Johan Frederik Rudolph van Hooff
Encyclopedia
Johan Frederik Rudolph van Hooff (29 August 1755 – 13 June 1816, Utrecht
) was a Dutch
Patriot
politician
and statesman
.
Van Hooff was born in Eindhoven in 1755, to Martinus van Hooff (co-mayor
of the town) and Anna Elisabeth Bols van Arendonck. He studied law, got his doctorate
in law at Nancy and opened a law practice in Eindhoven. He was elected co-mayor of the town in 1786. During his career he was mayor of Eindhoven, member of the First National Assembly, the Second National Assembly, the Executive Power
and the Legislative Power.
In 1786 he founded the Vaderlandse Sociëteit Concordia (English: National Sciety Concordia) together with Amandus van Moorsel; this society was a social club in name, but a Patriot organization in reality. Several town notables joined this society.
In 1787 Jan van Hoff and several other Eindhoven Patriots traveled to Utrecht to join the Patriot Army. This army was defeated by the Prussia
n Army, after which Van Hooff was arrested (in October 1787) for his Patriottic activities, on the orders of the States-General of the Netherlands
; he was taken to The Hague
and imprisoned. He was released shortly thereafter and returned to Eindhoven. However, he was re-arrested on 12 February 1788 (in Eindhoven this time), but managed to escape.
In 1789 there was a failed, pro-French rebellion in the Southern Netherlands. Fearing that the insurrection would spread to the Generality Lands
, the States-General posted a garrison in Eindhoven; Van Hooff left the town. In 1792 he was in Paris
together with Herman Willem Daendels
, where the French Republic had been proclaimed. He sought (and received) French support for the reparation of Batavian freedom (Dutch: herstelling van de Bataafse vrijheid); French troops arrived in Eindhoven on March 6, 1793 and the freedom tree was planted in the town on that day. The French were subsequently pushed back by the Austria
ns, but took permanent possession of the town following the 1794 Battle of Fleurus
.
Van Hooff became a member of the Batavian Revolutionary Committee that year, but got into a conflict with Maximilien Robespierre. He was arrested on May 28 and imprisoned at the Paris Conciergerie
. A clerical error in the spelling of his name saved Van Hooff from the guillotine
and he was released again on October 29. He remained in freedom until the coup of 22 January 1798, after which he was arrested and imprisoned — first at the Gevangenpoort in The Hague, later at the Palace Huis Ten Bosch. He was finally released on July 14.
He served as Minister for Justice and was a member of the State Council until 1810. He then retired and spent the rest of his life as a citizen without office. He died without having been married.
The city of Eindhoven commissioned Auke Hettema to make a statue of Van Hooff in 1981. The statue is currently on the Markt in Eindhoven.
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
) was a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Patriot
Patriots (faction)
The Patriots were a political faction in the Dutch Republic in the second half of the 18th century. They were led by Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, gaining power from November 1782....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
.
Van Hooff was born in Eindhoven in 1755, to Martinus van Hooff (co-mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the town) and Anna Elisabeth Bols van Arendonck. He studied law, got his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in law at Nancy and opened a law practice in Eindhoven. He was elected co-mayor of the town in 1786. During his career he was mayor of Eindhoven, member of the First National Assembly, the Second National Assembly, the Executive Power
Uitvoerend Bewind
The Uitvoerend Bewind was the name of the government of the Batavian Republic between 1798 and 1801. The president of the Uitvoerend Bewind was head of state of the Batavian Republic.-Unitarian Democrats:...
and the Legislative Power.
In 1786 he founded the Vaderlandse Sociëteit Concordia (English: National Sciety Concordia) together with Amandus van Moorsel; this society was a social club in name, but a Patriot organization in reality. Several town notables joined this society.
In 1787 Jan van Hoff and several other Eindhoven Patriots traveled to Utrecht to join the Patriot Army. This army was defeated by the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Army, after which Van Hooff was arrested (in October 1787) for his Patriottic activities, on the orders of the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
; he was taken to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and imprisoned. He was released shortly thereafter and returned to Eindhoven. However, he was re-arrested on 12 February 1788 (in Eindhoven this time), but managed to escape.
In 1789 there was a failed, pro-French rebellion in the Southern Netherlands. Fearing that the insurrection would spread to the Generality Lands
Generality Lands
The Generality Lands, Lands of the Generality or Common Lands were about one fifth of the territories of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, that were directly governed by the States-General...
, the States-General posted a garrison in Eindhoven; Van Hooff left the town. In 1792 he was in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
together with Herman Willem Daendels
Herman Willem Daendels
Herman Willem Daendels was a Dutch politician who served as the 36th Governor General of the Dutch East Indies between 1808 and 1811....
, where the French Republic had been proclaimed. He sought (and received) French support for the reparation of Batavian freedom (Dutch: herstelling van de Bataafse vrijheid); French troops arrived in Eindhoven on March 6, 1793 and the freedom tree was planted in the town on that day. The French were subsequently pushed back by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
ns, but took permanent possession of the town following the 1794 Battle of Fleurus
Battle of Fleurus (1794)
In the Battle of Fleurus on 26 June 1794, the army of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan faced the Coalition Army commanded by Prince Josias of Coburg in the most decisive battle of the Flanders Campaign in the Low Countries during the French Revolutionary Wars...
.
Van Hooff became a member of the Batavian Revolutionary Committee that year, but got into a conflict with Maximilien Robespierre. He was arrested on May 28 and imprisoned at the Paris Conciergerie
Conciergerie
La Conciergerie is a former royal palace and prison in Paris, France, located on the west of the Île de la Cité, near the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. It is part of the larger complex known as the Palais de Justice, which is still used for judicial purposes...
. A clerical error in the spelling of his name saved Van Hooff from the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
and he was released again on October 29. He remained in freedom until the coup of 22 January 1798, after which he was arrested and imprisoned — first at the Gevangenpoort in The Hague, later at the Palace Huis Ten Bosch. He was finally released on July 14.
He served as Minister for Justice and was a member of the State Council until 1810. He then retired and spent the rest of his life as a citizen without office. He died without having been married.
The city of Eindhoven commissioned Auke Hettema to make a statue of Van Hooff in 1981. The statue is currently on the Markt in Eindhoven.