Jacob Dircksz de Graeff, '' free lord of Zuid-Polsbroek'' (

Emden Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528. History The exact founding date of E ...

1571 –

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, 6 October 1638) was an illustrious member of the

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

De Graeff De Graeff (; also: '' De Graef, Graef, Graeff, Graaff'', Graaf and ''De Graeff van Polsbroek'') is an old Dutch patrician and noble family, The Amsterdam line of the family played an important role during the Dutch Golden Age. They were at the ...

family. He was a powerful politician of the

States Faction The Dutch States Party ( nl, Staatsgezinde partij) was a political faction of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. This republican faction is usually (negatively) defined as the opponents of the Orangist, or faction, who supported the monar ...

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

and

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

after the political collapse of Reynier Pauw in 1627. In the mid 17th century, during the

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

, De Graeff controlled the city's politics in close cooperation with his nephew

Andries Bicker Andries Bicker, ''lord of Engelenburg'' ( Amsterdam, 1586 – 24 June 1652) was a powerful Amsterdam regent and Dutch politician during the Dutch Golden Age. He was the leader of the Bickerse league and controlled the city's politics in clos ...

.Google
''Geschiedenis van Holland'', Part 2, book 2, from Eelco Beukers
/ref> Jacob de Graeff was very critical of the

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

family's influence. He was a member of a family of regents who belonged to the

republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

political movement also referred to as the ‘state oriented’, the

Dutch States Party The Dutch States Party ( nl, Staatsgezinde partij) was a political faction of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. This republican faction is usually (negatively) defined as the opponents of the Orangist, or faction, who supported the monar ...

, as opposed to the

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

Biography

Political background

During the

, the De Graeff and Bicker families were very critical of the

family's influence in the Netherlands. Together with the Republican-minded brothers and their cousins

Andries Andries is a Dutch and Afrikaans masculine given name or surname equivalent to Andrew. Given name People with this name include * Andries van Artvelt (1590–1652), Flemish painter * Andries Beeckman (1628–1664), Dutch painter * Andries Bekk ...

, Cornelis and

Jan Bicker Jan Gerritsz. Bicker (1591–1653) was a merchant, a mayor (burgomaster) and a member of the Bicker family, an influential patrician family from Amsterdam. De Bickers were part of the ''staatsgezinde partij'' (the pro-republican party) and oppon ...

, the family De Graeff strived for the abolition of

stadtholder In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...

ship. They desired the full sovereignty of the individual regions in a form in which the Republic of the United Seven Netherlands was not ruled by a single person. Instead of a sovereign (or stadtholder) the political and military power was lodged with the

States General The word States-General, or Estates-General, may refer to: Currently in use * Estates-General on the Situation and Future of the French Language in Quebec, the name of a commission set up by the government of Quebec on June 29, 2000 * States Genera ...

and with the regents of the cities in Holland. Jacob de Graeffs two sons Cornelis and

Andries de Graeff Andries de Graeff (19 February 1611 – 30 November 1678) was a powerful member of the Amsterdam branch of the De Graeff - family during the Dutch Golden Age. He became a mayor of Amsterdam and a powerful Amsterdam regent after the death of his ...

became the strongest Dutch regents during the

First Stadtholderless Period The First Stadtholderless Period or Era (1650–72; nl, Eerste Stadhouderloze Tijdperk) is the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of Stadtholder was vacant in five of the seven Dutch provinces (the provinces of Fries ...

.Pieter C. Vie
Andries de Graeff (1611-1678) `t Gezagh is heerelyk: doch vol bekommeringen

Family

Image:Descendants of Knight Andries Boelens (1455-1519).jpg, Overview of the personal family relationships of the

oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...

between the

-dynasties

Boelens Loen The Boelens (also ''Boel'') and Boelens Loen were a Dutch Republic, Dutch Patrician (post-Roman Europe), patrician family of Amsterdam. The family figured in the city's government lists between the years 1360 and 1680. They were considered to be q ...

