The Hungarian protestant ministers who had been baselessly charged in 1673 and 1674 by
a special court at Pressburg with rebellion, treason and defamation of the Catholic Church
were sentenced to death. Those who converted to Catholicism or promised to leave the
country could escape. Those who persisted were sold at Naples to Spanish galleys as
slaves. The ministers asked help, among others, from the Netherlands. As a result of efforts
of many persons the States General instructed in November 1675 admiral Michiel de
Ruyter to liberate the galley slaves. After their liberation in February 1676, they were in
exile in Zürich. Eight of them visited the Netherlands in the autumn of that year to try to
get diplomatic and financial support so that they could return to Hungary in order to
continue their ministry. The Netherlands helped them a lot in both areas. Lots of books
dealt with their story in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Netherlands. Later they became
more and more part of the memory place ‘Michiel de Ruyter’.