Origins

Outside of the Netherlands and occasional brief mentions in Theatre History and the history of the Reformation, the Chambers of Rhetoric are practically unknown. However, as these merchants and artisans gathered together in their meeting halls to share a collegial pint as they labored together to create a new play or competed in poetry contests, they were contributing to a revolutionary cultural movement that would destabilize power structures that had ruled over a thousand years in there era and still echo today.

Quietly – without conservative forces to denounce the practice or reformers to champion it  -- the Rederjikers produced generations of literate middle-class who were practiced accomplished public speakers well-schooled in the essential elements of rhetoric and logical appeal. It is no wonder that Wittenberg, ground-zero for the Reformation, a cultural blast that would shake the foundations of Early Modern Europe, lay within comfortable travel distance of the largest rederijkerskamers.

The Rederyker Kamers, Camer van Rhetorica, or "Chambers of Rhetoric" were a phenomenon of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in northern France and the Low Countries. The Chambers were societies devoted to the creation and performance of poetry, music, and plays. In "Literature of the Low Countries" Reinder P. Meijer claims that the origin of the Chambers was not Dutch, but French. "Associations of Rhetoriquers" existed in the north of France as early as the twelfth century. These Associations were popular with the Burgundian court in the fifteenth century.

Taking inspiration from these French dramatic societies, the early chambers were organized more along the lines of medieval trade guilds. Each had a name, slogan, and blazoen (emblem). Each chamber had code of rules for membership enforced by fines. Each had officers, paid employees, and an artistic director.

Chambers functioned in coordination with town councils and local nobility to organize the necessary elements to put together civic festivals, ceremonies, and pageants.  In larger, wealthier countries in this area during this time period, decision-making about similar types of ceremonies and entertainment were being handled at the direction of the nobility. Just prior to this era, many public festivals in Europe were organized by the clergy. The rederijkerskammers were a unique example of middle-class people being entrusted with the important responsibility of determining how the populace would celebrate significant events or welcome important visitors.

As a not insignificant by-product of learning how to best to accomplish this goal, the rederijkers had to become skilled actors, public speakers, clowns, artisans, entertainers, debaters, and playwrights.  They had to teach each other how to read, write, and speak in public in a manner that was confident, clever, and entertaining.

The rederikers started out only intending to create parades, plays, and pageants that would do honor to their city. Almost by accident, they produced a new type of educated, questioning European citizen who would turn Medieval assumptions about class and power on their heads.