Disaster year walk 1672

The Disaster Year Walk takes you past the most beautiful historical buildings in Gorinchem. From an old militia guild house to Gorcum's defences. You start at the VVV tourist office, then walk through the city centre. Here you will pass de Oude Doelen and the Tolhuis. Next, the route takes you along the Altenawal and past the Dalempoortje. Finally, you walk over the ramparts past the beautiful Molen De Hoop and 2 old bastions.

In the dry summer of 1672, the Netherlands was helpless. The rivers were low and King Louis the 14th of France marched an army of 100,000 across the Rhine at Lobith. This forced our army led by young Prince William III to retreat headlong to the city of Utrecht. After two days of discussion between Utrecht and Holland about the course of a water line to be established, it was made on Dutch territory. The army retreated behind this to resist, with the help of water and about 10,000 men, the 100,000 French.

A number of main posts were assigned where a commander was placed, who was in charge of part of the water line. The Prince of Orange's main post was at Bodegraven, where the water line was at its narrowest and therefore weakest. To Gorinchem, the largest fortified town in the water line, the most experienced commander was sent. This was Marshal Wirtz. He was put in charge of most of the water line, which ran from the Lek at Schoonhoven to Heusden.

In peacetime, the Netherlands had neglected its fortifications considerably, so a lot of work had to be done quickly. This was also the case in Gorinchem. Led by commissioners of the States of Holland, citizens and farmers were forced to deepen the moat and raise the rampart to the right height. Farmers worked against the setting of the water line. If their land was under water, they received no money and had no food. There was no social safety net yet. Eventually, the Prince of Orange put things in order and the water line came together after all.

Marshal Wirtz did his utmost to keep everything on track and when the French demanded the surrender of the fortresses of Gorinchem, Loevestein and Woudrichem, he was able to reply "to greet the gentlemen with gunpowder and lead". Every French attack and infiltration attempt was resolutely repelled by him. However, he could not prevent the plundering by the French of the village of Ameide, but repelled a second attempt. An attack on Gorinchem from Utrecht and Culemborg was also beaten down even at a considerable distance from Gorinchem. Wirtz also went on the attack; when the French captured the little castle at Poederoijen, it was immediately recaptured.