Five Brothers and a War

History—1500 to 1600 AD

It was finally ceded to France as a component of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, after having existed for 550 years. It was located about 185 km (115 miles) from the present principality of Monaco. So the two areas of Nassau and Oranje were not close to each other physically. Willem is called Willem de Zwijger in Dutch, or “William the Taciturn”, or more commonly, “William the Silent.” The uncommon English word “taciturn” does not exactly mean “silent” but means the person is very reserved in speech. William was not silent, but his utterances were rare and primitive. His communication occurred non-verbally, with finger, facial and foot movements. His instructions were communicated in writing. It is unclear why this occurred; whether it resulted from a physical, mental, or emotional disorder is unknown. It is even unknown which language he preferred, because his writings were often a combination of languages.

holland

Five Brothers and a War

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