A Brill Calendar: January 15

The Downfall of Jan de Groot

Few students matriculated at Leyden University earlier than Jan Huygenszoon de Groot (March 8 1554 – May 3, 1640) following its founding ‘Dies Natalis’ as an ‘Academia’, on February 8 1575.

Just two, to be precise...

The father of Hugo de Groot (1583 – 1645) - or ‘Grotius’ as initially Europe - and then the world - came to know Holland’s greatest author and most famous scholar of the 17th century; took pride in being among these very first Leyden students. Indeed, Jan starts his autobiography with mentioning that feat. Although he studied at the University of Douai for a few years, just before the Siege of Leyden and earning himself there a ‘Magister’ title, de Groot had the makings of a regent and entrepreneur rather than those of a scholar.

Together with brother Cornelis, ten years his senior (and Hugo’s uncle), Jan was intimately connected with organizing the young institute, where Cornelis had become a Professor in its first year, teaching first philosophy - ‘Artes’ – and, a little later, law. Jan became University Curator in July 1594. The following month young Hugo followed his parental example, matriculating as well at the tender age of eleven. Contrary to subsequent hero-worship, this youthful graduation was by no means an exception; although de Groot Junior matured amazingly quickly in a range of studies and attainments for a boy his age.

And before the century ended, in 1598, Hugo, then 15 years old, ‘le Miracle Hollandais’, joined already a governmental diplomatic mission to France.

It is seldom that the rise of a filial career runs in synchrony with a down-fall of the parent. January 15 1601 Burgomasters of Leyden wrote a letter to their counterparts in Delft, – Jan de Groot’s home-town – accusing the Curator of their University of embezzling money intended for education of an orphan child; in the same year Jan de Groot suffered bankruptcy for reasons largely independent of this presumed disgrace. The detailed story is told in the majestic biography Henk Nellen wrote of Hugo de Groot for the Dutch Huygens Institute (Uitgeverij Balans, 2007).