Dirk Jansz. Graeff
Encyclopedia
Diederik Jansz Graeff, also Dirk Jansz Graeff, Lord of the manor Vredenhof
(Amsterdam
1532 - Jul 27 1589), first illustrious member of the De Graeff
family, was a rich merchant
, Ship-owner
and Politician. Diederik Graeff was also the founder of a regent
dynastie of the Dutch Golden Age
and the short time of the First Stadtholderless Period
that retained power and influence for centuries and produced a number of minister
s. He was the first Mayor of Amsterdam from the De Graeff family.
, 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
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 and with the regents of the cities in Holland.
Diederik Jansz.
Graeffs parents were Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant
and advisor of Amsterdam, and Stein Braseman. 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
. Diederik was married to Agnies Pietresdr van Neck. Among their children were:
. Like his brothers Jan, Lenaert
and Jacob, Diederik was one of the richest inhabitants of Amsterdam. In 1564 Diederik was a member of an delegation who spoke with the Spanish Regent
about the political situation in Amsterdam and the province Holland. In 1567 he was against Charles de Brimeu
s 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
became the Generalcaptain of the city.
Diederik Graeff was also a friend of William the Silent
. 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." In 1576 Graeff was a delegate
of the States-General of the Netherlands
. In 1578 Graeff was made regent-mayor of Amsterdam, by influence of Willem of Orange. Between the same year and his death in 1589 Graeff was a councillor
of the city.
Diederik's tomb chapel is located in the Oude Kerk at Amsterdam.
and advisor of Amsterdam. Some old sources called him a son of Wolfgang von Graben
, a member of the Austrian noble family Von Graben von Stein. He was married to Griet Pietersdr. Berents, and they were the parents of Jan Pietersz Graeff (?-1553).
and in 1543 an advisor of the city. He lived at the house De Keyser on an old street called Vijgendam. De Graeff was a cloth merchant and sold his fabric to Antwerpen. After his work in Noord-Brabant, he returned to Amsterdam and died in the year 1553. He had three sons: Pieter (?-1547), Lenaert
(1525/30-1578), Diederik (describes here) (1529–1589) and Jacob.
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 and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km²...
(Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
1532 - Jul 27 1589), first illustrious member of the De Graeff
De Graeff
De Graeff is an old Dutch patrician family. The family have played an important role during the Dutch Golden Age. They were at the centre of Amsterdam public life and oligarchy from 1578 until 1672...
family, was a rich merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, Ship-owner
Ship-owner
A shipowner is the owner of a merchant vessel . In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, usually for delivering cargo at a certain freight rate, either as a per freight rate or based on hire...
and Politician. Diederik Graeff was also the founder of a regent
Regenten
In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the regenten were the rulers of the Dutch Republic, the leaders of the Dutch cities or the heads of organisations . Though not formally a hereditary "class", they were de facto "patricians", comparable to that ancient Roman class...
dynastie of the Dutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...
and the short time of the First Stadtholderless Period
First Stadtholderless Period
The First Stadtholderless Period or Era is the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of a Stadtholder was absent in five of the seven Dutch provinces...
that retained power and influence for centuries and produced a number of minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
s. He was the first Mayor of Amsterdam from the De Graeff family.
Family De Graeff
During the Dutch Golden AgeDutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...
, 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
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
ship. They desired the full sovereignty of the individual regions in which the Republic of the United Seven Netherlands
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...
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.
Diederik Jansz.
Graeffs parents were Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant
Cloth merchant
Cloth merchant is, strictly speaking, like a draper, the term for any vendor of cloth. However, it is generally used for one who owned and/or ran a cloth manufacturing and/or wholesale import and/or export business in the Middle Ages or 16th and 17th centuries...
and advisor of Amsterdam, and Stein Braseman. His older brother was Lenaert Jansz de Graeff
Lenaert Jansz de Graeff
Lenaert Jansz de Graeff , was a member of the family De Graeff and the son of Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant from Amsterdam...
, perhaps ident with "Monseigneur de Graeff", a captain of the Sea Beggars in the Capture of Brielle
Capture of Brielle
The Capture of Brielle by the Sea Beggars, or Watergeuzen, on 1 April 1572 marked a turning point in the uprising of the Low Countries against Spain in the Eighty Years' War. Militarily the success was minor, as Brielle was not being defended at the time...
. Diederik was married to Agnies Pietresdr van Neck. Among their children were:
- Weyntje Dircksz (de) Graeff - married to Jacob Boelens Loen
- Jan Dirksz Graeff (?-1627) lived and died at his Landhouse Vredenhof near VoorschotenVoorschotenVoorschoten 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 and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km²...