, Bicker (van Swieten),

Witsen Witsen is a Dutch surname and may refer to: *Members of the Witsen family: ** Cornelis Jan Witsen **Nicolaes Witsen ** Willem Witsen *10653 Witsen 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical ...

and

Johan de Witt Johan de Witt (; 24 September 1625 – 20 August 1672), ''lord of Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp en IJsselvere'', was a Dutch statesman and a major political figure in the Dutch Republic in the mid-17th century, the Fi ...

in the

Image:Descendants of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff and Aeltje Boelens Loen.jpg, Descendants of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff and Aeltje Boelens Loen Jacob Dircksz de Graeff was born in

, Lower Saxony, the Exile of his parents Dirck Jansz Graeff and Agnies Pietresdr van Neck. He grew up in Emden and later in Amsterdam, at the house De Keyser in the Niezel, a small street not far from the Oude Kerk. In 1597 he married to Aaltje

(27 February 1579 at Emden; † 29 August 1630 at Amsterdam), daughter of the politician

Cornelis Andriesz Boelens Loen Cornelis Andriesz Boelens Loen (* 1552 in Amsterdam, † 1584 there) was a Dutch statesman and Councilor from the time of the Dutch Revolt. Family His father was Andries Cornelisz Boelens Loen (1517-1573), his great-grandfather Andries Boele ...

, descendant of

Andries Boelens Andries Boelens (Amsterdam, 1455 – there, 1519), also: ''Boelenz'', ''Boelensz., Andries Boel Dircksz.'' or ''Andries Boelen Dircksz'', was an alderman and mayor of Amsterdam. In the period from 1496 to 1517 he was mayor fifteen times. The ter ...

(1455–1519), a famous regent of Amsterdam. The couple had six children reaching adulthood: *

Cornelis de Graeff Cornelis de Graeff, also Cornelis de Graeff van (Zuid-)Polsbroek (15 October 1599 – 4 May 1664) was the most illustrious member of the De Graeff family. He was a mayor of Amsterdam from the Dutch Golden Age and a powerful Amsterdam regent after ...

(1599–1664), regent and burgomaster of Amsterdam, Dutch statesman * Dirk de Graeff (1601–1637), Vroedschap and Schepen of Amsterdam *

Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek (Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 wit ...

(1603–1656), married

; her daughter Wendela Bicker married

, while her daughter Jacoba Bicker married her full cousin

Pieter de Graeff Pieter de Graeff (15 August 1638 – 3 June 1707), was a member of the De Graeff-family from the Dutch Golden Age. He was an Amsterdam Regent during the late 1660s and the early 1670s, and held the titles as Lord of the semi-sovereign Fief Zui ...

Wendela de Graeff Vendela is a feminine given name. It may refer to: * Wendla Åberg (1791–1864), Swedish dancer * Wendela Hebbe, Swedish journalist * Vendela Kirsebom, Turkish-Norwegian-Swedish model and actress * Vendela Skytte, Swedish poet * Wendela Gustafva ...

(1607–1652), painted by

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

für his painting Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph * Christina de Graeff (1609–1679), lady of Engelenburg (heiress to her uncle Pieter Dircksz Graeff) married in 1642 with Jacob Bicker and in 1648 to Pieter

Trip Trip may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Trip (''Pokémon''), a ''Pokémon'' character * Trip (Power Rangers), in the American television series ''Time Force Power Rangers'' * Trip, in the 2013 film ''Metallica Through th ...

(1611–1678), regent and burgomaster of Amsterdam, Dutch statesman

Feudality

On September 18, 1610, Jacob Dircksz de Graeff acquired the High Lordship of Zuid-Polsbroek from Charles of Aremberg, which was freely inheritable and sellable as an

allod In the law of the Middle Ages and early Modern Period and especially within the Holy Roman Empire, an allod (Old Low Franconian ''allōd'' ‘fully owned estate’, from ''all'' ‘full, entire’ and ''ōd'' ‘estate’, Medieval Latin ''allodium ...

