Peace of Münster

The Peace of Münster was a treaty between the Lords States General of the Seven United Netherlands[a] and the Spanish Crown, the terms of which were agreed on 30 January 1648.

[2] While Spain did not recognise the Dutch Republic, it agreed that the Lords States General of the United Netherlands was 'sovereign' and could participate in the peace talks.

[citation needed] On 30 January 1646, Adriaan Pauw and Johan de Knuyt, representing Holland and Zeeland, reached an armistice for twenty years and recognition of State sovereignty.

In October the States General decided to authorize the admiralties to issue passports for the export of silver imported from Spain.

The treaty was ratified by king Philip IV in Madrid on 1 March,[10] and by the Assembly of the States General in the Hague on 18 April and solemnly published and announced in the town hall of Münster on 15 May 1648.

[10] On 15 May 1648, the peace was definitively signed and solemnly ratified with an oath by Dutch and Spanish envoys, while a huge crowd was spectating the proceedings from the sidelines.

[10] Despite achieving independence, there was considerable opposition to the Treaty within the States General since it allowed Spain to retain the Southern Provinces and permitted religious toleration for Catholics.

[14] The text of the Twelve Years' Truce was taken as the foundation, and this made it much easier to formulate the peace treaty, because many articles could be copied without many changes.

[14] If one compares the texts of the Twelve Years' Truce of 1609 to the Peace of Münster of 1648, the articles that correspond in whole or in part are as follows::[15] The States-General of the Dutch Republic were formally recognised by Spain as a sovereign entity.