Luctor et Emergo : territorial sovereignty as contested paradigm in the United Provinces

This article critically evaluates the relationship between territory and sovereignty. I analyze how the notion of territorial sovereignty emerged in the Dutch Republic during the revolt against Spain. I argue that the predominantly state-centric aspect of this notion does not reflect the sociopolitical framework of the newly established Republic. Sovereignty in the Dutch context has a dynamic nature, challenging the traditional static linkage that usually defines the relation between territory and sovereignty. To support this argument, the paper will examine both specific events in Dutch institutional history – such as the Union of Utrecht and the Act of Abjuration – and some celebratory depictions of crucial sociopolitical moments, such as the Siege of Leiden and the drainage of Lake Beemster.