François Anneessens - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

François Anneessens , born with Brussels in 1660, was the senior of the trade association of the Crowned Four , corporation bringing together the sculptors, the stone masons, the masons and the slaters. Shown to be the principal instigator of the riots which took place with Brussels in 1717, it is stopped on order of the marquis de Prié, governor of the Austrian Netherlands and, after lawsuit, is carried out in public on the Grand-Place in 1719.

Historical context

In 1713, following the War of succession of Spain and to the Treated of Utrecht which puts an end to it, the provinces of the Netherlands of the south whose old duchy of the Brabant, pass from the Spanish domination , with that of the Austria.

The war which during more than ten years opposed the majority of the nations of the west of Europe and whose certain battles had the Brabant for framework (Bataille of Ramillies), exhausted the resources. The economy is in sorry state, to maintain their armies, the princes largely solicited the populations. The new state must take into account the Dutch garrisons confined within eight fortified towns on its territory of which it must ensure the conversation and with the fleets Dutch and English which by blocking the the Scheldt and by applying exaggerated customs duties, asphyxiate the commercial cities of Flandres and the Brabant, without taking into account the demobilized soldiers who deliver themselves to plundering.

At the end of 1716, the marquis of Prié, ambassador plenipotentiary which makes function of governor in the name of the emperor Charles VI, imposes new taxes and taxes at the cities which it controls, it calls into question the rights and preferences which were granted to them.

Rising of 1717

With the beginning of the year following, disorders burst in several cities of which Ghent and Antwerp, then Malines, but it is with Brussels that the reactions are strongest. The Nations, the whole of the seniors of the 49 trades of the city, refuse obtempérer at the requests of taxes addressed to the States of the Brabant. The seniors, taken along by François Anneessens, call upon documents making state of the privileges of the city of which a declaration gone back to 1481 which defends to obey the contrary orders with these same privileges.

Riots take place, the marquis moves back first of all in front of their intensity what causes to enhardir the most miserable population which is delivered to plundering. Thanks to reinforcements of troop and with the support of part of the middle-class which took fear vis-a-vis the insurrection, the Austrians take again the control of the city. Repression is hard, of many people are stopped and expelled, some marked with irons, of the plunderers are hung. The seniors are constrained to pay the tax. In March 1719, several of them are stopped and banished after their good theirs was confiscated. François Anneessens is locked up in the turn of Angle , vestige of the first enclosure of the city, which one indicates since also under the name of turn Anneessens .

After a lawsuit during which the history tells that he refused to sign the sentence saying it innocent charges carried against him, Anneessens, condemned to death, is decapitated on the Town square, in the month of September 1719, with a few meters of the n° 19, house of the Corporation of the Four Crowned of which he was the senior.

Some time later, the marquis of Prié writes to the prince Eugene of Savoy: “ Everyone is appropriate that the respect and obedience never were in this city so much so that they are it at present. The calm of the same reign in all the other cities of the country, where the rabble is held extremely in rest, and did not make the least movement after it was intimidated by this execution. Thus one can say that this same city, which gave the scandal, was also used as example with all the country, which will benefit much in the continuation for the service from Its Majesty, and all the more to establish the authority of the government ”.

Anneessens is buried in the Notre-Dame church of the Vault.

His/her son, Jean-Andre Anneessens (1687-1769), will become however later, architect of the court of Marie-Elisabeth of Austria, controlling general of the Netherlands of the south of 1725 with 1741. He will rebuild, after the fire of 1734, the principal frontage of the Palais of the Prince-Bishops of Liege.

Anneessens, patriotic hero

At the 19th century, the Belgium, become an independent state, fact of François Anneessens a patriotic hero. One presents it like resistant vis-a-vis the Austrian despotism as well as the counts of Egmont and Hornes, decapitated to have defended, them also, the rights and the preferences of their country against the Spanish despotism . Books are published which describe the nobility and the dignity of the character in front of death. One lends a heroic attitude to him, refusing to request forgiveness from his judges: “ Never! I die innocent! How my death expie my sins and can be useful to my country! ”.

A commemorative plaque is placed in the vault of the Blessed Sacrament where it is buried, which recalls that it was decapitated to have defended our communal freedoms .

Its name is given to a street of the city, like in the old place of the Old Market, which is transferred Place from the Play of Ball in the Marolles. One sets up a monument there, works of the sculptor Thomas Vinçotte (1889) who represents Anneessens upright in front of his judges, hand tieds, listening to the judgment which condemns it to death.

External bond

has Brussels, we find the place Anneessens, the street Anneessens as well as the statue in honor of François Anneessens.

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