Willem van den Blocke

The Baltic region was at the time politically relatively stable when compared to Willem's native home, the Spanish Netherlands, which were rife with religious persecution.

[4] In Konigsberg van den Blocke worked on the monumental tomb of Albert, Duke in Prussia, designed by Floris, in the local cathedral.

In 1581 he designed and executed the tomb of princess Elizabeth, the first wife of George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, also in the Königsberg Cathedral.

Willem van den Blocke moved on 18 June 1584 to Danzig (Gdańsk), the center of the Vistula delta Mennonites, carrying with him a recommendation by Stephen Báthory, the king of Poland.

Willem van den Brocke is regarded as the main representative in the Baltics of Italianizing Flemish mannerism as developed first by Cornelis Floris.

The High Gate in Danzig before the removal of the walls. Drawing by Julius Greth, 1855.
Uppsala Cathedral, tomb of King John III of Sweden
Mannerist crown most probably created for Stephen Báthory in Gdańsk after Willem van den Blocke]'s design in about 1584 [ 7 ]