The Zoudenbalchs and the end of the Utrecht Civil War Zoudenbalch

the gatehouse of zoudenbalch palace on mariastraat in utrecht. gatehouse opened onto small semi-seigneurial domain within city, garden, orchards , summer house.

the fortunes of war favoured belligerent parties in turn without either side gaining upper hand, clear military might of burgundian-habsburg forces prevail. in 1482 hook party therefore again sent delegation negotiate maximilian s plenipotentiaries @ schoonhoven, once again included gerrit zoudenbalch. negotiations @ schoonhoven failed both parties continued attempts reach peaceful settlement further negotiations in woerden, hague , arnhem.

pope sixtus iv intervened in conflict , placed population of sticht under interdict, forbidding church services held until allow prince-bishop freely enter utrecht. further raised tensions within sticht between peace party tired of war , endless depredations, suffering , famine causing, , ultra-hook party remained committed protect privilieges of sticht @ price. bellicose diplomacy of gerrit zoudenbalch managed prevent compromise being reached during negotiations @ werkhoven in autumn of 1482 tide of popular opinion turning against ultra-hooks. treaty of arras (1482) between louis xi , maximilian ruled out possibility of foreign support hook party , further sapped morale in beleaguered sticht.

on 21 april 1483 peace party in utrecht led coup against hooks , imprisoned viscount january of montfoort, evert soudenbalch (see below) , other hook notables had gathered define negotiating strategy maximilian. peace party in power, prince-bishop safely re-enter utrecht; speedily returned in triumph settle in old episcopal palace in city partisans. hooks struck , on 8 may 1483 re-occupied city in daring , stealthy night raid, capturing prince-bishop, whom imprisoned in amersfoort.

the archduke maximilian set camp before walls of utrecht , laid siege city. troops bombardment of city walls undermined city s defences , hooks requested truce. viscount january of montfoort, generalissimo engelbert of cleves , gerrit zoudenbalch left city negotiate terms archduke. viscount not prepared accept maximilian s terms without further consultations allies engelbert of cleves , gerrit zoudenbalch remained behind hostages whilst viscount january returned city. shortly thereafter inconsidered action of party of maximilian s troops broke truce , in reaction january of montfoort s hook militants re-commenced hostilities besiegers. result, both engelbert of cleves , gerrit zoudenbalch considered prisoners of war.

the resumption of hostilities led hand-to-hand struggle utrecht became uglier day both sides suffering severe losses. chief hook personalities dispersed, discouraged or in captivity, peace party in utrecht once again gained upper hand on viscerally anti-burgundian viscount january maximilian, had seen stadtholder, joost de lalaing, , many of men fall casualties in course of siege, inclined peace. conditions capitulation hard not harsh , readily accepted war-torn city. having taken control of utrecht archduke continued on amersfoort, liberated david of burgundy. financial, political , economic reasons in interest of both maximilian , david of burgundy effect lasting reconciliation adversaries, , moderate post-war policies reflected need. gerrit zoudenbalch remained under lock , key; imprisoned in castle of schoonhoven , died in captivity towards end of 1483. brother, evert soudenbalch, wisely chose effectuate reconciliation prince-bishop, , continued 1 of prominent clergymen in utrecht until death twenty years later.