University of Groningen Press (UGP) has published a book 'Verzet en vrijheid: Het Gronings Ontzet van 1672 en de Universiteit' ('Resistance and freedom: The Groningen Relief of 1672 and the University') edited by Arjen Dijkstra (Tresoar, Leeuwarden) and Joop W. Koopmans (University of Groningen).

History

The history of the Siege and Relief of Groningen in 1672 still captures the imagination. There was tension, tragedy, sensation and joy. There were heroes, losers and, above all, many unnecessary casualties. After enemy troops had overpowered large parts of the Netherlands, Cologne-Munich soldiers advanced towards Groningen. Led by their bishops, they fired bombs and grenades at the city for weeks. That was in vain, because Groningen held out. Thus, resistance in the north of the country became a turning point during the so-called Disaster or Bishops' Year.

New angles

The commemoration of 350 years of the Relief of Groningen in 2022 prompted the exploration of new angles. This book contains four contributions in which the geopolitical and military context as well as the experience of the siege and relief are discussed. Much attention is paid to contemporary sources: what do newspapers, letters, prints and pamphlets from 1672 tell us about what happened in Groningen in this year? There is special interest in the university's role during the military conflict. Its students contributed to the resistance that resulted in the freedom that could be celebrated afterwards.