; - Jacob Dircksz de GraeffJacob Dircksz de GraeffJacob Dircksz de Graeff was one of the most illustrious members of the De Graeff family. He was a powerful member of the States Faction, regent and mayor of Amsterdam after the political collapse of Reinier Pauw in 1627.In the mid 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age, De Graeff controlled...
(1570–1638) - Regent of Amsterdam, Lord of the semisouveain Lordship Zuid-PolsbroekFree and high fief of Zuid-PolsbroekThe Free and high Fief of Zuid-Polsbroek was a semi-sovereign or 'free and high' fief, now part of Polsbroek in the Dutch province of Utrecht.- History of the semisouverain fief :...
etc. - Pieter Dircksz Graeff (1573–1645) - since 1620 Lord of Engelenburg, near BrummenBrummenBrummen is a municipality and a village in the eastern Netherlands.Brummen has a small railway station - Brummen railway station on the line between Zutphen and Arnhem. The village is situated about southwest of Zutphen, no farther than 1.5 km from the IJssel river...
and advisor of the city of Amsterdam. Pieter drives in 1613 to PalestinaPalestinaPalestina is the Latin short-form of the name "Kingland of Kings".Palestina, Palestine, and Philistia, are alternate Bible names for the land of the Philistines in , , , , , ....
and visited the Holy Grave in Jerusalem. He lives at the Fluweelenburgwal at Amsterdam. - Cornelis Dircksz Graeff - schepenSchepenA 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,...
van Dorp; married with N. N. Vercroft (van Crocht)
Carriere
Diederiks was a merchant, he bought and sold steel at his house De Keyser in a street, now called DamrakDamrak
The Damrak is a partially filled in canal at the centre of Amsterdam, between Amsterdam Centraal railway station and Dam Square, running north-south. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the centre of Amsterdam. Also it is one of the two GVB tram routes from the station...
. Like his brothers Jan, Lenaert
Lenaert Jansz de Graeff
Lenaert Jansz de Graeff , was a member of the family De Graeff and the son of Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant from Amsterdam...
and Jacob, Diederik was one of the richest inhabitants of Amsterdam. In 1564 Diederik was a member of an delegation who spoke with the Spanish Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
about the political situation in Amsterdam and the province Holland. In 1567 he was against Charles de Brimeu
Charles de Brimeu
Charles de Brimeu , was the last count of Megen, lord of Humbercourt, of Houdain and "Éperlecques, stadtholder of Gelderland and Order of the Golden Fleece, opposed the centralizing policy of Philip II of Spain.During the Dutch Revolt, however, he remained loyal to the crown of Spain, in June 1568...
s 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, Count of Bréderode
Henry , Lord of Bréderode was born at Brussels. He was a member of the dutch noble family Van Brederode and an important member during the Eighty years war...
became the Generalcaptain of the city.
Diederik Graeff was also a friend of William the Silent
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
. 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
Pieter de Graeff
Pieter de Graeff , 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 Zuid-Polsbroek and 19.th Lord of the Free and high Fief Ilpendam and Purmerland...
"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." In 1576 Graeff was a delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
of the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
. In 1578 Graeff was made regent-mayor of Amsterdam, by influence of Willem of Orange. Between the same year and his death in 1589 Graeff was a councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
of the city.
Diederik's tomb chapel is located in the Oude Kerk at Amsterdam.
Pieter Graeff
Pieter (ca 1485/90-?) was a member of the vroedschapVroedschap
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"...
and advisor of Amsterdam. Some old sources called him a son of Wolfgang von Graben
Wolfgang von Graben
Wolfgang von Graben, also Wolfgang de Groben , was a member of the Austrian nobility.- Biography :...
, a member of the Austrian noble family Von Graben von Stein. He was married to Griet Pietersdr. Berents, and they were the parents of Jan Pietersz Graeff (?-1553).
Jan Pietersz Graeff
Jan (?-1553) was the oldest son of Pieter, and was married to Stein Braseman. He was a member of the vroedschapVroedschap
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"...
and in 1543 an advisor of the city. He lived at the house De Keyser on an old street called Vijgendam. De Graeff was a cloth merchant and sold his fabric to Antwerpen. After his work in Noord-Brabant, he returned to Amsterdam and died in the year 1553. He had three sons: Pieter (?-1547), Lenaert
Lenaert Jansz de Graeff
Lenaert Jansz de Graeff , was a member of the family De Graeff and the son of Jan Pietersz Graeff, a rich cloth merchant from Amsterdam...
(1525/30-1578), Diederik (describes here) (1529–1589) and Jacob.
Literature
- Graeff, P. De (P. de Graeff Gerritsz en Dirk de Graeff van PolsbroekDirk de Graeff van PolsbroekDirk de Graeff van Polsbroek was a successful Dutch diplomat in Japan. From July 1863, he held the post of Consul General and Political Agent in Japan. He played a major part in the many negotiations between various Western countries and Japan...
) 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)