Henry, Count of Bréderode

Henry (Hendrik), Lord of Bréderode (December 1531 – 15 February 1568) was a member of the Dutch noble family Van Brederode and an important member during the Eighty Years' War. He was named the "Grote Geus" or the "big beggar".

Hendrik van Brederode was born at Brussels. He became a convert to the Reformed faith and placed himself at the side of the prince of Orange and Count of Egmont in resisting the introduction of the Spanish Inquisition and Spanish despotism into the Netherlands. In 1566 he was one of the founders of the confederacy of nobles who bound themselves to maintain the rights and liberties of the country by signing a document known as the Compromise of Nobles.

On 5 April that year Brederode accompanied to the palace a body of 300 Knights, for whom he acted as the spokesman, to present to the regent, Margaret of Parma, a petition setting forth their grievances. It was at a banquet at the Hotel Culemburg on 8 April, presided over by Bréderode, that the sobriquet of les Gueux, or "the Beggars," was first given to the opponents of Spanish rule. Bréderode, the "Grote Geus" or big beggar, was banished from the Netherlands by Alva, and died in exile shortly afterwards at the early age of thirty-six.

In March of the year 1567, backed by his friend Lenaert Jansz de Graeff and a large part of the bourgeoisie Brederode became the Generalcaptain of the city of Amsterdam. But in the next month Brederode and De Graeff departure and the Spanish General Philippe de Noircarmes became the military leader of Amsterdam.

Hendrik was the descendant of an ancient family active in the affairs of war and peace, which had for some centuries been settled in Holland Northwest of the village of Santpoort at Castle Brederode and after 1418 at Batenstein Castle in Vianen. In 1557 he married Amalia of Neuenahr, daughter of Gumprecht of Neuenahr.

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