The Spanish Terror swept through Antwerp 450 years ago

450 years after the Spanish Fury, the district of Antwerp is commemorating the events with a grand spectacle on the Grote Markt, Antwerp’s historic market square. Expect live music, theatre and literature, accompanied by light, fire and food trucks on Wednesday 4 November. But what exactly was the Spanish Fury? And why was it so significant in Antwerp’s history?

A look at the background

In the 16th century, what is now Belgium, the Netherlands and part of northern France were still under the rule of the Spanish Catholic monarch King Philip II. By 1576, the year of the Spanish Fury, a rebellion against the Spanish monarch and his government in Brussels had already been raging for 10 years.

“By 1576, the situation had reached a complete deadlock,” explains historian Pieter Serrien. “Thousands had already been killed in the uprisings and there was a great deal of polarisation. The Spanish troops, who were commanded by a governor, began to misbehave because the governor had died and a new one had yet to be appointed.”

Tension was running high in the Low Countries in those days. “Spanish soldiers hadn’t been paid for some time,” says Guido Marnef, a historian at the University of Antwerp. “They had already wreaked havoc in Aalst in July 1576, and in November they invaded Antwerp, the great commercial metropolis of the West.”

In Antwerp, a large castle had been built by the former governor, the Duke of Alva. From this Citadel of Antwerp, the Spaniards ruled over the city. In the months leading up to the Spanish Fury, more and more disgruntled Spanish mercenaries arrived and the people of Antwerp began to erect defences around the city.

Spanish Fury or Terror

The attack on Antwerp was therefore expected, and on 4 November 1576, all hell broke loose. “It came down to a genuine military clash,” says Marnef. “The Spanish Fury is often portrayed as an attack on a defenceless Antwerp population, but on that 4 November, there was indeed a confrontation between two military forces.”

The Antwerp force was actually twice the size of the Spanish one, but the Spanish army was made up of highly experienced soldiers. “As a result, the Spaniards soon gained the upper hand in the fighting and became the masters of the city,” Marnef continues.

They then looted and set the city alight. “Even the mayor was thrown out of the burning town hall and subsequently murdered following a dispute over a ransom,” says Serrien.

Many wealthy citizens and merchants were forced to hand their money over to the soldiers; houses were ransacked and around 500 homes were set alight. “It is estimated that at least 6,000 people were killed during the Spanish Fury,” explains Marnef. “That figure includes civilians and Antwerp soldiers. On the Spanish side, the estimate stands at 200 deaths.”

The streets were littered with the bodies of civilians and soldiers. “There were also civilians who tried to flee and climbed over the city walls,” says Marnef. “They ended up in the canals and often drowned.”

‘All of this is described in historical sources, but it is important to note that there is no mention anywhere of mass rapes. Nevertheless, many drawings and paintings have been made depicting such scenes. It is possible that this was exaggerated for propaganda purposes targeting the Spanish rulers.’

Most of the victims perished on the first day of the Spanish Fury, on 4 November. Eventually, on 7 November, the Spanish troops ceased their rampage and left Antwerp. “Right up until the world wars, the Spanish Fury was the greatest disaster to befall the people of Antwerp,” says Serrien.

Antwerp's lost citadel

In the months following the Spanish Fury, many Spanish soldiers remained in the Antwerp Citadel. “Antwerp city council was actually afraid of adopting a policy against the Spanish authorities,” explains Guido Marnef. “In August 1577, the soldiers were finally driven out of the Citadel, and Antwerp also threw its support behind the rebel movement led by Protestant William of Orange.”

The Duke of Alva’s citadel was subsequently demolished, and so Antwerp appeared, for a short time, to be free from Spanish rule. Ultimately, the Fall of Antwerp to Spanish forces in 1585 brought an end to the city’s Golden Age.

“The Spanish Fury was certainly a severe blow to Antwerp,” says Marnef. “The trading climate became even more uncertain afterwards, causing merchants to leave Antwerp in increasing numbers. That uncertain trading climate was already present, but the Spanish Fury made matters far worse. The Fall of Antwerp was the final blow, resulting in half the population leaving within the space of a few years.”

“In history, we often look to the French Revolution in the 18th century as the origin of our modern democracy, but we mustn’t forget the uprisings of the 16th century,” Pieter Serrien interjects. “The Spanish Fury was a turning point in our history because it was then that the Low Countries realised they would emerge stronger if they pulled together.”

Serrien draws a number of parallels with the times in which we now live. The 16th century, too, was characterised by a polarised society, rapid change and a climate crisis. “I firmly believe that we are searching for an identity today,” he says. “It can be comforting to know that our ancestors were already grappling with the same questions centuries ago.”