Topic: Awesome re-enactment (Dutch Revolt)

[Gnarkill]

Dear fellow members,

As some of you may know, I am building a Empire army, based upon Dutch history and the Dutch war of Independance. (16th century). (Yes there's Orange!).

Last weekend, there was a awesome re-enactment battle and period in wich the Siege of Grolle (= city) was re-enacted.
I wanted to share this with you, since it looks awesome and could be a source of inspiration, as it was for me a year ago.
Enjoy!

A brief history of the battle of Grolle (1627)

During the 80 Years War (1568-1648) the Dutch revolted against the occupying Spanish government. Every city in the Low Lands had to be besieged and conquered.

 In the year 1627 Prince Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange-Naussau and stadtholder of The Netherlands, decided to besiege the city of Grolle (now Groenlo) in the eastern part of The Netherlands. The town (approximately 1000 inhabitants at the time) was occupied by 800 Spaniards.

The army of State (some 25.000 soldiers) arrived on the evening of the 20th of June 1627 near the town. The army was divided to enclose the city, thus totally fencing it off. The soldiers immediately started digging trenches and walls for the encampments and other earthworks (such as ‘schansen’).

The prince’s troops where merely mercenaries from all around Europe. Frederik Hendrik placed countrymen together. For example: besides the Engelse Schans French soldiers occupied the ‘Franse Schans’ and the Dutch held the Hollandse and the Friese Schans. There was a kind of rivalry amongst the different countries. It was a real competition which company reached the ditch of Grolle. To speed up the siege Frederik Hendrik promised the winners 300 guilders.

Prince Frederik Hendrik himself resided in the biggest encampment on the Lievelder Es. Near the encampment was a natural height. In Spanish hands it would be a serious threat for the prince and his high guest who resided in the camp. To prevent Spanish occupation on this spot the Engelse Schans was built.

Pics!






















Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EGxC6u1xhA

Many more to be found on: www.slagomgrolle.nl (Also avalaible in English)

Hope you enjoyed.

Best regards from the Netherlands.


Gnarkill

[Prince_RothGaad]

You my friend have just made my day:biggriin:
The second photo with the cavalry at ease, those first two guys, add a back wingbanner and hey presto, exactly the inspiration I need for modern day Gospador winged lancers.
 
 

[red bull]

Sweet. Wish I knew more about history, but I'm rubbish except for 18th century and the classics.

My aunt went to the renactment of Waterloo this year, she does live there but they only hold one every 10 years.

70000 men took part, god that would've been great to watch.

[Perambulator]

Sweet.

[Mathi Alfblut]

Awesome! So many early 17th century re-enactors. And cavalry looking the part!

Thanks for showing us the pics. Makes me wish there were more early 17th century re-enactors in Sweden than we are. How sweet it would be to be able to go to the Netherlands and join up with our protestant brethern in our fight against the Pope and the Spaniards.

A toast from sweden and a member of Gustav II Adolfs fotfänika. 

[red bull]

Throw out the hated opressors. Hang on, thats the spaniards and the dutch. Oops.

[Mathi Alfblut]

Wait, no need to thrown them out, come to sweden instead! Protestantic, pious, plenty of job opportunities for people skilled in metalworking, foundries and mining!

[red bull]

How about Naval architects?

Now hang on, wait, that's the dutch. Damn.

[Gnarkill]

So? Why don't you come to the Netherlands then my friend?
There are plenty of Czech, German, Scottish and English re-enactments groups present, pretending to be mercenaries from the countries they are actually from! It was normal in those days, hehe.

Btw,  the Dutch were protestants. The Southern Dutch (now-a-day Brabantians/Belgians/Flemish) were Catholics. (Don't forget the Flemish/Belgians at the time actually were considered Dutch, and officially they are still concidered ethnic Dutch!)

I am a Brabantian. You could say the line between the Flemish-Dutch and the 'Hollander'- Dutch.

