De Eglantier (Sweet Briar or Eglantine Rose) (spelling variations: ''Egelantier'' and ''Eglentier'') was a

chamber of rhetoric Chambers of rhetoric () were dramatic societies in the Low Countries. Their members were called Rederijkers (singular Rederijker), from the French word 'rhétoricien', and during the 15th and 16th centuries were mainly interested in dramas and l ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

that arose in 1517 or 1518, possibly as a continuation of older chambers of rhetoric. It is one of the most famous chambers of rhetoric. Its insignia consisted of a thriving

Eglantine Rose ''Rosa rubiginosa'' (sweet briar, sweetbriar rose, sweet brier or eglantine; syn. ''R. eglanteria'') is a species of rose native to Europe and western Asia. Description It is a dense deciduous shrub 2–3 meters high and across, with the stem ...

("Wild Rose", a symbol of love) in the form of a cross from which a

Christ Figure A Christ figure, also known as a Christ-Image, is a literary technique that the author uses to draw allusions between their characters and the biblical Jesus. More loosely, the Christ figure is a spiritual or prophetic character who parallels J ...

was hanging. The corresponding

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan or a political, commercial, religious, or other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined target group ...

was "In Love, Flourishing". The name derives from a romantic reference to the poem Beatrijs, where the lovers met by the wild rose."Onder enen eglentier"
in Beatrijs One of the most important leaders of the chamber was

Hendrik Laurenszoon Spiegel Hendrik Laurenszoon Spiegel (11 March 1549 – 4 January 1612) was one of the most important writers and thinkers from Amsterdam in the second half of the sixteenth century. Spiegel was born in Amsterdam and is seen as a forerunner to the Gold ...

. Other prominent members were Laurens Reael,

Roemer Visscher Roemer Pieterszoon Visscher (1547 – 19 February 1620) was a successful Dutch merchant, the first Dutch underwriter and writer of the Dutch Golden Age. Life Visscher was born in and lived in Amsterdam and was an important and central figure of ...

and

Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert (152229 October 1590), also known as Theodore Cornhert, was a Dutch writer, philosopher, translator, politician, theologian, and artist. Coornhert is often considered the Father of Dutch Renaissance scholarship. Bi ...

History

Much of what is known today about this society comes from the city and guild archives, where it is first mentioned in the 1490s. In 1518 it was mentioned as the "old" social drama society of the city, when it received an annual grant from the city.Gary Waite
''Reformers on Stage: Popular drama and religious propaganda in the Low Countries''
(University of Toronto Press, 2000) In the 1520s they participated in several city festivities and produced a play on the story of

Pyramus and Thisbe In Greek mythology, Pyramus and Thisbe () are a pair of ill-fated lovers from Babylon, whose story is best known from Ovid's narrative poem ''Metamorphoses''. The tragic myth has been retold by many authors. Pyramus and Thisbe's parents, drive ...

. The society was popular throughout the latter half of the 16th century and many noted artists were members, though it received little patronage from the city, not even during the

joyous entry A Joyous Entry (; ) is a ceremonial event marking the entry into a city by a monarch, prince, duke, or governor in parts of modern-day Belgium. Originating in the Middle Ages, it generally coincided with the affirmation or extension of the city' ...

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

in 1549. Scholars have put this down to the

reformist Reformism is a political tendency advocating the reform of an existing system or institution – often a political or religious establishment – as opposed to its abolition and replacement via revolution. Within the socialist movement, ref ...

nature of the plays and poems produced during this period, which made political patronage dangerous. During the

Dutch Revolt The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Reformation, centralisation, exc ...

, the chambers of rhetoric were closed altogether by the Spanish Governor of the Netherlands, the

Duke of Alba Duke of Alba de Tormes (), commonly known as Duke of Alba, is a title of Spanish nobility that is accompanied by the dignity of Grandee of Spain. In 1472, the title of ''Count of Alba de Tormes'', inherited by García Álvarez de Toledo, wa ...

