his duties at the profession of engineer, and in 1574 the first new entrenchment of Groningen. The engineer NicoIaes engineers were appointed by prince William. If we de Kemp was employed in 1602 by the count of the look at a group of fifty engineers during the period Mark of Brandenburg. His activities reached as far 1573-1604 it is apparent that details about as Pommern and Prussia, where he fortified in background and education are totally unknown in Pillau, 10hannisburg and Neidenburg. In 1603 he fourteen of these cases. Four of them had occupied inspected the stronghold of Driesen (currently in public functions in the towns, and eleven had been Poland). After a short intermezzo in the artisans prior to becoming engineers. Six had been Netherlands he entered the service of the Swedish surveyors and eleven had occupied a military rank. king, Charles XI, and began to build bulwarks in One had been wallmaster and three had been Goteborg. engineers for the Spanish enemy. Most extra­ The education of engineers at Leiden university ordinary was the case ofSimon Stevin and Hans Vre­

150 deman de who had been architects or the drafts for the which were mathematicians before began to work as made by the We have knowledge of . If we at the four most im­ some 55 maps, of which were portant engineers, we can see that Adriaan An­ destroyed during the Second World War. By thoniszoon had been a surveyor, Jacob a ing these maps and them with older baili Johan van a nobleman and gover­ maps it must be concluded that the secret of the nor of the stronghold of Grave, and Joost Mat­ Dutch fortifications lay in the size of the bulwarks theus a refugee from the southern Netherlands and and in the fact that they were made from earth. The probably a manufacturer of staircases. This must use of for offensive purposes led to lead to the conclusion that most of the sophisticated ways of and approaching the motives. The towns, so that walls could be easily under- and the importance expensive cannons was reduced as a result of these techniques. Finally ing maps, the Dutch were very well paid, the most construction. Apart from form and technique, this prominent of them earning a salary to work had a great similarity to the work on the that of a professor. They were also vital di in which the Dutch were famous. It for progress in the war and were in is very hard to give a concise definition of an what was a very profession. Their for the last of the 16th century in prestige was more determined their profession in that those who were referred to than by their and their achievements as included civil engineers and persons played a major role in the course events during who worked on inventions. But more than three­ the Years War. of the persons who were called were working on fortifications. Apart from study­ (Corrected Peter Malr). ing these fortifications themselves, we can also

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