Pieter Coutereel

Statue of Pieter Coutereel in the facade of the Loewen town hall

Pieter Coutereel (also Couthereel , Couterel , Cotterel or Coutreel ) (* in the first quarter of the 14th century in Leuven ; † in the last quarter of the 14th century ibid.) Was Meier of the city of Leuven, Lord of Asten and leader of the Löwener Popular uprising of 1360.

Life

Coutereel came from a family that - despite being related to the more important Van Redinghen and De Nethen families - was neither particularly old nor particularly wealthy. Coutereel's father, Gottfried Coutereel, was a simple lay judge and is the first representative of this family to be mentioned in the chronicles of the city of Leuven. Even Pieter Coutereel himself was only in an average financial position.

Appointment to Meier and first years of office

When the important post of the Meier in Leuven became vacant in 1348, Duke Johann III appointed. from Brabant Pieter Coutereel, of whom the chronicles do not report anything up to this point, for this office. It is still unclear what motives played a role. As a Meier, Coutereel had a powerful position in the city. He was the Duke's deputy , took part in legal proceedings, was entrusted with the execution of judgments and exercised police powers in the city, for which a number of servants were put at his side. He alone had the right to have anyone arrested. He also oversaw the municipal administration .

At this point in time, there had been riots in Leuven for 50 years, because the craft were fighting for more political rights in the city government, which was dominated by the Löwen families. Coutereel himself was also a representative of the sexes, but he supported the cause of the craft. The reasons for his bad relationship with the members of his own class are still unclear. At any rate, at the ducal council in Tervuren , his almost republican views met with little approval.

After the death of Johann III. Coutereel was in the office of Wenceslaus I of Luxembourg , the son-in-law of Johann III. confirmed in office. Since Flanders and Geldern had contested the inheritance, the Brabant War of Succession broke out in the course of which Leuven fell into the hands of the Flemings in 1356 and Coutereel was deposed in favor of Wouter Keynooge. Only after the peace treaty in 1357 Coutereel received his office back from Wenceslaus I.

Role in the Löwen uprising of 1360

From the middle of the 14th century, the situation in Leuven became increasingly precarious. The decline of the cloth industry resulted in lower wages, higher taxes and unemployment . In addition, there were bad harvests that resulted in famine . Shortly after the peace agreement with Flanders, social unrest broke out again in Leuven.

In 1360 there was a difference of opinion between Coutereel and the city aldermen, which had major consequences. The lay judges, who had often not been on good terms with Coutereel from the start, declared after a minor dispute in a legal matter that he had forfeited his office and had nothing more to say in the city. Coutereel immediately moved to Tervuren to complain to the duke. This, however, withdrew from the affair and traveled to Luxembourg without having decided the fermenting dispute.

A little later - on July 20, 1360 - an uprising broke out in Leuven. Weavers , walkers and other craftsmen came together at the market, where Coutereel took the lead and gave a fiery speech against the Löwen families. The next day, the representatives of the sexes gathered in the town hall to discuss how the uprising could be ended. The craftsmen then surrounded the town hall armed, stormed it and took all members of the sexes - a total of more than 150 people - prisoner, brought them to the castle and imprisoned them there. The ducal letters, affirming the privileges of the sexes, were torn and two city ​​gates that had previously served as prisons were destroyed. Despite everything, none of the prisoners was injured. Coutereel was then master of the city. A new magistrate was appointed and Coutereel decided that from now on it should include three representatives of the craft in addition to four representatives of the sexes - an absolute novelty in Brabant . The fact that Coutereel still allowed the sexes to have a majority in the magistrate is seen by later historians as a clever move and as an indication of the moderation of the rebels' goals.

Meanwhile, the Duchess Johanna von Brabant tried to restore the old state, but was rejected by Coutereel, who wanted to preserve the reforms that had been achieved . When Wenceslas I returned from Luxembourg at the end of August 1360, he issued an ordinance to end the Löwen uprising and which corresponded to what Coutereel and his followers had demanded. As a reward, the magistrate offered Coutereel an annuity of 1,400 shields a year.

Role after the popular uprising

Despite the political changes, there was no peace in Leuven and Wenceslaus I had to travel to the city several times to clarify the situation. Finally, to the satisfaction of the families, he deposed Pieter Coutereel and appointed a follower of Coutereels, Pauwel Herengolijs, to be Meier in his place. Coutereel was appointed a lay judge as compensation. But even these measures by the duke did not ensure peace in the city and the exodus of the families from Leuven continued to increase. This resulting vacuum suited Coutereel because he soon became the sole director of the city's fortunes. In June 1362 he was elected mayor .

