Background
Hendrik van Brederode was born at Brussels.
Hendrik van Brederode was born at Brussels.
He was named the "Grote Geus" or the "big beggar". 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.
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. 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. Hendrick van Brederode is main character in 1949 novel De grote geus (The Great Geuz) written by Johan Fabricius.