. Their acquisition increased the reputation and contributed to the aristocratization of the family, in which De Graeff and his heirs could be addressed as '' Vrijheer(en) van Zuid-Polsbroek'' ever since. De Graeff was also from 1604 Ambachtsheer (

Lord of the manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...

) of Sloten, Sloterdijk,

Nieuwer-Amstel Amstelveen () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands with a population of 92.353 as of 2022. It is a suburban part of the Amsterdam metropolitan area. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the historical villages o ...

Osdorp Osdorp () is neighbourhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. A larger area was, from 1981 until 2010, a ''stadsdeel'' (borough) of Amsterdam and in 2010 was merged into the new borough of Amsterdam Nieuw-West. Neighborhood The core neighborhood of Osdor ...

and

Amstelveen Amstelveen () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands with a population of 92.353 as of 2022. It is a suburban part of the Amsterdam metropolitan area. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the historical villages o ...

, but not the owner of these glories. Rather, the city of Amsterdam bought them in 1529 from

Reinoud III van Brederode Reinoud III van Brederode (4 September 1492, Brederode Castle, Santpoort – 25 September 1556, in Brussels), lord of Brederode and Vianen, burgrave of Utrecht, master of the woods and master of the hunt of Holland, member of the Council ...

, and then gave it in fief to one of their council members. He was also chieflandholder of the

Zijpe Zijpe () is a former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. In 2013, Zijpe and Harenkarspel merged into Schagen. Population centres The former municipality of Zijpe consisted of the following cities, towns, villages ...

- en Hazepolder, Watergraafs- and Wiemermeer. He also had the

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...

in fief at Rietveld, Poldertienden (Oliviersblok), Groot-Rietveld, Klein-Rietveld, Tournooisveld, Oudeland and Bredeveld (Bredeveld).

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff is quartered with a heart shield and shows the following symbols: * heart shield shows the three silver rhombuses on red (originally from the family

Van Woerdern van Vliet A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...

) of the High Lordship Zuid-Polsbroek * field 1 (left above) shows the silver shovel on red of their paternal ancestors, the

Herren von Graben Herren von Graben, also named ''von (dem) Graben'', ''vom Graben'', ''Grabner'', ''Grabner zu Rosenburg'', ''Graben zu Kornberg'', ''Graben zu Sommeregg'', ''Graben von (zum) Stein'', and ''ab dem Graben'' was the name of an old Austrian noble fam ...

* field 2 (right above) shows the silver swan on blue of the Fief Vredenhof r_that_one_(Waterland)_of_their_maternal_ancestors,_the_De_Grebber.html" ;"title="Waterland.html" ;"title="r that one (Waterland">r that one (Waterland) of their maternal ancestors, the De Grebber">Waterland.html" ;"title="r that one (Waterland">r that one (Waterland) of their maternal ancestors, the De Grebber] * field 3 (left below), same as field 2 * field 4 (right below), same as field 1 * helmet covers in red and silver * helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben) * motto: MORS SCEPTRA LIGONIBUS AEQUAT (DEATH MAKES SEPTRES AND HOES EQUAL) Image:Wapen De Graeff van Polsbroek als heren van Purmerland en Ilpendam.jpg, Full coat of arms as "Vrijheer van Zuid-Polsbroek" Image:Grafzerk van Diederik Jansz Graeff.jpg, Gravestone of Jacob and his father Diederik Jansz. Graeff at Amsterdam's Oude Kerk

Career

Jacob de Graeff studied

Classical language A classical language is any language with an independent literary tradition and a large and ancient body of written literature. Classical languages are typically dead languages, or show a high degree of diglossia, as the spoken varieties of the ...

Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...

. In De Graeff was a merchant, and in 1598 became

Schepen A schepen (Dutch; . ') or échevin (French) or Schöffe (German) is a municipal officer in Belgium and formerly the Netherlands. It has been replaced by the ' in the Netherlands (a municipal executive). In modern Belgium, the ''schepen'' or ''éch ...