Coutereel was held in high regard by Duke Wenceslaus I and was enfeoffed on October 4, 1363 for his "good, numerous and loyal services" with the rule of Asten , including all the rights that the Dukes of Brabant had in this parish.

At this time, Coutereel, who had the great seal of the city, also had coins minted in Leuven . The resulting income, however, never flowed into the municipal coffers, which is why historians speculate that Coutereel may have embezzled the money in order to secure a suitable husband for his daughter Gertrude.

The displaced members of the sexes finally complained to Wenceslaus I that they had no way of returning to their hometown and the Duke then decided to finally end the disorderly situation in Leuven. The city submitted to his orders, reopened the gates for members of the families and Coutereel escorted the hostages remaining from the unrest to Tervuren together with around 70 other riders .

Exile and death

After this third peace agreement in Leuven, Coutereel feared that - now that he was no longer needed - there could be violent attacks against him. He therefore retired to his country estate in Asten. Many of his followers followed him there. In Leuven, however, his opponents regained the upper hand and the newly elected magistrate refused to pay him the originally suspended annuity. Coutereel then arrested each of his opponents, whom he could get hold of outside Brabant. He also kept in secret contact with his followers in the city and a plan was devised as to how Coutereel could be re-established in Leuven. The Löwener Magistrate then reached the condemnation of Coutereel in 1364 with Duke Wenzel I. Together with 45 of his followers he was banished from Brabant . He then traveled through Holland , Germany and France and tried to win supporters for his return plans, but gave up his attempts to return to old power after several failed conspiracies.

Meanwhile, the power of the sexes continued to grow in Leuven, because the followers of Coutereel no longer dared to speak their mind openly. The rights gained in the uprising were soon disregarded again and the craft lost its political position, which according to Wenceslas I's decree it was actually allowed to hold. Finally, in 1369, the power of the sexes had grown to such an extent that they no longer had any objection to Coutereel's return. He formally had to forego his annuity and ended up living forgotten and impoverished in Leuven for a while before he died there in a house on Fonteinstraat.

Evaluation of Coutereel's work

Coutereel's role in Brabant history is viewed very differently by historians and chroniclers. Critics particularly denounce his intrigues, personal ambition and infidelity . One of his achievements, however, is that, thanks to his efforts, for the first time in the history of Brabant, the craft held political positions in a city government. Coutereel therefore still has many followers today who regard the strengthening of the people and the weakening of the sexes he achieved as a milestone in the history of Brabant. From these he is also called "Brabanter Artevelde", an allusion to the Ghent statesman Jacob van Artevelde , who in the 14th century also campaigned for more political power of the craft on the Flemish side.

Coutereel in today's Leo

In today's cityscape of Leuven there are numerous references to Pieter Coutereel. There is a statue of him in the facade of the town hall, a memorial in his honor opposite the courthouse, and a street is named after him.

literature

• JA Torfs: Geschiedenis van Leuven van den vroegsten tijd tot op heden , Löwen 1899.
• L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.): Biographie Nationale de Belgique , Vol. 4, Brussels 1873.
• H. Sermon: Geschiedenis van Peeter Coutherele, meïer van Leuven, een volksvriend uit de XIVe eeuw , Antwerp 1860, available on the website of Ghent University

swell

1. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 441.
2. ↑
   

   Wikisource: De_Leuvense_stadsbestuurders_van_1187_tot_1794 / Coutereel, _Peeter  - Sources and full texts (Dutch)
3. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 441.
4. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 441.
5. ↑ Torfs, JA , Geschiedenis van Leuven van den vroegsten tijd tot op heden, p. 88.
6. ↑ Torfs, JA , Geschiedenis van Leuven van den vroegsten tijd tot op heden, p. 138.
7. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 442.
8. ↑ Torfs, JA , Geschiedenis van Leuven van den vroegsten tijd tot op heden, p. 145.
9. ^ Torfs, JA , Geschiedenis van Leuven van den vroegsten tijd tot op heden, p. 151; L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 445.
10. ↑ Torfs, JA , Geschiedenis van Leuven van den vroegsten tijd tot op heden, p. 152.
11. ^ Torfs, JA , Geschiedenis van Leuven van den vroegsten tijd tot op heden, p. 153; L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 447.
12. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 448.
13. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 448.
14. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 448 f.
15. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 450.
16. ↑ Torfs, JA , Geschiedenis van Leuven van den vroegsten tijd tot op heden, p. 157.
17. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 450 f.
18. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 451.
19. ↑ L'académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (ed.), Biographie Nationale, Vol. 4, p. 442.
20. ↑ Monuments on a map
21. ^ Location of the street Pieter Coutereelstraat