Alexander Gogel (1765-1821): grondlegger van de Nederlandse staat

Abstract

Alexander Jan Isaac Gogel (1765-1821) was a fascinating person who had a very interesting career in a turbulent time. He held various official functions in the Batavian-French period (1795-1813), always on the basis of his financial expertise. Gogel used his expertise to establish a national financial foundation, a formidable achievement.

With his pioneer work he fused together the seven federated provinces of the old Dutch Republic into a unitary Batavian state with a single tax system, a transparent budget and a common currency. However, his interests and influence were broader than engagement with public finance alone. In Gogel’s opinion the political desideratum of equality before the law, linked to the unitary state, also entailed the free entry to a profession. Therefore he was a fierce advocate of the abolition of the guilds. Furthermore, he participated intensively in the debate about the constitutional arrangements of the new state. His cultural interest which was also inspired by the Patriot ideology induced him to establish the National Art Gallery, the forerunner of the present National Museum (‘Rijksmuseum’). This political biography intends to provide nuances and so readjust the traditional image of Alexander Gogel.