University of Groningen Adel in Friesland 1780

University of Groningen Adel in Friesland 1780 - 1880 Kuiper, Yme Berend IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 1993 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Kuiper, Y. B. (1993). Adel in Friesland 1780 - 1880. s.n. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 12-11-2019 x aan dr rgde eeuw. De tiid, aan SUMMARY ' (Amsterdam rg87; tweede n d,enstaat". Het bger lerlandm (Arnsterdam Johan Huizinga haspointed out that Dutch culture alreadyin the Golden Age had a bourgeois character; and indeed it is not easy to fit the Dutch nobility into the picture of Dutch cultural history. Itisindubitable thatthe leadingelite ofthe SevenProvinces in the r 7th and r 8th century consisted of the patricians in the cities of the province of Holland who had acquired great wealth in the trade capitalism which made the small Republic an economic and na'valworld power. In Holland, the selÊconsciouspatricians saw themselves as the equals of the nobles, yet even in this province, nobility and patriciate differed in life style and rarely intermarried. After r 65o the nobilityofHolland began to decrease in numbers and gradually dwindled into insignificance, because no more ennoblements took place. Recent studies by English, French and German historians have analysedthe important differences between regional aristo cracies within France, Germany and England. Accordingly the study of the Dutch nobility must take provincial diversities into account. In line with the socalled Wageningen school in the study of Dutch rural history, this study of the Frisian nobility emphasizesis existenceas a separateregional elite. Concentrating on a regional nobility asa social group implies a detailed study of the main aspectsofthatgroup, such assize, composition, patterns of landownership and inheritance, political power and collective mentality. In order to give an adequate analysisof these complex phenomena, Max Weber's well-known model for studying social inequalitywill be used. This model includes four dimensions: the 'size' demographic conditions and composition of the nobility ( ) , its economic position ('class'),ia political power and influence ('pa.ty') and, finally, its social and cultural position ('status') as expressed in is style of living, its honour and its mentality. Before the Batavian Revolution of rTgg,Frieslandwas one of the sevenindependent provinces of the Republic of the United Netherlands. In the rgth century,'the it became a province of the centrally governed Kiágdom of Netherhnàs. The Frisian nobility of the Anci.en,Róg* comprised mainly a rural elite. Around r 7 8o, the nobility in Friesland wasa powerful ruling class. Their modestbut characteristiclifestyle was an important criterion of trre aristocratic descent. The wealthiest families lived mainly on the land, which they rented to farmers producing for the market. This market consisted largely of trade in dairy products and formed the backbone of a relatively prosperous agricultural economy that was both commercialised and specialised.Frisian noblemen had their stately homes in the counry and, together with the wealthy families of non-noble descent, administered jusrice and ruled the thirty rural districts (gnetÊnijen)of the province. Unlike the nobility of Holland the Frisian nobility dominated their provincial parliament, *re Statesof Friesland, 563 SUMMARY during the Dutch republic. The Frisian cities were much less primogeniture. Bycoope powerful than the citiesofHolland. Theyearlyconvention of the could avoid divisionofthr States of Friesland took place in the provincial capital, Leeu- this, thisflexible practicec warden, where the whole Frisian nobility assembled.The dele- became increasinglyha gates of the province of Friesland in the States-Generalof the individualizariono[ fami Republicwere alsonoblemen. Like the patriciate ofHolland, the r8th century and wasto Frisian nobility of around r 78o wasa closed and ruling oligarchy. decreasein child mortali Traditionally, the Frisian nobles were very classconscious: they an important factor whi' deliberately avoided marriages with wealthy Frisian burghers. Therswere of coursesul The central question of this book is how the nobility succeeded noble families. By demog: in maintaining its political, social and cultural heeemony in erty could takeplace. The n Frieslandbetween r 78o and r 88o. Like the English aristocracy to be difficult, but it tendt and the elitesin other Dutch provinces,the Frisiannobilitywe nt vidual interests than by a through a demographic crisisin the r 8th century. The deathrate Between r78o and r, among aduls and children washigh, whereasthe frequencyof divided. From r 78o un marriages declined becausestrict social endogamy wasmain- various political position, tained in the choice of marriage partners. During the rgth his part on this politicalsr century, demographic conditions becamemore favourableagain, within the province. but and the number of noble families dying out declined. The managed to createabonc establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in r 8 r 3 wasan Frisian aristocracy.Most I important fact for the continuity of Dutch nobility. King William primu s int erp ares and th ey I and King William II gave many patricians a noble status.This too powerful. policy did not impart a more aristocratic character to Dutch and The Batavian 'national Revoluti Frisian society,however. In fact, a kind of elite', came Frisian nobility and of th, into existence which upheld distinct bourgeois virtues. The the next decadethe aristr members of this elite had privileged accessto important and estates,but after thesedifl representative posts in the bureaucracy and constituted the noblemen again began I m4jority in parliament and government. In the province of positions.Nevertheless, th Friesland too, the old and the new nobility, though still overre- role and its daysas a virtr presented in provincial and local government during the rgth since r 8 r3, when William century, increasinglytended to conform to this bourgeoislifestyle. establisheda centralized Paradoxically, the drastic shrinking of the Frisian nobility at Belgium). the end of the r Sth century had favourable consequencesfor its During the period r8r economic position during the rgth century: the remaining Frisian elite seemto havc families inherited the possessionsof those families that died out political power. Loyal to t and thus increased theirwealth. The nobility also acquired large Frisian nationalist sentimr fortunesbecause ofachange in the marriage strategy,whichnow in local and provincial made allianceswith patriciansandwealthy burghers an acceptable infl uence ofrevolutions el bargain. Economically, the increasing demand from England to a very liberal constitur for butter and meat favoured the big landowners. Moreover,the around r 86o onwards,tht growth of the population and the strong demand for land liberals and conservativ enabled the latter to raise rents steadily.Just as in the English parliament and only thr form of rent capitalism, the Frisian noble landowners carefully positions. Increasingly,tl avoided pruning away the profits of their tenants. Nonetheless local administration in the they had large incomes from their estatesand around r85o the decadesafter r86o it had majority of the Frisian landed nobiliry belonged to the wealthiest class, totally dedicated tr families of the Netherlands. provincial nobilitywho dir In order to keep their estatestogether, Frisian familiescould an academic degree in or not fall back on those legal systemsof inheritance (still in force political network. elsewherein r gth century Europe) which ensured someform of The CreatDeoressiorr 564 SUMMARY 1 cities were much less primogeniture. By cooperating closely,however, family members Fearlyconvention of the couldavoiddivision oftheirpropertyforquite some time. Despite rovincial capital, Leeu- this, this fl exible practice of inheritance and property management ty assembled.The dele- became increasingly harder to maintain on account of the e States-Generalof the individualization of family life which had already begun in the atriciateofHolland. the r8th century and was to increase during the rgth century. The edandrulingoligarchy. decreasein child mortality, which led to larger families, also was :ry classconscious: thev an important factor which led to the division of large estates. LlihyFrisian burghers.' There were of course substantial differences in wealth between w the nobility succeeded noble families. By demographic chance sudden transfersofprop cultural hegemony in ertycould take place.The managementoflargepropertieshrmed out the English aristocracy to be difficult, but it

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