Research
Rusu’s research dissects the prosecution of Mennonite (Doopsgezinde) surgeon and dramatist Govert Bidloo (1649–1713), who faced legal proceedings in 1692 for his satirical pamphlet Beurze-stryd. In this incisive dialogue – addressing the contentious dispute between the legal practitioners and the High Court of Holland concerning excessive honoraria – Bidloo lampooned leading jurists, regents, and clerics, an act which earned him an arrest warrant. The project reconstructs this episode of legal and literary history of The Hague through the use of previously unpublished archival material from the Doopsgezinde Bibliotheek, including letters, legal depositions, and witness testimonies. By situating these newly uncovered sources in relation to complementary holdings in the Dutch National Archives, this study illuminates the complex interplay between satire, jurisprudence, and political authority in the late 17th Dutch Republic, while offering fresh insights into the era’s legal history, press freedom, and the socio-political position of Mennonites within its governing structures.
Fellow
Răzvan-Iulian Rusu is an art and cultural historian, researcher, and curator. He holds a research master’s degree in Art History from Utrecht University and has held positions as Assistant Curator at the Zeeuws Museum, Middelburg, and as fellow at the Brabant Historisch Informatie Centrum, ’s-Hertogenbosch. Based in Utrecht, he contributes to exhibitions and pursues research on local history. Most recently, he was awarded a bursary by the Vereniging Rembrandt and served as researcher for Palace Het Loo, Apeldoorn.