Cornelis Hooft
Encyclopedia
Cornelis Pietersz. Hooft (1547 – 1627 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch statesman. He was the grandson of Pieter Willemsz. Hooft, a Zaanse
grain merchant and shipmaster, and the father of the poet and dramatist Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft
. Hooft himself held numerous positions in the administration of Amsterdam. He was amongst others, schepen
, twelve times mayor, and treasurer
in a period of fast growth, so that the city had to be expanded three times.
Cornelis' father established himself in Amsterdam. In 1569 he went into exile, but in 1574 came back from Königsberg
and established himself in Hoorn
. Then, in 1578, after the Alteratie
on 26 May, he risked going back to Amsterdam. He lived on Nieuwendijk on the IJ
. Hooft had been interested in theology, but was nevertheless tolerant - his wife Anna Jansdr Blaeu was a Mennonite
, and he seems to have been a 'via media' man, declaring for neither the Remonstrants nor the Anti-Remonstrants.
As an independent merchant he had a large share in Baltic trade and reshipped herring, oil and grain. In 1584 he became a member of the vroedschap
, in which he remained until its final session. In 1588 he was chosen as mayor. As a member of the government of Amsterdam, he was delegated to the States of Holland and through them to the States General. Hooft was opposed to the appointment of foreigners to important posts, pointing to the Flemish Calvinists and preachers such as Petrus Plancius
. He also resisted the expansion of the stadholder's power.
Hooft was critical on other points. In 1611 his role in the vroedschap came to an end, when he was appointed as weesmeester and commissaris (commissioner) of the Wisselbank.
Hooft was never concerned by the VOC
or WIC
, as the most Amsterdam mayors. Vondel praised him in his satirical work 'Roskam' as a reliable man and described him as "Hoofd vol kreuken, een geweten zonder rimpel" (a wrinkled brow, but a conscience without wrinkle). In 1618, stadholder Maurits of Orange
, in his purge of Remonstrant regents from the vroedschap
as a result of the Synod of Dort
and the arrest of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, spared Hooft, who took a neutral stance. He is buried in the Oude Kerk.
Zaandam
Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811...
grain merchant and shipmaster, and the father of the poet and dramatist Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft
Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft
Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft - Knight in the Order of Saint Michael - was a Dutch historian, poet and playwright from the period known as the Dutch Golden Age.-Life:...
. Hooft himself held numerous positions in the administration of Amsterdam. He was amongst others, schepen
Schepen
A schepen is a Dutch word referring to a municipal civic office in Dutch-speaking countries. The term is still in use in Belgium, but it has been replaced by wethouder in the Netherlands. The closest English terms are alderman, member of the municipal executive, councillor and magistrate,...
, twelve times mayor, and treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
in a period of fast growth, so that the city had to be expanded three times.
Cornelis' father established himself in Amsterdam. In 1569 he went into exile, but in 1574 came back from Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
and established himself in Hoorn
Hoorn
-Cities :* Purmerend * Enkhuizen * Alkmaar * Amsterdam * Lelystad * Den Helder * Leeuwarden -Towns :* Edam...
. Then, in 1578, after the Alteratie
Alteratie
The Alteratie is the name given to the change of power in Amsterdam on May 26, 1578, when the Catholic city-government was deposed in favor of a Protestant one. The coup should be seen in the context of the greater Dutch Revolt that was breaking out in this time...
on 26 May, he risked going back to Amsterdam. He lived on Nieuwendijk on the IJ
IJ (bay)
The IJ is a river, formerly a bay, in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is known for being Amsterdam's waterfront. The name derives from the generic Germanic term for "water" and is similar to other Aa/Ee names for bodies of water. In Dutch, the name consists of the digraph ij, which is...
. Hooft had been interested in theology, but was nevertheless tolerant - his wife Anna Jansdr Blaeu was a Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
, and he seems to have been a 'via media' man, declaring for neither the Remonstrants nor the Anti-Remonstrants.
As an independent merchant he had a large share in Baltic trade and reshipped herring, oil and grain. In 1584 he became a member of the vroedschap
Vroedschap
The vroedschap was the name for the city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a vroedman, literally a "wise man"...
, in which he remained until its final session. In 1588 he was chosen as mayor. As a member of the government of Amsterdam, he was delegated to the States of Holland and through them to the States General. Hooft was opposed to the appointment of foreigners to important posts, pointing to the Flemish Calvinists and preachers such as Petrus Plancius
Petrus Plancius
Petrus Plancius was a Dutch astronomer, cartographer and clergyman. He was born as Pieter Platevoet in Dranouter, now in Heuvelland, West Flanders. He studied theology in Germany and England...
. He also resisted the expansion of the stadholder's power.
Hooft was critical on other points. In 1611 his role in the vroedschap came to an end, when he was appointed as weesmeester and commissaris (commissioner) of the Wisselbank.
Hooft was never concerned by the VOC
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
or WIC
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
, as the most Amsterdam mayors. Vondel praised him in his satirical work 'Roskam' as a reliable man and described him as "Hoofd vol kreuken, een geweten zonder rimpel" (a wrinkled brow, but a conscience without wrinkle). In 1618, stadholder Maurits of Orange
Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange
Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange from 1618, on the death of his eldest half brother, Philip William, Prince of Orange,...
, in his purge of Remonstrant regents from the vroedschap
Vroedschap
The vroedschap was the name for the city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a vroedman, literally a "wise man"...
as a result of the Synod of Dort
Synod of Dort
The Synod of Dort was a National Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618-1619, by the Dutch Reformed Church, to settle a divisive controversy initiated by the rise of Arminianism. The first meeting was on November 13, 1618, and the final meeting, the 154th, was on May 9, 1619...
and the arrest of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, spared Hooft, who took a neutral stance. He is buried in the Oude Kerk.
Sources
- S.A.C. Dudok van Heel, De Familie van Pieter Cornelisz Hooft in Jaarboek Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, deel 35, 1981.
- K. ter Laan, Letterkundig woordenboek voor Noord en Zuid(http://www.dbnl.nl/tekst/laan005lett01/laan005lett01_3235.htm)