Wijbo Fijnje

Wybo Fijnje (24 January 1750 in Zwolle – 2 October 1809 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch Mennonite minister, publisher in Delft, Patriot, exile, coup perpetrator, politician and - during the French era - manager of the state newspaper.

Fijnje grew up in Haarlem, where his father Jan Fijnje, originally from Harlingen, was also a minister. His parents died in 1763. He studied in Amsterdam, but moved in 1771 to Leiden and came in contact with the Collegiants in Rijnsburg. Fijnje began his career as a Mennonite preacher in Deventer (1774). Then he was called to Delft, where he had already (c.1775) taken up an office on the "Hollandsche Historische Courant". Fijnje was probably inspired by these publishing activities and the internationally praised paper of his wife's family in Leiden, for in November 1775 he had married with Emilie Luzac, the publisher's daughter.

Johan Luzac, writing under the pseudonym Attica in Fijnje's Dutch-language paper, warned his brother-in-law to practice more moderation in dealing with his co-worker, the journalist Gerrit Paape, that fairly took in anti-orangist viewpoints. In 1783 Fijnje was involved in the foundation of the exercitiegenootschappen; in 1785 by the setting up of the "Leids Ontwerp", together with Pieter Vreede and Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck. On 21 August Fijnje - as a delegate - read a revolutionary explanation in the council hall. Eleven members of the vroedschap were requested to leave, after which eight patriots could be installed. All this happened without the stadholder's knowledge or consent, but with the assent of the population, although they apparently remained outside, silent, watching the flying column under the leadership of Adam Gerard Mappa, a letter-setter. A baker that sold orange cakes was court-martialled and put under house arrest. The exercitiegenootschap took over Delft's large ammunition and weapons store in de Republiek, now the army museum. Their example was followed in Leiden, Dordrecht, Alkmaar, Hoorn and Monnikendam, even under the threat of a Prussian ultimatum and raid.

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