, but in 1578 the Eglantier was re-established as a result of the Alteration of Amsterdam, in which the Catholic city government was overthrown. After the

Fall of Antwerp The fall of Antwerp ( ) on 17 August 1585 took place during the Eighty Years' War, after a siege lasting over a year from July 1584 until August 1585. The city of Antwerp was the focal point of the Protestant-dominated Dutch Revolt, but was fo ...

in 1585 the influx of many gifted poets from the south caused the Eglantier to grow in numbers, which also caused the creation of competing chambers of rhetoric, such as

Het Wit Lavendel Het or HET may refer to: Science and technology * Hall-effect thruster, a type of ion thruster used for spacecraft propulsion * Heavy Equipment Transporter, a vehicle in the US Army's Heavy Equipment Transport System * Hobby–Eberly Telescope, ...

in 1598 (where, amongst others

Joost van den Vondel Joost van den Vondel (; 17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) was a Dutch playwright, poet, literary translator and writer. He is generally regarded as the greatest writer in the Dutch language as well as an important figure in the history of Wes ...

was active), after which the Eglantier became known as the 'Old Chamber'. After 1610, there were internal difficulties in the Eglantier, and in 1617 Samuel Coster and a group of members broke away and founded the chamber of rhetoric '' Duytsche Academie''. After this departure, the Eglantier appointed

Theodore Rodenburgh Theodore Rodenburgh (baptised 29 January 1574, Antwerp - 1644) was a diplomat and playwright of the Dutch Golden Age. His first name is sometimes spelled Theodoor, and occasionally the nick-name Dirk is seen; his last name is sometimes spelled Ro ...

chairman. But in 1630 ''Het Wit Lavendel'' and the ''Duytsche Academie'' merged and only two years later, on July 7, 1632, the burgomasters of Amsterdam merged this chamber of rhetoric with the Eglantier into a new chamber of rhetoric, named the ''Amsterdamsche Kamer'', but in sources it also appears under the names ''De Vergulden Byekorf'', ''Bloeyende Eglantier'' and ''Academie'', with the motto "Through fervor in love, flourishing". Not every rhetorician agreed with the merger, and Jan Harmensz. Krul founded the ''Musijckkamer'' in 1634, which however went bankrupt a year later, in 1635. The Amsterdamsche Kamer was led in its early years by Willem Dircksz. Hooft,

Steven Vennecool Steven Jacobsz Vennekool (1656/57–1719) was an 18th-century architect from the Northern Netherlands. He was born and died in Amsterdam. His father Jacob Vennekool was an assistant to Jacob van Campen, along with Pieter Post, Arent van 's ...

, Heereman Dircksz. Coorenkind, Johan Meurs and Meyndert Voskuyl. In 1637, the first theater in Amsterdam, the Schouwburg of Van Campen, was founded through the chamber of rhetoric. Not much is known on further events of the chamber of rhetoric. A list of leaders of the chamber is known from 1664 (one year before the construction of the ' New Theatre'), including Cornelis Withenoon,

Jan Vos Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numbe ...

, Tobias van Domselaer, Jacob van der Poel and Cornelis de Vries.

Publications

* In 1602 the songbook ''Den Nieuwen Lusthof''"In Liefde Bloeiende"
''Letterkundig woordenboek voor Noord en Zuid'', K. ter Laan, 1952, in the DBNL * In 1610 ''Den Bloemhof'' * In 1615 ''Apollo''

References

{{reflist

External links

"In Liefde Bloeiende"
''Letterkundig woordenboek voor Noord en Zuid'' (1952; 2e dr. - on dbnl)
Profile
of ''De Vergulden Byekorf / Bloeyende Eglantier / Amsterdamsche Kamer / Academie'' at the dbnl (from 1632) Chamber of rhetoric History of Amsterdam Dutch artist groups and collectives