Wassergeusen
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The Wassergeusen were pirates who fought on the side of the Geusen for the independence of the Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War .
The term Wassergeusen (Dutch: watergeuzen ) is derived from "water" and "geus" (plural nl: "geuzen"). "Geus" is a Dutch corruption of the French word for beggar , gueux .
During the Eighty Years' War, the Dutch war of independence against Spain, upgraded many from Holland fled personalities privateers out, was with those made on Spanish ships hunting. Noblemen and merchants financed the equipment of the ships and shared the profit. The Wadden Islands Terschelling and Rottumeroog and the English, French and German North Sea ports (especially Emden ) served as places of refuge. As long as the Wassergeusen could not appeal to an authority , they were viewed as pirates . This changed when William of Orange allied with them, gave them letters of misery and appointed Wilhelm II von der Marck as admiral of the Wassergeusen. As a result, they received more support from the population as a resistance movement at sea (against the Spanish rulers).
With the conquest of Brielle (Den Briel) at the mouth of the Meuse on April 1st, 1572 the uprising of the Netherlands against Spain began. The Wassergeusen conquered the city in the name of William of Orange, who was living in exile in London at the time. Other cities soon followed. The Latin inscription in the coat of arms of Brielle still reminds us today: Libertatis Primitiae (German first fruits of freedom ).