Grutte Pier, the siege of Sneek

The Siege of Sneek took place between January 20 and January 28, 1517 by a Habsburg-Burgundian military force under Stadholder Floris van Egmont.

Course
In 1515, Friesland was sold to Charles of Spain for 100,000 florins. He appointed Floris van Egmont as stadholder of Friesland, but he encountered much resistance throughout Friesland during the inaugurations and therefore had to take up arms and force the towns to recognize his authority. Thus on August 23, 1515, he stood before the city of Sneek, but after a short siege, had to acknowledge his superiors in the city.

By 1517, several warring groups were already located around Sneek, such as in Oppenhuizen, IJlst, Nijeklooster and the monastery of Tabor. On January 11, 1517 it suddenly began to freeze heavily and Floris of Egmont took the drastic decision on January 20 to besiege Sneek from 4 sides, he saw the frozen canals around Sneek as an advantage, this partly with the advice of Edzard I of East Friesland.

After some short storming attacks, the Snekers made a city breakout, they rode out to the nearby monasteries of the Johanniters and Hospitaler Orde and then set them on fire so that the Habsburgs could not find shelter in them. Within Sneek people were very divided. There was the group of exiles, including Grote Pier and the Arumer Black Hope gang who did not want to give up, but also a large group of citizens under one Jonker Roelof, who were willing to surrender.

The Habsburgs then continued storming via ladders and other useful tools, and catapults from Leeuwarden were still awaited. On January 28 the thaw set in, whereupon it was decided to lift the siege.

An incident that may also have contributed to the siege of Sneek was, that in November 1516 three women were kidnapped by the Black Hope gang on the Zuiderzee. These were the wife and two daughters of the Frisian nobleman Hessel Martena. The latter had urged Charles of Spain to take action against Sneek. Van Martena was therefore present at the siege at the side of Floris of Egmont.

(source wikipedia)