Artigenda
Liberation of Alkmaar (Alkmaar Onzet)
Wanneer: jaarlijks, 8 oktober.
Every year on or around 8 October, the Dutch city of Alkmaar (province of North Holland) celebrates the end of the siege of the city in 1573. The Spaniards had besieged the city between 21 August and 8 October 1573.
About the Siege of Alkmaar
The Siege of Alkmaar took place during the “Tachtigjarige Oorlog” (Eigty Years’ War), which occurred between 1566 and 1648. The Seventeen Provinces of The Netherlands fought against Spanish rule. Alkmaar was besieged by the Spaniards between 21 August and 8 October 1573. Unlike the Siege of Leiden, Alkmaar was not liberated. The dykes were breached and people had to wait for the Spanish troops to leave. During another siege, that of the North Holland city of Haarlem (3 December 1572 – 13 July 1573), encircling the city did prove a successful method. This city did eventually surrender. Alkmaar and later Leiden did not surrender to the Spaniards.
The Martyrs of Alkmaar
An event closely linked to the Siege of Alkmaar is that of the Martyrs of Alkmaar. It involved a group of five Franciscans, who were killed on 11 December. They were killed by the order of Diederik Sonoy (Diederik Snoey)(1529 – 1597), who was responsible for destroying the abbey where these monks lived. An unnecessary action, but the Prince of Orange ordered the destruction of the abbey of St Alderbert in Egmond-Binnen. The rubble of this abbey was used for the defences of the city of Alkmaar from 12 April 1572.
Diederik Sonoy, later governor of the Noorderkwartier had the clergy tortured before having them hanged on 24 June 1572 in Enkhuizen. Together with other misbehaviour in Ransdorp, during which Frenchiscans were again hanged, Sonoy’s seat of Medemblik was surrounded by Prince Maurice of Orange (1567-1625) in 1588. This siege lasted from 27 February to 29 April. Sony was forced to move to the north of the country and did not play a significant role after these events.
The martyrs did not come back with it and in Medemblik they did not want Sonoy anymore either. He moved to Pieterburen in the Ommelanden (near Pieterburen). There he stayed until his death.
Alkmaar under siege
The city of Alkmaar had very different problems. With the arrival of Spanish troops, the city was under siege. Although Adriaen Anthonisz was an expert on fortification, the city’s fortifications were hardly finished. Originally a surveyor, he would become one of the most important engineers in the field of fortifications. Among others, he was involved in the construction of fortifications in Amersfoort, Amsterdam, Bourtange, Naarden, Willemstad and Zwolle. In Alkmaar, he saw how parts of the city were very vulnerable. The fortifications on the south side of the city were only really completed (source). The northern side constructed in 1551 had yet to be given the necessary modifications. More dramatic was the situation on the eastern side of the city, where saltworks had to be demolished and a new rampart constructed. City gates were filled with rubble, as can be read on this page about the Friese Poort. The Spaniards even managed to take part in this area. According to Nanning van Foreest (1529 – 1592), member of the vroedschap, secretary and pensionary of the city (in addition to his function as councillor of the High Council of Holland, Zeeland and West Friesland, deputy to the States General for Holland and committeeman of the Union of Utrecht) who was present in the city during the siege and kept a record of everything, it was all very optimistic. Only three Spanish standard-bearers were involved, which were dealt with by the defenders from the city.
Dykes
Before that happened, the Spaniards first began by surrounding the city on 21 August. The first attack followed a day later. Two days later, Jacob Cabeliau (also mentioned in some sources as Jacob Kabeljauw or Jacob Cabeljauw, Cabiliau or Babiliau, lord of Mulhem) (1527-1574) called for the dykes to be breached, flooding the lands around the city.
Varying stories circulate about this Cabeliau. According to one source, this was a man who not only showed courage and fortitude but was also an engaging personality. On the contrary, other sources speak of someone who did not care about civilian casualties. About casualties among the clergy, especially when Catholics were involved, he would not have worried at all (source).
Den Briel
In any case, this Cabeliau is said to have played a role in the capture of Den Briel on 1 April 1572. He had then joined Willem II van der Marck (1542 – 1578), whom we know by the name Lumey or Heer van Lummen. Lumey commanded the fleet under which Willem Bloys van Treslong, Jacob Blommaert and Lenaert Jansz de Graeff also fell. That Cabeliau was also there had to do with William of Orange’s desire to instil some structure into the Water Beggars. Until 1572, it had proved difficult for William of Orange to make good arrangements with the Sea Beggars. They sometimes had their agenda.
