Station: [13] The Flight of the Huguenots

Under Louis the Fourteenth and his ruthless policies, life for the Huguenots became unbearable. Most Protestants converted to Roman Catholicism and practised their Reformed faith in secret, if at all. Others fled abroad despite the risks and the strict ban. Of the 800,000 Huguenots, some 200,000 decided to leave the country.
The refugees usually came together in groups of between 80 and 150 people. They attempted to leave the country either on foot or by boat. The risk of betrayal or discovery was ever-present. Often, their journey to freedom took many months or even years. One courageous refugee was Marie Dubois from the town of Metz in France. She set out along with two other women and suffered horrific experiences: 
We had barely covered four miles when a troop of horsemen stopped us in a village called Courcelles. They abused us and then were so inhumane as to strip us down and steal the few bits of finery we wanted to keep. As a result of that loss, we were rid of them. 
After months as a refugee on the run, being mistreated and confined in a Roman Catholic convent, Marie Dubois finally managed to cross the French border. She reached the city of Liège in present-day Belgium and carried on from there to Maastricht. 

The Protestant Netherlands was one of the main countries willing to receive the refugees. Dubbed an "Ark of Refuge", the country took in some 50,000 Huguenots. From there, many moved on to North America or South Africa. 
But more than 100,000 refugees also found new homes in other European countries such as England, Ireland and Switzerland and various German territories. 
This "second life" in Protestant foreign countries is the focus of our exhibition on the upper floor. 

Foto: © DHG