Hugo de Groot

The French king called him 'the miracle of Holland'. Hugo de Groot - internationally known by his Latin name Grotius - was therefore a brilliant jurist. He laid the foundations of modern international law and maritime law. Yet he is best known for his spectacular escape from Slot Loevestein in a book chest.

Hugo became embroiled in a political conflict with Prince Maurice and was sentenced to life imprisonment in Slot Loevestein (then state prison) in 1619 for 'treason'. But on 22 March 1621, he managed to escape in a book chest. The chest was taken to the house of merchant Adriaan Daetselaar on the Grote Markt in Gorinchem.

Dressed as a bricklayer, Hugo came back out through a small gate and fled via the ferry across the Merwede to Antwerp. The Hugo de Groot gate is still there. You can also still visit the room where he was imprisoned at Slot Loevestein.