Oh, nice fact: it's Dutch and the Netherlands. Holland is often used, but for a fact this is wrong. Holland is only a PART of the Netherlands. It is the northern/mid part in wich Amsterdam is also located and therefore it is often mistaken for Holland, while actually meaning the Netherlands. As a Brabantian I am actually a bit offended when people speak about Holland. It's just a part. (And the Brabantian football teams are just way better, cough, cough Feyenoord, cough... )

[shavixmir]

Wait, no need to thrown them out, come to sweden instead! Protestantic, pious, plenty of job opportunities for people skilled in metalworking, foundries and mining!

Yeah... just don't stand around busstops at night though. They'll shoot you.

[red bull]

I used to live in Cpetown, I'm used to people being shot.

Thinking about it both my neighbours got shot.

@Gnarkill, solved the problem. The United Nation. What we effectively were at the beginning of the 18th century. Yeah!

[Mathi Alfblut]

No problem back then, Shav. Sweden needed people with technical knowhow. You don´t go around shooting the people helping to develop your own arms industry so we can sail down to the continent and shot people there instead. Much better!

Oh, we are open for the dutch too! As long as they are not crappers who got thrown out of the dutch shipyards due to incompetence or something. It is enough with one failed ship constructed along dutch lines, the Vasa.

Dutch are also most welcome to come and settle in Gothenburg to help develop trade.

[red bull]

Don't speak Swedish. Only English, and little french, german and latin.

Do you guys speak any of those?

[Mathi Alfblut]

I speak english and some german. Most Swedes today can speak english or at least understand it.

[patsy02]

No problem back then, Shav. Sweden needed people with technical knowhow. You don´t go around shooting the people helping to develop your own arms industry so we can sail down to the continent and shot people there instead. Much better!

Oh, we are open for the dutch too! As long as they are not crappers who got thrown out of the dutch shipyards due to incompetence or something. It is enough with one failed ship constructed along dutch lines, the Vasa.

Dutch are also most welcome to come and settle in Gothenburg to help develop trade.

Is this 17th century Mathi speaking in-character?

[Mathi Alfblut]

Yes... and no. I am not certain of which or what is my true in-character persona. 

[Johann Q Peasant]

Excellent pics! Thank you for posting these!

[Thomas Aagaard]

70000 men took part, god that would've been great to watch.

That number must surely be the number of spectators... and not reenactors.
or you got a 0 to much... 7000 sounds realistic.

The largest reenactment i know about is still gettysburg 135th (in 1998) with something about 25-28000 reenactors. (depending on where you look)


But great pictures... great inspiration for the new Imperial pike and shotte infantry i just brought from warlord games.

[Donnachaidh]

So? Why don't you come to the Netherlands then my friend?

I have a Dutch member in my group who is going to try and organise our involvement with the next battle at Grolle in two years time. I also have some other friends in the 6th Dutch Hussards who are keen.

Me and the pony out doing the 17th centuiry for the first time this year....

[Obi]

Oh, nice fact: it's Dutch and the Netherlands. Holland is often used, but for a fact this is wrong. Holland is only a PART of the Netherlands. It is the northern/mid part in wich Amsterdam is also located and therefore it is often mistaken for Holland, while actually meaning the Netherlands. As a Brabantian I am actually a bit offended when people speak about Holland. It's just a part. (And the Brabantian football teams are just way better, cough, cough Feyenoord, cough... )

Typically Brabants to make a fuss of it That said it annoys me a little too. You did leave out two small things though:
- We also have Zuid-Holland (that's below the rivers too, so don't you go calling that North
- There is a reason Holland is used so often to refer to our country.

Pics look awesome, I might have to go look next time.

P.S. I'm still digging the Prinsenvlag and PSV sucks

[red bull]

Thinking about it, it would be more realistic if they didn't use blanks

[Fortune]

hello,
Slag om Grolle is great battle, I was there two times in 2008 and 2010 and it was great experience also the atmosphere in town is absolutely amazing! Im from Slovakia but I was there with our friend from Czech Republic. Here is photo of me

[red bull]

Firstly welcome to the forum, as that was you're first post.

Secondly, well done on capitalising. I didn't when I first joined and got quite a few emails on the subject.

And thirdly, you look awesome!