Erfgoed Delft

The riches of the monastic institutions also led to annoyance (and monetary greed) of worldly rulers. As Church property was always exempt from taxation, these rulers missed out on a lot of revenue. Furthermore convent assets, including land, fell outside of regular economic life. Many rulers sought to limit these financial freedoms. In 1474 Charles the Bold, also Count of Holland, demanded compensation for the omission of these assets. One of the leaders of resistance to such a measure in the Netherlands was Thomas Utenkamp, rector of the Agatha convent. The Mother Superior was also adamantly opposed. Charles then seized these assets. Eventually the convent bought off the tax in 1476. While the successors of Charles the Bold, Maximilian of Habsburg and Maria of Burgundy were more moderate, they too demanded compensation for assets owned by religious institutions. In 1516, their grandchild Charles V resumed the position of Charles the Bold, demanding compensation for newly acquired assets. This time resistance had ceased.