The siege of Vredenburg
During the Eighty Years’ War, the Siege of Vredenburg was a siege of Vredenburg Castle from December 21, 1576, by citizens of Utrecht. The people of Utrecht wanted the Spaniards out of the castle and out of the city. Shots were fired back and forth. A month and a half later, on February 11, 1577, terms of surrender were drawn up and the garrison – mutinous Spanish soldiers – surrendered the castle.
Many citizens were afraid that the Vredenburg could be occupied again by foreign troops to threaten the city and therefore wanted to tear it down. On the initiative of Trijn van Leemput, the castle was demolished in May 1577. Remnants of the Vredenburg are still under the square of the same name and Hoog Catharijne.