On 12 February 2022, Ambassador Kocsis attended the yearly commemoration of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter in De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. Organised by Stichting Michiel de Ruyter, the event commemorated his life, including the liberation of 26 Hungarian protestant preachers. Special attention this year was paid to the Rampjaar 1672, which this year took place 350 years ago. De Ruyter was part of four decisive naval battles during the Rampjaar.
One of the admiral’s last heroic acts was the liberation of 26 Hungarian protestant preachers who were imprisoned by Spain after being expelled by the Habsburg emperor and put to work as galley slaves in Naples. Looking back on his life de Ruyter considered the liberation of his Hungarian fellow believers as one of his most precious achievements. Various memorial plaques can still be found throughout Hungary as a sign of gratitude for this heroic feat.
Admiral Michiel de Ruyter was honoured with the laying of wreaths by representatives of the de Ruyter Foundation, the Embassy of Hungary and representatives of the Royal Netherlands Navy, and several lectures about his life, including very recent discoveries. The event was concluded with a visit of de Ruyter’s crypt at De Nieuwe Kerk, which is normally closed off to the public.
