Pier Gerlofs Donia

Pier Gerlofs Donia
Etching of Grutte Pier, from Chronycke ofte Historische Geschiedenis van Frieslant, published in 1622.[1]
Born	1480 (1480) Kimswerd, Frisia, Holy Roman Empire
Died	October 28, 1520(1520-10-28) (aged 39–40) Sneek, Lordship of Frisia, Holy Roman Empire
Nationality	Frisian
Other names	Grutte Pier, Grote Pier
Occupation(s)	farmer, rebel leader, pirate
Known for	Leading a Frisian rebellion between 1515 and 1519
Spouse	Rintsje Syrtsema
Children	Gerlof Piers Donia and Wobbel Piers Donia
Parent(s)	Gerlof Piers Donia and Fokel Sybrants Bonga

Pier Gerlofs Donia (c. 1480 – 28 October 1520) was a Frisian farmer, rebel leader, and pirate. He is best known by his West Frisian nickname Grutte Pier ('Big Pier'; in the pre-1980 West Frisian spelling written as Greate Pier), or by the Dutch translation Grote Pier, which referred to his legendary size, strength, and bravery.

His life is mostly shrouded in legend. Based upon a description now attributed to Pier's contemporary Petrus Thaborita, the 19th-century Dutch historian Conrad Busken Huet wrote that Grutte Pier was

A tower of a fellow as strong as an ox, of dark complexion, broad shouldered, with a long black beard and moustache. A natural rough humorist, who through unfortunate circumstances was recast into an awful brute. Out of personal revenge for the bloody injustice that befell him (in 1515) with the killing of kinsfolk and destruction of his property he became a freedom fighter of legendary standing.^[2]