The Lands’ Advocate ( nl, landsadvocaat) of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
acted as the
Chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of the
States of Holland The States of Holland and West Frisia ( nl, Staten van Holland en West-Friesland) were the representation of the two Estates (''standen'') to the court of the Count of Holland. After the United Provinces were formed — and there no longer was a c ...
. The office started in the early 14th century and ended in 1619, when the title was renamed into
Grand Pensionary. He was the speaker of the nobility of Holland and had the first say on a subject during a meeting of the Estates. A decision of the Estates was made by a summarizing of all the statements of the other delegates by the Lands’ Advocate. The Lands’ Advocate of Holland was the most powerful man of the
United Provinces when there was no
Stadtholder
In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...
in Holland (because two-thirds of the tax income of the republic came from the county of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
).
The most powerful lands’ advocates of Holland were the last two,
Paulus Buys (1572–1584) and
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (), Heer van Berkel en Rodenrijs (1600), Gunterstein (1611) and Bakkum (1613) (14 September 1547 – 13 May 1619) was a Dutch statesman and revolutionary who played an important role in the Dutch struggle for indepen ...
(1586–1619).
County of Holland
1619 disestablishments
Heads of government of non-sovereign entities
Government ministers of the Netherlands
1610s disestablishments in the Dutch Republic
Political history of the Dutch Republic
14th-century establishments in the Burgundian Netherlands
Legislative speakers in the Netherlands
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