AITZEMA, LIEUWE VAN

(1600–1669)

   Historian. Born in the city of Dokkum, van Aitzema studied at the Academy of Franeker, in his native provinceof Frisia. During his grand tour in Europe, he earned his degree in law at the University of Orleans in France. He settled as a solicitor in The Hague, where after 1629 he served some foreign powers as their diplomatic agent (especially the German Hansa towns of Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubeck). Van Aitzema made many journeys to European courts, during which he amassed much documentation. His scholarship in diplomacy and diplomatic history was invested in a lavishly documented history of the foreign relations of the Republic, published in 14 volumes between 1657 and 1671. Because of his custom of communicating more or less confidential state papers to diplomats of other countries (especially England), van Aitzema was later accused of treason. In Dutch historiography, he became a controversial personality. Arecent study about his political theory is Gees van der Plaat’s 2003 Eendracht als opdracht: Lieuwe van Aitzema’s bijdrage aan het publieke debat in de zeventiendeeeuwse Republiek [Union as a Task: Lieuwe van Aitzema’s Contribution to the Public Debate in the 17th-Century Republic].