Grand pensionary

The grand pensionary (Dutch: raad(s)pensionaris) was the most important Dutch official during the time of the United Provinces. In theory he was only a civil servant of the Estates of the dominant province among the Seven United Provinces: the county of Holland. In practice the grand pensionary of Holland was the political leader of the entire Dutch Republic when there was no stadtholder (in practice the Prince of Orange) at the centre of power.

The Dutch name raad(s)pensionaris literally translates as "councillor or advisor pensionary". Indeed, other provinces could also have a raadspensionaris, e.g. Zeeland, but only the one of Holland was considered by foreign powers to be of any importance, so they called him the grand pensionary.

The position of the grand pensionary was in many ways similar to what through later political and constitutional developments came to be a prime minister.

The office of grand pensionary

The office started in 1619 and replaced the title of land's advocate. When there was a stadtholder, then the grand pensionary was often the second leader of the republic. Being the raadspensionaris of Holland, the grand pensionary acted as the chairman of States of Holland. He was appointed by the Estates and could be fired instantly by the Estates. A decision of the Estates was made by a summarizing of all the statements of the delegates by the grand pensionary, with an implicit conclusion about what collective decision had been made. He had the first say on a subject during a meeting of the Estates and controlled the agenda. This way, if he was a competent man, he could control the entire decision-making process, especially as one of his "duties" was to represent the ten members of the nobility delegates (the ridderschap) in their absence and phrase the single opinion they as a body had the right to express. The office existed because all delegates of the States were, although ranked according to ancient feudal hierarchy, still basically equal (pares) and none among them could thus act as a head.

The Batavian Republic first abolished the office but in its last year, 1805–1806, the title had to be reinstituted on orders of Napoleon as part of a number of measures to strengthen the executive power; Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck thus acted for a short time as the last grand pensionary. He officially functioned as a president of the entire Republic, not just of Holland.

Grand Pensionaries

The most famous and most significant grand pensionary was Johan de Witt, who held the office between 1653 and 1672. Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, who played an extremely important role in the Dutch struggle for independence should also be mentioned, though he held the position when it was still called "land's advocate".

Prince's Faction

States' Faction

Unknown/neutral

	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office
	Paulus Buys (1531–1594)	1572	16 March 1584
	Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (1547–1619)	16 March 1586	12 May 1619
	Andries de Witt (1573–1637)	12 May 1619	1621
	Anthonie Duyck (1560–1629)	1621	1629
	Jacob Cats (1577–1660)	1629	1631
	Adriaan Pauw (1585–1653)	1631	1636
	Jacob Cats (1577–1660)	1636	1651
	Adriaan Pauw (1585–1653)	1651	30 July 1653
60px	Johan de Witt (1625–1672)	30 July 1653	4 August 1672
	Gaspar Fagel (1634–1688)	20 August 1672	5 December 1688
	Michiel ten Hove (1640–1689)	5 December 1688	24 March 1689
	Anthonie Heinsius (1641–1720)	27 May 1689	3 August 1720
	Isaac van Hoornbeek (1655–1727)	12 September 1720	17 June 1727
	Simon van Slingelandt (1664–1736)	17 July 1727	1 December 1736
	Anthonie van der Heim (1693–1746)	4 April 1737	7 July 1746
	Willem Buys (1661–1749)	7 July 1746	23 September 1746
	Jacob Gilles (1691–1765)	23 September 1747	18 June 1749
	Pieter Steyn (1706–1772)	18 June 1749	5 November 1772
	Pieter van Bleiswijk (1724–1790)	18 June 1772	5 November 1787
	Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel (1736–1800)	9 November 1787	9 February 1795