(alderman), from 1603 a member of the

Vroedschap The vroedschap () was the name for the (all male) city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a ''vroedman'', literally a "wise man". An honorific title of the ''vroedschap'' was the ''vroede vaderen' ...

and in 1613–1638 mayor of Amsterdam six times.P.C. Molhuysen and P.J. Blo
Jacob Dircksz de Graeff at the "digitale bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse letteren" (DBNL)
/ref> He was first named as mayor of Amsterdam in 1611. During his councillorship in the

States of Holland and West Friesland The States of Holland and West Frisia ( nl, Staten van Holland en West-Friesland) were the representation of the two Estates (''standen'') to the court of the Count of Holland. After the United Provinces were formed — and there no longer was a co ...

(1615–1617) De Graeff get sympathy with Oldenbarnevelt. In 1618, as regent-mayor of Amsterdam, Jacob de Graeff was deeply involved in the political crisis that engulfed the

Oldenbarnevelt Van Oldenbarnevelt is a Dutch surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (1547–1619), Dutch nobility *Willem van Oldenbarnevelt (1590–before 1638), Dutch nobility *Reinier van Oldenbarnevelt Reinier van Oldenb ...

regime and brought about its fall. Amsterdam was one of the Holland cities whose

regents A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

were partisans of the

Remonstrants The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that had split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his ...

and had agitated for the Sharp Resolution of 1617 which authorized city governments to raise private armies, called ''waardgelders''. The Counter-Remonstrants (enemies of the Remonstrants) opposed this, and the

Maurice of Nassau Maurice of Orange ( nl, Maurits van Oranje; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was '' stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became Prince ...

viewed this policy as a challenge to his authority as commander-in-chief of the States Army. On 23 August 1618, by order of the States-General, Oldenbarnevelt and his chief supporters such as

Hugo Grotius Hugo Grotius (; 10 April 1583 – 28 August 1645), also known as Huig de Groot () and Hugo de Groot (), was a Dutch humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian, jurist, poet and playwright. A teenage intellectual prodigy, he was born in Delft ...

, Gilles van Ledenberg, Rombout Hogerbeets were arrested. Jacob de Graeff lost his political position in the government for some years. After the political collapse of the royalist Reynier Pauw in 1627 De Graeff returned to power again. During the late 1620s and the 1630s he controlled the city's politics in close cooperation with his nephew

. Together with Bicker he was also the leader of the

Arminian Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...

faction of the city. De Graeff died in Amsterdam and his tomb chapel can be found in the Oude Kerk floor, plots number 108 and 109. After his death his son

and his cousins, the hardcore republican brothers Andries and

Cornelis Bicker Cornelis Bicker van Swieten (25 October 1592 – 15 September 1654), heer (lord) Van Swieten and of Kasteel Swieten, was an Amsterdam regenten, regent of the Dutch Republic during the Dutch Golden Age, Golden Age and a governor of the Dutch West I ...

took over his role on the

council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

Trivia

Dirck Jansz Graeff play a role in the historic roman ''Krone der Welt'' by Sabine Weiß.''Krone der Welt'' by Sabine Weiß
/ref>

Notes

Literature

* Elias, Johan E. (1903–1905) ''De vroedschap van Amsterdam, 1578-1795'', p. 266 * Lademacher, Horst ''Phönix aus der Asche? Politik und kultur der niederländischen Republik im Europa des 17. Jahrhunderts'', Münster (2007, Waxmann Verlag), p. 228 * Israel, Jonathan I. (1995) ''The dutch Republic - Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall - 1477-1806'', Clarendon Press, Oxford, * Burke, P. (1994) ''Venice and Amsterdam. A study of seventeenth-century élites.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Graeff, Jacob Dircksz De 1636 deaths 1570s births Nobility from Amsterdam Dutch people of the Eighty Years' War Jacob Dircksz, Graeff de Mayors of Amsterdam 17th-century Dutch politicians Lords of Zuid-Polsbroek Lords of Sloten Lords of Amstelveen People from Emden Burials at the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam Remonstrants