Siege of Breda

The Siege of Breda in 1577 was the siege of Breda in 1577 by troops of William of Orange, led by Hohenlohe and Champagney, which lasted from 4 August to 4 October 1577. The capture of Breda was facilitated by the hostile attitude of the Breda population towards the Spanish Empire, but especially towards the German troops, who had not made it easy for the population.

After the Spanish Fury in Antwerp, Champagney and Hohenlohe had pursued the German banners of Colonels Fugger, Fronsberg and chased them out of Wouw and Bergen op Zoom, Steenbergen. They had gotten their hands on Fugger and locked him up. The scattered banners of Fugger and Fronsberg had all fled to Breda. They had now come to Breda and had dug open all the access roads so that no one could get in or out. Within Breda there was a band of light cavalry under Antonio d'Avila, three German bands of foot soldiers from the regiment of Colonel Fronsberg. On 7 January, d'Avila had left the city with fifty horsemen for Hoogstraten. The rest stayed behind under the command of Lieutenant Juan de Cembrano. In the meantime, the soldiers lived at the expense of the city, which became a heavy burden for the citizens. Breda city accounts show that work was done to bring the fortifications into a state of siege, every day every family had to provide a worker to work on the ramparts. Half a pound of lard was also purchased to lubricate the hamei of the Gasthuiseindepoort. In addition, all kinds of material was purchased such as baskets, shovels, and other resources.

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