The Eighty Years War for young and old
How did it go again? The Eighty Years War... something to do with the Battle of Nieuwepoort, the Relief of Leiden, William of Orange and Prince Maurits? After experiencing the new exhibition Maurits and the Secret of Orange, children will know everything about it and adults will also get the chance to refresh their knowledge. Prince Maurits was only 17 when the fate of the Dutch military became his responsibility. The Eighty Years War, in which the Netherlands battled with its Spanish oppressor, was in full swing. In Maurits and the Secret of Orange, children are taken on a spectacular journey through the theatre of war four centuries ago by their guide, Prince Maurits. There is everything from a visit to a rowdy tavern and a tour of a well ordered arsenal, to taking part in a dangerous battle and an exclusive meeting with the Prince himself. Win the war against the Spanish with Maurits! Until 2010 in the Legermuseum in Delft.
Those who lack strength must be clever
Delft is the city of Orange. In 1584 in the Prinsenhof, less than one kilometre from the Legermuseum, William of Orange was murdered. His son Maurits succeeded him and evolved into the strategist who initiated independence for the Netherlands. Under the motto those who lack strength must be clever, Maurits proved to be an innovator in the realm of the military, and thanks to his technical and social shrewdness, victory followed victory in quick succession for the young country. The methods the soldiers used to ready themselves for battle are accurately portrayed in the words and pictures of the drill book Wapenhandelinghe (1607). Many of the tactical military reforms that Maurits implemented were aimed at increasing firepower, since, at the beginning of the 17th century, firearms tipped the balance on the battlefield. The payment of soldiers was also better regulated in Maurits army because, as he says in the exhibition, they will only remain true to me if their purses are full.
The exhibition is in Dutch.
