Menno van Coehoorn

Menno van Coehoorn (1641–1704) was a Dutch officer and military engineer. Commissioned in 1657, he was wounded defending Maastricht in 1673 during the Franco-Dutch War. The fall of Dutch fortresses in 1672 had exposed their weak defences.

He redesigned Dutch fortifications for the low, waterlogged terrain, relying on multiple lines and water defences, and was ranked with the French engineer Vauban as the age's leading siege expert.

As inspector general of fortifications, he strengthened the Barrier towns after the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick. He took Venlo, Bonn and Huy in 1702–1703 and died at The Hague on 17 March 1704.