Many cities had to make a trade-off: either continue under Spanish rule with the consequences that an imminent attack would follow by the Sea Beggars with possible looting of the city. Besides, cities that did opt for William of Orange had to deal with the Spanish army led by Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Alva (1507 – 1582) and now that was no fun either. Stories that you would just have to appear before the infamous Spanish Inquisition should just be relegated to the realm of fables. After 1550, it was already clear that Spanish ruler Philip II (1527 – 1598) had no intention of maintaining this ecclesiastical court. The heyday of the Spanish Inquisition in the Netherlands can be traced back to the period 1480 – 1530. Yet there were still victims after that period. For example, at the hands of Alva, when cities fell into the hands of the Spanish. Only that had nothing to do with this ecclesiastical court, but with ordinary revenge. Because these cities had sided with William of Orange and the States. As soon as any threat had passed from the French side in the south, after 1572, the duke had his hands free to concentrate on recapturing the Dutch cities. An example of a city where things went completely wrong was Haarlem.
The Siege of Haarlem
This siege is everything you know about a siege of a city as you might see it reflected in a film. A siege of a city, with all sorts of dramatic scenes. Maybe even more than that. Think severed heads on the city walls. They were the heads of Catholics from the city. On the entrenchments outside the city, the Spaniards did the same to Hairdressers or people from the area who were sympathisers or suspected to be so.
The Siege of Haarlem began on 3 December 1572 and was to last until 13 July 1573. That was just over seven months. This siege is not commemorated with festivities like those that take place in Alkmaar or Leiden (Leiden celebrates Leidens Ontzet on 3 October). There is a good reason for this, as the Spaniards took the city on 13 July.
The city would eventually fall due to a lack of food. In an attempt to prevent worse, the city council paid 250,000 guilders. This could not prevent 2,000 soldiers from being killed, along with other supporters of William of Orange. The executions took so much time and demanded so much from the executioners that it was decided to tie everyone who was still alive after some time with their backs and drown them in the Spaarne. The city would remain a Spanish town until 1576.
This spectre haunted the minds of the people of Alkmaar. Also through the head of Jacob Cabeliau, when he requested that the dykes be breached. Although this had failed in Haarlem, he had hopes that it might succeed here. His request was not granted. Between 25 August and 18 September, several attacks were carried out by the Spaniards. You may think of them as harbingers of a larger attack. That took place on the 18th of September. This attack could be repelled, thanks in part to burning faggots and boiling tar. A few days later, the dykes were breached after all (23 September) and Cabeliau still got his way. The Spanish troops had two choices: continue to fight in an area that was increasingly turning into a swamp or withdraw. They chose the latter, although it was gradual. It was not until 8 October that the last soldiers left.
“Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie”
("At Alkmaar, victory begins")
When translated from Dutch to English the phrase is: “At Alkmaar, victory begins.” It’s a known expression about the Siege of Alkmaar and especially the outcome. The city is only too proud of having been able to withstand the siege. Other cities could not. Together with the city of Leiden, the people of Alkmaar were able to recount it. It is therefore not without reason that people have continued to celebrate these events.
Was it Alkmaar or Leiden?
Of course, Alkmaar was there earlier! Judging by the chronological order of events, the choice is easy. Alkmaar was ‘at it’ earlier. After all, the siege came to an end earlier. 1573 or 1574. There is a difference. Both denouements took place in the same month (October).
Of course, it is no contest between the two cities when it comes to celebrations. If you compare both websites of the two associations and look at the information available on the Alkmaar Ontzet and Leidens Ontzet, the founding date of the association organising the festivities today is leading. If so, the Leiden Association is the oldest association. It was founded in 1886. The association in Alkmaar is a successor of an older association and was founded in 1924.
In both cases, commemoration through thanksgiving services began on the day of the Relief. In that case, the Alkmaar commemoration is historically the oldest.
Sauerkraut
When it comes to the communal meal people eat, Leiden is the city where this was more likely to happen. In Leiden, people have been eating a joint hutspot meal since the 1990s. In Alkmaar, people started that later. Not with Hutspot. People opted for sauerkraut. Proof of this can be found here.
These kinds of celebrations are part of the Netherlands’ intangible heritage, and in recent years everything has been increasingly well documented. The Netherlands Intangible Heritage website is a good source for more information on the subject.
Alkmaar began its victory, it could happen that the Siege of Leiden continued as usual. The Siege of Leiden began on 30 October 1573 and lasted until 3 October 1573. After Leiden, it was not finished. Only with the Peace of Münster in 1648 was it finished. It was clear, though, that fighting was far from always as hard in the period before that. Just think of the Twelve-Year Truce (1609 – 1621), for example. What should certainly not be underestimated – which is why it is good to dwell on it – is the courage that was shown at some moments during the siege of the city of Alkmaar. Especially when you consider that the defences were not completed during the beginning of that siege. Who could have imagined that the city would withstand that siege?
