Diederik Jansz. Graeff
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Dirck Jansz Graeff, also Diederik Jansz Graeff, Lord of the manors Valckeveen and Vredenhof (
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 ...
1532 – 27 July 1589), was a patrician,
wholesaler Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In g ...
, shipowner, politician and large landowner. He was also a member of the
Reformed Church Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...
, a supporter of the
Geuzen Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...
and the Protestant-minded community of wholesale merchants, and a confidant of William I of Orange (William the Silent).Biography of Dirk Jansz Graeff at ''Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden''. Deel 7 (1862)
/ref> Graeff was the founder of a
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 ...
dynasty of 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, ...
and the short time of the First Stadtholderless Period that retained power and influence for centuries and produced a number of
minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
s. He was the first
Burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief m ...
of Amsterdam from the De Graeff family.


Family De Graeff

Dirck Jansz Graeffs was the first illustrious member of the De Graeff family. His parents were
Jan Pietersz Graeff Jan Pietersz Graeff (Amsterdam, 1512 - there, 1553) was an Amsterdam regent and cloth wholesaler from the 16th century. Biography Family Jan Pietersz Graeff was the son of Pieter Graeff, the first known representative of the Dutch De Graeff ...
, a cloth wholesaler and advisor of Amsterdam, and ''Stein Braseman''. His older brother was
Lenaert Jansz de Graeff Lenaert Jansz de Graeff (Amsterdam, – in Exile, ) belonged to the powerful Amsterdam patriciate. He was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation at Amsterdam, vice-general-captain of Amsterdam, friend of Henry, Count of Bréderode, the ...
, a leading captain of the Sea Beggars in the Capture of Brielle. 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, ...
, 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
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 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 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.


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 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 ( Waterland) of their maternal ancestors, the
De Grebber The De Grebber are considered to be one of the oldest noble families in Waterland and the city of Amsterdam. History The origin of the family, called ''De Grebber'' from the later 13th century, is said to be in Edam and Monnickendam, where th ...
. After he has bought the estate Valckeveen (Valkenburg) in
Gooiland The Gooi () is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by its green landscape, its historical charm, the wealth of its inhabitants, and its villas. The Gooi is known in the Netherla ...
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) Jacob Dircksz de Graeff wapen1.svg, Coat of arms as Lord of the manor of Valckeveen (Valkenburg) Image:Matthias Laurenz Gräff und Karl von Habsburg vor dem Graeff-Wappen.jpg, 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 Matthias Laurenz Gräff (also known as ''Matthias Laurenz Gräff Ilpenstein''; born 19 July 1984) is an Austrian academic painter, private historian, politician, political activist and organizer of the non-partisan platform Dialog im Kamptal f ...
(left) Image:Grafzerk van Diederik Jansz Graeff.jpg, Epitaph and coat of arms at the Oude kerk (Amsterdam)


Marriage and children

Dirck was first married to Agnies Pietresdr van Neck, daughter of Pieter van Neck. They had the following children: * Weyntje Dircksz (de) Graeff - married to Jacob Andriesz BoelensBiography of Dirk Jansz Graeffs at ''Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek''. Deel 2 (1912)
/ref> * Jan Dircksz Graeff (1560-1630) lived at his Landhouse ''Vredenhof'' near
Voorschoten Voorschoten () is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of of whi ...
, died in Loosdrecht, New Hampshire. * Jacob Dircksz de Graeff (1570–1638) - Regent of Amsterdam, Lord of the semisouveain Lordship Zuid-Polsbroek etc. * Pieter Dircksz Graeff (1573–1645) - since 1620 ''Lord of Engelenburg'', near Brummen and advisor of the city of Amsterdam. Pieter drives in 1613 to Palestina and visited the Holy Grave in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. He lives at the ''Fluweelenburgwal'' at Amsterdam. * Cornelis Dircksz Graeff, alias van Rijn - schepen van Dorp; married with N. N. Vercroft (van Crocht), daughter of Jan Claesz Vercroft (van) Crocht (around 1510–1571), schepen and builder in the Duifpolder of
Maasland Maasland (population: 6,844) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It lies in the municipality (''gemeente'') of Midden-Delfland and covers an area of 24.42 km2 (of which 0.64 km2 water). History From ap ...
; they had a son, Jan Cornelisz (De) Graef(f), married to Neeltgen Cornelisdr; the couple had daughter Neeltgen Jans Vercroft (not Graeff) Afterwards he married to Teuwt Jansdr Cat, daughter of Jan Claesz Cat, burgomaster of Amsterdam. The couple had no progeny.


