Jan Andries Vander Mersch

Jan Andries Vander Mersch (also Jan André , Van der Meersch ) (born February 10, 1734 in Menen , † September 14, 1792 in Dadizele ) was the leader of the Brabant patriots in the Brabant Revolution in 1789.

Vander Mersch first entered French military service, in which he participated in the Seven Years' War with distinction, then in 1778 in Austrian, from which he left in 1779 with the character of a colonel. In 1789 he joined the Belgians, who were dissatisfied with the Austrian administration, took command of the insurgent army and defeated the Austrians at Turnhout (October 26th), conquered Ghent and Brussels and was thereupon appointed by the Belgians to the general of all troops. As a result of suspicions on the part of the clericals, however, he was arrested in March 1790 and imprisoned in the citadel of Antwerp and was only freed again by the advancing Austrians. He died on September 14, 1792 on his estate near Menen. He wrote memoirs that were edited by one of his officers ("Mémoires historiques et pièces justificatives pour Mr. van der M.", Lille 1791, 3 vols.).

literature

• Heinrich Christian Boie, New German Museum , 1790, Volume 2, p. 229 f, digitized version of General van der Meersch's life circumstances (during the Seven Years' War).
• Constantin von Wurzbach : Mersch, Johann Andreas von der . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 17th part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1867, pp. 403–405 ( digitized version ).
• Karl Theodor Wenzelburger:  Mersch, Jean André van der . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 21, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1885, p. 457 f.