Balthasar Gérard

Balthasar Gérard

Balthasar Gérard (Dutch Balthasar Gerards ; * around 1557 in Vuillafans in Franche-Comté ; † July 14, 1584 in Delft ) was the murderer of William of Orange . As a Catholic and admirer of Philip II , Gérard made the plan to assassinate William of Orange. Alexander of Parma knew and approved of this plan. Gérard entered the service of Wilhelm under the name of Franz Guion and hyped the most ardent hatred of Catholics. On July 10, 1584, he killed William of Orange on the stairs of his residence in Delft with three pistol shots. He tried to escape after the attack, but was caught and quartered on July 14, 1584 . King Philip II of Spain raised the murderer's entire family to the nobility and gave them the goods of Orange in Franche-Comté.

Preparations

When Philip II, King of Spain, offered a reward for the assassination of William I, Gérard traveled to Luxembourg, where he learned that Juan de Jáuregui was already preparing for an assassination attempt. But his plan failed. In March 1584 he went to Trier and presented his plan to the head of the Jesuits. However, he was convinced to change his original plan and go to the Prince of Parma. In Tournai, Gérard wrote a letter after consulting the Franciscan father Gery. A copy of it was kept in the monastery. He personally gave the original to the Prince of Parma. In the letter Gérard wrote "a vassal should always respect justice and the will of the king more than his own life".

At first the prince considered him unsuitable for the act, but after consulting Haultepenne and others, the letter was sent on to Christoffel d'Assonleville. He spoke to Gérard and asked him to put this down in writing, which he did on April 11, 1584. He asked the Prince of Parma for absolution because "he had to be with heretics and atheists for some time and had to adhere to their customs during the corresponding enterprise".

He asked for 50 kroner for his first expenses, but this was refused. "I will provide for myself from my own wallet," Gérard told Assonleville, "and you will hear from me within six weeks". Assonleville replied, "Go there, my son ... and if you succeed in your business, the king will keep all his promises and you will be given an immortal name along the way."

In order to get close to William of Orange, Gérard posed as a Huguenot who had fled France. He brought letters to France on Wilhelm's behalf and thus won his trust. When Wilhelm no longer needed his services, he gave him money to travel on. With this money Gérard bought two pistols, one of which he bought from a member of Wilhelm's bodyguard.

According to another version, Gérard strolled in the courtyard on Sunday, July 8th, 1584 and examined the premises. A halberdier asked him why he was waiting there. He apologized by saying that in his shabby clothes and without new shoes, he could not enter the church across the street. The halberdier unsuspectingly arranged a donation of 50 kroner for Gérard, who the next morning bought a pair of pistols from a soldier with the money.

The attack on July 10th

As William the Silent went up the stairs to the second floor, he was approached by the Welsh captain Roger Williams, who knelt before him. Wilhelm put his hand on the old captain's head. At that moment Gerard jumped out of a dark corner, drew his weapon and fired three shots at the governor. Wilhelm the silent collapsed. His sister tried to help him up, but it was too late. "Mon Dieu, ayez pitié de moi et de mon pauvre peuple" (my God, have mercy on me and my poor people) were supposedly the last words of Wilhelm. Gérard fled, pursued by Roger Williams. Gérard almost reached the ramparts from which he was to jump into the ditch. A saddled horse was waiting on the other side. A pig's bladder around his waist should keep him afloat. Accused of being a traitor by his captors, he is said to have replied: "I am not a traitor, I am a faithful servant of my master". “Which gentleman?” They asked. “Who is my lord and master, the King of Spain.” At the same time halberdiers of the prince appeared from several quarters, dragged him back to the house and struck him with fists and a sword pommel. When he heard that the prince was still alive, he shouted: "Damn the hand that missed!"

Interrogation, torture and execution

While he was still in the house, he was immediately taken for an interrogation before the city magistrate. While he was being questioned by the judges, he allegedly showed neither despair nor remorse, but rather a calm composure. He said, "Like David who killed Goliath of Gath."

The judge decreed a (even for its time) particularly brutal execution of the execution . Gérard's right hand was to be burned with a red-hot iron, his flesh was to be torn from his bones with tongs in six different places, he was to be quartered and gutted alive , his heart to be torn from his chest and thrown in his face and finally his head to be cut off become. The torture was also particularly brutal. On the first night of his imprisonment, Gérard was hung from a pole and flogged. After various other tortures, he was tied with his hands and feet like a ball for the rest of the night. He was repeatedly hung from a pole with his hands tied behind his back for the next three days. Gérard is said to have remained calm during his torture. Gérard was executed on July 14, 1584.

aftermath

Reward letter from Philip II of Spain for the Gérards family, 1590

Philip II gave Gérard's parents three estates in Lievremont, Hostal and Dampmartin in Franche-Comté instead of the reward of 25,000 kroner, and raised the family to the nobility. Philip II later offered the Prince of Orange the return of the lands, but the Prince was to continue to pay a fixed portion of the income to the family of his father's murderer. However, he indignantly refused. Therefore, the lands remained with the Gérards family. The apostolic vicar Sasbout Vosmeer carried out the canonization of Gérard and traveled to Rome with the dead man's head. His request was rejected there.

legacy

The village of Vuillafans has renamed the street where Gérard was born in rue Gérard in his memory .

swell

• John Lothrop Motley: The Rise of the Dutch Republic .
• Lisa Jardine : The Awful End of William the Silent - The First Assassination of a Head of State with a Handgun . HarperCollins, London 2005, ISBN 0-00-719257-6 .

Web links

Commons : Balthasar Gérard  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Museum Prinsenhof Delft: Museumgids Willem van Oranje 2013, p.57 (Dutch); accessed on February 14, 2018