Life and work

Dirck Jansz Graeff 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 he was a member of a delegation who spoke with the Spanish
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 ...
Margaret of Parma about the political situation in Amsterdam and the province Holland. In 1567 he was against Charles de Brimeus entry in Amsterdam. In March of that year, backed by the brothers De Graeff and a large part of the bourgeoisie
Henry, Count of Bréderode Henry (Hendrik), Lord of Bréderode (December 1531 – 15 February 1568) was a member of the Dutch noble family Van Brederode and an important member during the Eighty Years' War. He was named the "Grote Geus" or the "big beggar". Biography ...
became the ''Generalcaptain'' of the city. In 1566, the Protestant-minded community of patrician and wholesale merchants around Graeff, Jan Jacobsz Bal Huydecoper van Wieringen, Jacobsz Reael, Adriaan Pauw and
Cornelis Hooft Cornelis Pietersz. Hooft (1547 – 1627 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch statesman and Amsterdam regent during the Golden Age. Life and Work Hooft was the son of the merchant Pieter Willemsz Hooft, and grandson of Pieter Willemsz. Hooft, a Zaanse gra ...
took over the social leadership within the city of Amsterdam in order to hold it in a political sense after the Alteratie of Amsterdam in 1578. Graeff continued to enjoy the friendship of William I of Orange, known as William the Silent, whose political motives and goals regarding detachment from Spain and religious freedom he also enjoyed. When the prince paid him a visit in his Amsterdam town house “De Keyser” in the crisis year of 1567, the two discussed the issues of the city and the country. The armchair which was used by Prince William at another visit at Graeffs house 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 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 ...
"Willem the First, Prince of Orange, set in this chair in 1568 when he stayed with my great-grandfather, Burgomaster Dirk Jansz de Graeff, who then lived in a house called De Keijser by the water." In Graeff's house, treaties between the leading
Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and the
Geuzen Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...
were also made at this In 1568 the four burgomasters of Amsterdam and the representatives of the religious groups signed a contract there too. In 1568 Graeff belonged to the leading Reformed people. However, since Graeff also conducted many other political consultations, the danger from the Spanish was increasing for him. But it took a long time before he could decide to leave his hometown. In 1572 he had to led to
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 ...
at the arrival of the Duke of Alba. In 1576 he came to
Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
, and worked together with Pieter Pietersz Bicker as a delegate of the Dutch States-General in Hamburg and Bremen, where they were able to take out a loan of 600,000 guilders for the Dutch government. He then spent some time in Hoorn, only to return to his hometown in 1578 - after the "Alteratie van Amsterdam". In the same year, Graeff was appointed Amsterdam's first new burgomaster, also at the request of his friend William of Orange. He also was made
councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
of the city, a position which he held until his death in 1589. In the same year, Graeff once again hosted Wilhelm von Orange in his house "De Keyser". Dirck Jansz Graeff was also a wealthy shipowner who was involved in running over 100 merchant ships, using which he traded mainly with Portugal. In the years 1584/1585 he was the richest resident of Amsterdam with a fortune of 140,000 guilders. He invested his fortune in buying a large country estate called Vredenhof near
Voorschoten Voorschoten () is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of of whi ...
. He also owned an estate in
Gooiland The Gooi () is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by its green landscape, its historical charm, the wealth of its inhabitants, and its villas. The Gooi is known in the Netherla ...
which he named Valkeveen (later the Valckenburg estate) in honor of his 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 patriciate. Dircks tomb chapel is located in the Oude Kerk at Amsterdam.


Trivia

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


Notes


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

* (nl
Biographie of Dirk Jansz. Graeff at the "DBNL", Part II
* (nl
Biographie of Dirk Jansz. Graeff at the "DBNL", Part VII
* (nl

by
Vondel Joost van den Vondel (; 17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) was a Dutch poet, writer and playwright. He is considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century. His plays are the ones from that period that are still most ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graeff, Dirk Jansz. Dirk Jansz., Graeff Mayors of Amsterdam 16th-century Dutch businesspeople Nobility from Amsterdam 1529 births 1589 deaths Remonstrants Businesspeople from Amsterdam