Jan van Schaffelaar

It was a historical moment in the Hook and Cod Wars, a long-running conflict in the county of Holland. The Cods, for whom Van Schaffelaar was fighting, had captured the church that day. The Hooks then opened fire and demanded the sacrifice of Van Schaffelaar in exchange for his men’s surrender , whereupon Van Schaffelaar leapt to his death to save them. It wasn’t until 1698 that Antonius Matthaeus recorded the story of this folk hero, which makes it difficult to verify. In the Great Hall of the Rijksmuseum is a painting of this historical event by the artist Georg Sturm.