The Act of Abjuration is among the birth papers of the Netherlands. In this act of July 26, 1581, the States General renounced the king of Spain, Philip II, as their sovereign. They invoked the right of resistance if a sovereign behaved like a tyrant in matters of religion. Moreover, Philip II violates the privileges that the regions and cities agreed upon with previous sovereigns. Pending a successor, the States will be the new supreme power, under the conditions set forth in the Union of Utrecht - another founding document.

School edition of the Act of Abjuration
The Dutch Independence Foundation aims to generate interest in and appreciation for the unique history of Dutch independence, with the Act of Abjuration as an important testimony thereof. Therefore, a school edition of the Act has been made especially for educational purposes. Dr. Anton van Hooff made a retranslation in modern Dutch aimed at secondary school students.

The Dutch Freedom Trail
In addition, there is The Dutch Freedom Trail, where schoolchildren can give their city, village or region a spotlight by submitting a video.

In the coming months, our foundation will reach out directly to education with a number of activities and bring the Act of Abjuration into classes and classrooms.

The Zabawas Foundation is one of the organizations that supports us financially in this effort. They provide donations in
areas such as culture and education.