Johan de Knuyt
Johan de Knuyt (born March 5, 1587 in Middelburg ; † December 17, 1654 ibid) was envoy of the province of Zeeland to the Westphalian peace negotiations in Münster and Osnabrück.
Life
Origin and family
Johan de Knuyt was born the son of Laurents de Knuyt and his wife Marguerite Lenaerts. In 1610 he married Carolina Tenys. The daughter Margarethe (1610–1667, ∞ Johan van Cattendijk) emerged from the marriage.
Career and work
As mayor of the city of Middelburg, Johan became a deputy of the Zeeland states at the General Computing Chamber in The Hague in 1616 . As advisor to Prince Friedrich Heinrich of Orange , he played a decisive role in the assertion of the Principality of Orange against France in 1630 . He was then elected chairman of the Zeeland states. In this capacity he received an annual pension of 2,000 guilders and was entrusted with many important diplomatic matters. He was in Paris in 1634 to initiate an alliance against Spain together with Adriaan Pauw . Nine years later, in 1643, the province of Zeeland nominated him as envoy to the Westphalian peace negotiations . Because he campaigned for a peace treaty against the will of his province, he came into the reputation of an intriguer. Allegedly he was bribed by the Spaniards with 100,000 escudos. In January 1647 he came to Osnabrück under the leadership of Barthold van Gent to support the Brandenburg Elector Friedrich Wilhelm (the Great Elector), who was associated with the Orange, against Sweden. Johan - unlike his father Friedrich Heinrich - did not get on well with Prince Wilhelm II of Orange . In October of that year he was dismissed as councilor to the governor . He was not allowed to take part in the ratification of the Treaties of Munster because he had - against the express will of Zeeland - signed an alliance treaty with France on January 30, 1648. The province of Zeeland did not - reluctantly - agree to the peace treaties until May 30, 1648. Negotiations with Spain over territory in 1649 were his last diplomatic mission. He was voted out of office as a representative of the Zeeland estates because he could not prevent peace with the Spaniards.
Honors
Knight of the Order of St. Michael
Others
Johan bought the Weelde estate with the town of Ravels from the House of Orange .
See also
literature
- Heinz Duchhardt , Gerd Dethlefs, Hermann Queckenstedt: ... to an everlasting memory. The peace halls in Münster and Osnabrück. Series Osnabrücker Kulturdenkmäler, Vol. 8, Bramsche 1996, ISBN 3-930595-83-4 .
Web links
- Gerd Dethlefs: Johan de Knuyt , short portrait on the Internet portal "Westphalian History"
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Knuyt, Johan de |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Envoy from the province of Zeeland to the Westphalian Peace Congress in Münster and Osnabrück |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 5, 1587 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Middelburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 17, 1654 |
| Place of death | Middelburg |