Joost van den Vondel

Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679) was born in the Große Witschgasse in Cologne. His parents were Mennonites. In 1595, probably because of their religious conviction, they fled to Utrecht and from this town they went to Amsterdam in the newly formed Dutch Republic.

Related Topics:
1587 - 1679 - Cologne - Mennonites - Utrecht - Amsterdam - Dutch Republic

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At the age of 23 Vondel married Mayken de Wolff. Together they had four children, of which two died at a very young age. After the death of his father in 1608, Vondel managed the silk shop the Vondels had in Amsterdam. In the meantime, he began to learn Latin and became acquainted with famous poets such as Roemer Visscher.

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Around the year 1641 he converted to Catholicism. This was a great shock to most of his fellow countrymen, because the main conviction in the Republic was Protestantism. It is still unclear why he became Catholic, although his love for a Catholic lady may have played a role in this (Mayken de Wolff had died in 1635).

Related Topics:
Catholicism - Protestantism

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During his life he became one of the main advocates for religious freedom. After the fall, capture and subsequent beheading of the main leader of the States of Holland Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (1617 and 1619), and the Synod of Dordrecht (1618-1619), the Calvinists had the main religious power in the Republic. Catholicism and Arminianism weren?t allowed anymore. Vondel wrote many satires criticising the Calvinists and extolling Oldenbarnevelt. This, together with his new faith, made him a unpopular figure in Calvinist circles. He died a bitter man - though he was honoured by many fellow poets - on February 5, 1679.

Related Topics:
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt - Synod of Dordrecht - February 5 - 1679

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