Dirck Jansz Graeff

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Dirck Jansz Graeff
Dirk Jansz Graeff.jpg
Regent and Mayor of Amsterdam
In office
1578–1579
Personal details
Born1532
Amsterdam
Died27 July 1589
Amsterdam
NationalityDutch
Political partyStates Faction
Spouse(s)1) Agnies Pietresdr van Neck
2) Jan Claes Cat
RelationsAdmiral Jacob Cornelisz van Neck (distant cousin via Agnies Pietersdr van Neck)
ChildrenWeyntje, Jan (or Johan), Jacob, Pieter, Cornelis
Residence(s)House De Keyser on the Damrak in Amsterdam, country house Vredenhof near Voorschoten
OccupationMayor
Professionmerchant and Ship-owner

Dirck Jansz Graeff, also Diederik Jansz Graeff, Lord of the manor Vredenhof (Amsterdam 1532[1] – 27 July 1589), first illustrious member of the De Graeff family, was a rich merchant, ship-owner and politician. Graeff was also the founder of a regent dynasty of the Dutch Golden Age[2] and the short time of the First Stadtholderless Period that retained power and influence for centuries and produced a number of ministers. He was the first Mayor of Amsterdam from the De Graeff family.[3]

Family De Graeff

Overview of the personal family relationships of the Amsterdam oligarchy between the regent-dynasties Boelens Loen, De Graeff, Bicker (van Swieten), Witsen and Johan de Witt in the Dutch Golden Age

Dirck Jansz. Graeffs parents were Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant and advisor of Amsterdam, and Stein Braseman.[4] His older brother was Lenaert Jansz de Graeff, perhaps ident with "Monseigneur de Graeff", a captain of the Sea Beggars in the Capture of Brielle.

During the Dutch Golden Age, the De Graeff family were very critical of the Orange family's influence in the Netherlands. Together with the Republican-minded family Bicker, the De Graeffs strived for the abolition of stadtholdership. They desired the full sovereignty of the individual regions in which the Republic of the United Seven Netherlands were not ruled by a single person. Instead of a sovereign (or stadtholder) the political and military power was lodged with the States General and with the regents of the cities in Holland.[5]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Dirck Jansz Graeff is divided and shows the following symbols:

  • field 1 (left above) shows the silver shovel on red of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben
  • field 2 (right above) shows the silver swan on blue (Waterland) of their maternal ancestors, the De Grebber. After he has bought the estate Valckeveen (Valkenburg) his coat of arms shows a white falcon on silver instead of the swan.
  • helmet covers in red and silver
  • helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben)
  • Coat of arms Family Graeff (ancient).jpg

    Ancient coat of arms

  • Coat of arms Graeff (Dirk Jansz Graeff).jpg

    Coat of arms as Lord of the manor of Valckeveen (Valkenburg)

  • HIH Archduke Karl of Austria (Karl von Habsburg), head of the House Habsburg-Lorraine, the former imperial and royal house of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria (right) and Matthias Laurenz Gräff (left)

    HIH Archduke Karl of Austria (Karl von Habsburg), head of the House Habsburg-Lorraine, the former imperial and royal house of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria (right) and Matthias Laurenz Gräff (left)

  • Epitaph and coat of arms at the Oude kerk (Amsterdam)

    Epitaph and coat of arms at the Oude kerk (Amsterdam)

Marriage and children

Dirck was married to Agnies Pietresdr van Neck. Among their children were:

Career

The armchair on which William I of Orange, "the Silent" sat when visiting Dirck Jansz Graeff at his house in 1580
Country estate Vredenhof

Dirck was a merchant, he bought and sold steel at his house De Keyser in a street, now called Damrak. Like his brothers Jan, Lenaert and Jacob, Dirck was one of the richest inhabitants of Amsterdam. In 1564 Diederik was a member of a delegation who spoke with the Spanish Regent about the political situation in Amsterdam and the province Holland. In 1567 he was against Charles de Brimeus entry in Amsterdam.[8] In March of that year, backed by the brothers De Graeff and a large part of the bourgeoisie Henry, Count of Bréderode became the Generalcaptain of the city.

In 1568 Graeff belonged to the Reformed people who had fled to Emden at the arrival of the Duke of Alba. In 1576 he came to Utrecht, and two years later he returned to Amsterdam.

Dirck Jansz Graeff was also a friend of William I of Orange, "the Silent".[9] The Prince visited him at his house in Amsterdam. The armchair which was used by Prince William was now part of the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. This hooded chair is a unique example of an item of formal furniture from the estate of a late 16th-century Amsterdam burgomaster. Attached to the back of this armchair is a copper plate with the words from Pieter de Graeff "Willem the First, Prince of Orange, set in this chair in 1578 when he stayed with my great-grandfather, Burgomaster Dirk Jansz de Graeff, who then lived in a house called De Keijser by the water."[10] In 1576 he was a delegate of the States-General of the Netherlands. In 1578 Dirck was made regent-mayor of Amsterdam, by influence of Willem of Orange. Between the same year and his death in 1589 he was a councillor of the city.[11]

Dirck Jansz Graeff was also a wealthy shipowner who was involved in running over 100 merchant ships, using which he traded mainly with Portugal.[12] In the years 1584/1585 he was the richest resident of Amsterdam with a fortune of 140,000 guilders.[13] He invested his fortune in buying a large country estate called Vredenhof near Voorschoten. Together with Jan Jacobsz Bal Huydecoper van Wieringen, Frans Hendricksz Oetgens van Waveren and Hendrick Hudde, Graeff was considered the largest landowner among the Amsterdam patricians.[14]

Dircks tomb chapel is located in the Oude Kerk at Amsterdam.[15]

Trivia

Dirck Jansz Graeff play a rol in the historic roman Krone der Welt by Sabine Weiß.[16]

Notes

  1. ^ Nederland's Adelsboek (1993), deel 83, p 429
  2. ^ Israel, J. (1995) The Dutch Republic, Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477-1806, p. 159./
  3. ^ Biographie of Dirk Jansz. Graeff in the DBNL
  4. ^ Stamboom Ocken » Dirck Janzn Graeff[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Triomf der Vrede (nl)". Archived from the original on 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
  6. ^ https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/182499265/person/252377286465/facts/[user-generated source]
  7. ^ "Home". engelenburg.com.
  8. ^ Lenaert Jansz de Graeff's biography on DBNL
  9. ^ Dirk Jansz Graeffs Biographie at the "DBNL", Part VII (1862)
  10. ^ "Unknown Cabinetmarker, Netherlandish"
  11. ^ Nederland's adelsboek 1914 (14 - De Graeff)
  12. ^ Biographie of Dirk Jansz. Graeff at the "DBNL", Part II
  13. ^ I.H. Eeghen: De restauratie van Herengracht 77. In: Maandblad Genootschap Amstelodamum (1968) p 235.
  14. ^ Clé Lesger: Handel in Amsterdam ten tijde van de Opstand: kooplieden, commerciële … Uitgeverij Verloren, Hilversum 2001, ISBN 90-6550-686-1, S. 171 ([1], p. 171, at Google Books).
  15. ^ "Designserver - studio voor nieuwe media". Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  16. ^ Krone der Welt by Sabine Weiß

Literature

  • Graeff, P. De (P. de Graeff Gerritsz en Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek) Genealogie van de familie De Graeff van Polsbroek (Amsterdam, 1882)
  • Bruijn, J. H. De Genealogie van het geslacht De Graeff van Polsbroek 1529/1827
  • Brugmans, Hajo Geschiedenis van Amsterdam (1973)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diederik Janszoon Graeff.
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