Death

During the rampjaar of 1672, which in Dutch refers to the “year of disaster”, France and England attacked the Republic during the Franco-Dutch War, and the Orangists took power by force and deposed de Witt. Recovering from an earlier attempt on his life in June, he was lynched by an organized mob after visiting his brother Cornelis de Witt in prison. He had been duped into this trap by a forged letter requesting the visit.

After the arrival of Johan de Witt the city guard was sent away on a pretext to stop farmers who were supposedly engaged in pilfering. Without any protection against the assembled mob the brothers were doomed. They were dragged out of the prison and killed next to a nearby scaffold. Immediately after their death the bodies were horribly mutilated and fingers, toes, and other parts of their bodies were cut off. Their hearts were carved out to be exhibited as trophies. Today this is seen by the Dutch as the most shameful event in the history of Dutch politics.