Cornelius Haga
Encyclopedia
Cornelis Haga (Schiedam
, 28 January 1578 – Den Haag, 12 August 1654) was the first ambassador of the Dutch Republic
to the Ottoman Empire
.
Cornelius Haga was born in Schiedam. His father was Dirk Lambrechtszoon, merchant and member of the town council of Schiedam, and organist of the church there. Haga was educated at the Latin school in Schiedam before he studied law at the University of Leiden. He went into diplomatic service and became an envoy in Stockholm. After this he became the first diplomatic representative of the republic in Constantinople
from 1612 to 1639. He laid the foundations of diplomatic relations and he erected numerous consular posts at the most important ports and trade-centra in the Ottoman Empire; Patras, Thessaloniki, Athene, Gallipoli, Izmir, Aleppo, Sido, Dairo, Tunis and Algiers.
Haga, who was married to Alithea Brasser, received the capitulation of the Ottoman sultan
, Ahmed I
in 1612. This allowed the Dutch to trade with the Ottoman Empire under their own jurisdiction. The sultan also granted the Dutch
several privileges, including exemption of certain taxes and limited autonomy within the empire.
In 1639 Haga returned to the Netherlands. In 1645 he became president of the High Council of Holland, Zeeland and West-Friesland, a function that he kept until his death in 1654.
Cornelius Haga and his wife Alithea Brasser were buried in the Great church of Schiedam. His descendants added an epitaph to his grave, reading Foris ac domi et de patria bene meritus fuit or May the city never forget this great son.
Schiedam
Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...
, 28 January 1578 – Den Haag, 12 August 1654) was the first ambassador of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Cornelius Haga was born in Schiedam. His father was Dirk Lambrechtszoon, merchant and member of the town council of Schiedam, and organist of the church there. Haga was educated at the Latin school in Schiedam before he studied law at the University of Leiden. He went into diplomatic service and became an envoy in Stockholm. After this he became the first diplomatic representative of the republic in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
from 1612 to 1639. He laid the foundations of diplomatic relations and he erected numerous consular posts at the most important ports and trade-centra in the Ottoman Empire; Patras, Thessaloniki, Athene, Gallipoli, Izmir, Aleppo, Sido, Dairo, Tunis and Algiers.
Haga, who was married to Alithea Brasser, received the capitulation of the Ottoman sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
, Ahmed I
Ahmed I
Ahmed I or Ahmed Bakhti was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617.-Biography:...
in 1612. This allowed the Dutch to trade with the Ottoman Empire under their own jurisdiction. The sultan also granted the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
several privileges, including exemption of certain taxes and limited autonomy within the empire.
In 1639 Haga returned to the Netherlands. In 1645 he became president of the High Council of Holland, Zeeland and West-Friesland, a function that he kept until his death in 1654.
Cornelius Haga and his wife Alithea Brasser were buried in the Great church of Schiedam. His descendants added an epitaph to his grave, reading Foris ac domi et de patria bene meritus fuit or May the city never forget this great son.