The murder of the De Witt brothers

The brutal fate of Johan and Cornelis de Witt remains one of the darkest chapters in Dutch history. In the disaster year of 1672, the two brothers were killed by an enraged mob—an event that exposed the fragility of power and the fury of the crowd.

Johan de Witt served as Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1653 to 1672 and was the Republic’s most influential statesman. Under his leadership, the Perpetual Edict was enacted, abolishing the position of stadtholder. However, the prince of Orange could still be granted command of the army.

Their downfall began when Willem Tichelaar, a dubious barber-surgeon, accused Cornelis of plotting to assassinate William III. Cornelis was arrested, but the charges couldn’t be proven. Still, he was sentenced without formal charges. Johan was lured into a trap and captured when he went to visit his brother.

Both were brutally murdered and their bodies mutilated. Fingers, ears, and even tongues were cut off; eyewitnesses claimed that some body parts were eaten or fed to dogs. The violence became a shocking symbol of mob rage.

To this day, relics believed to be a finger and tongue of the De Witt brothers are preserved. Their provenance has been confirmed and they’ve passed through several owners, including Mayor Nicolaas Witsen and a group of Remonstrants. They remain stark reminders of this grim episode.