Friezen in Bodegraven 1672 ~ Frisians in Bodegraven 1672

In de catalogus van de KB vond ik uiteindelijk een tijdje terug een artikel met de naam 'Friezen te Bodegraven in 1672', geschreven door mw Rinskje Visser. Het artikel was gepubliceerd in de 'Vrije Fries', en hulde aan het Fries Genootschap, om dit blad on-line ter beschikking te stellen.

Het artikel gaat over het ongeluk dat Luitenant-Colonel Johan van Burum overkwam, die de pech had het matig versterkte Coevorden tegen Bernard van Galen te moeten verdedigen.

Hij diende zich uitiendelijk bij de krijgsraad te verantwoorden die hem een boete, ontzetting uit het ambt en drie jaar gevangenisstaf oplegde. Zeer waarschijnlijk is de gevangenisstraf door Willem III er af gehaald, want Johan keerde vrij vlot na 1672 weer naar Friesland terug.

Mevrouw Visser heeft het familiearchief kunnen inzien en de correspondentie tussen Johan en zijn familie boven water gehaald. Dieptepunt was ook de onaangename ontmoeting met de Fransen in Bodegraven die akelig dichtbij kwamen. Het artikel is hier te vinden. De volledige digitale collectie is hier overigens te vinden, de link naar het artikel klopt overigens niet.



It may come as a surprise to foreigners, but the Netherlands has two official languages, being Dutch and Frisian. The Frisians are very proud of their cultural heritage and the Royal Cultural and Historical Frisian Society, was the founder of the Frisian museum, and originator of the scientific-historical magazine, 'De Vrije Fries', 'The Free Frisian'.

A while ago I found an article called 'Frisians in Bodegraven 1672'. After some digging I found out, it was an article in ' De Vrije Fries', by Ms Rinskje Visser, on the fate of Johan van Burum, the Lt-Colonel of regiment Burmania and commander of the ill-fated fortress of Coevorden in 1672.

The border fotresses like Bourtange and Coevorden, where of special interest to the northern provinces of the Republic, as they were protecting their eastern borders, so it was not something strange that a Frisian was commander. Also the Northern Provinces paid extra for it, and as a counter financial strike a local was appointed to command. Unfortunatly for van Burum, the fortress was in terrible shape, the troops refused to fight after the initial bombardment and the fortress town had to surrender.

Van Burum didn't get off: he had to answer himself for a court martial and the article describes and publishes the correspondence with his family. Finally he was sentenced to a fine, kicked out of military service and got three year in prison! The jail sentence was probably commuted by William III as van Burum got back to Friesland quite soon afterwards, but not after experiencing some hair rasing moments when the French broke through at Bodegraven. You can find the links in the dutch text above.