Everything about The Grand Pensionary totally explained
The
Grand Pensionary (Dutch:
raad(s)pensionaris) was the most important Dutch official during the time of the
United Provinces. In theory he was only a civil servant of the Estates of the dominant province among the Seven United Provinces: the county of
Holland. In practice the Grand Pensionary of Holland was the political leader of the entire Dutch Republic when there was no
stadtholder (in practice the
Prince of Orange) at the centre of power.
The Dutch name
raad(s)pensionaris literally translates as "pensionary of council". Indeed, other provinces could also have a
raadspensionaris, for example
Zeeland, but only the one of Holland was considered by foreign powers to be of any import, so they called him the
Grand Pensionary.
The position of the Grand Pensionary was in many ways similar to what through later political and constitional develoments came to be a
Prime Minister.
The Office of Grand Pensionary
The office started in 1619 and replaced the title of
Land's Advocate. When there was a stadtholder, then the Grand Pensionary was often the second leader of the republic. Being the
raadspensionaris of Holland, the Grand Pensionary acted as the chairman of
States of Holland. He was appointed by the Estates and could be fired instantly by the Estates. A decision of the Estates was made by a summarizing of all the statements of the delegates by the Grand Pensionary, with an implicit conclusion about what collective decision had been made. He had the first say on a subject during a meeting of the Estates and controlled the agenda. This way, if he was a competent man, he could control the entire decision-making process, especially as one of his "duties" was to represent the ten members of the Nobility delegates (the
Ridderschap) in their absence and phrase the single opinion they as a body had the right to express. The office existed because all delegates of the States were, although ranked according to ancient feudal hierarchy, still basically equal (
pares) and none among them could thus act as a head.
The
Batavian Republic first abolished the office but in its last year, 1805-1806, the title had to be reinstituted on orders of
Napoleon as part of a number of measures to strengthen the executive power;
Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck thus acted for a short time as the last Grand Pensionary. He officially functioned as a president of the entire Republic, not just of Holland.
Notable Grand Pensionaries
The most famous and most significant Grand Pensionary was
Johan de Witt, who held the office between 1653 and 1672.
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, who played an extremely important role in the Dutch struggle for independence should also be mentioned, though he held the position when it was still called Land's Advocate.
Further Information
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