George Frederik Wreeden
Encyclopedia
Georg Friedrich Wreede or Georgius Fredericius Wreede (died on 29 February 1672) was governor of Mauritius
from 1665 to 1672, with a break between 1668-1669.
Wreede was born around 1635 in Uetze
near Hannover. In 1659 he arrived at Cape of Good Hope
as en employee of the Dutch East India Company
. He had been a student in Philology
in Helmstedt
and within four years he had written a compendium
using the Greek alphabet
on Khoekhoegowab - then called Hottentot - sentences with Dutch translations. The "list" was sent to Amsterdam, but never published and has disappeared. Possibly it was sent to Hiob Ludolf
, who was a famous linguist, and in contact with Nicolaes Witsen
. Christian Juncker published Ludolf's biography with a list of Hottentots-Latin words.
In 1660 he took part in an expedition to the Olifants river.
In February 1665 he was sent by Zacharias Wagenaer
on an expedition to look if Martin Vaz could be used by ships, and returned in May with charts. The Pimpel went on to Mauritius and Wreede was appointed by the captain as the new governor. For three months the twelve men on the island had been without rice or brandy. In 1668 his men no longer trusted him and Wreede went back to the Cape. Dirk Jansz Smient was appointed to replace him.
Wreede was sent to Saldanha Bay
were the French East India Company
had planned a base, after leaving Madagascar. On 6 June 1669 Georg Wreede took command of the post and brought with him a carpenter. They erected a VOC monogram on each of the five islands in Saldanha Bay. A month later Wreede was transferred. In October 1669 he was back on the island Mauritius.
He drowned during a reconnaissance expedition or fleeing to French Réunion
in a self built boat; five passengers survived the waves and the storm. He was replaced by Hubert Hugo
.
In 1688 Olfert Dapper
probably used Wreede's observations but did not mention his source.
Dutch Mauritius
Mauritius was an official settlement of the Dutch East India Company on the island of Mauritius between 1638 and 1710, and used a refreshing station for passing ships...
from 1665 to 1672, with a break between 1668-1669.
Wreede was born around 1635 in Uetze
Uetze
Uetze is a municipality in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Fuhse, approximately 35 km east of Hanover....
near Hannover. In 1659 he arrived at Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
as en employee of the Dutch East India Company
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...
. He had been a student in Philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
in Helmstedt
Helmstedt
Helmstedt is a city located at the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. Helmstedt has 26,000 inhabitants . In former times the city was also called Helmstädt....
and within four years he had written a compendium
Compendium
A compendium is a concise, yet comprehensive compilation of a body of knowledge. A compendium may summarize a larger work. In most cases the body of knowledge will concern some delimited field of human interest or endeavour , while a "universal" encyclopedia can be referred to as a compendium of...
using the Greek alphabet
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
on Khoekhoegowab - then called Hottentot - sentences with Dutch translations. The "list" was sent to Amsterdam, but never published and has disappeared. Possibly it was sent to Hiob Ludolf
Hiob Ludolf
Hiob Ludolf was a German orientalist, and born at Erfurt. Edward Ullendorff rates Ludolf as having "the most illustrious name in Ethiopic scholarship".-Life:...
, who was a famous linguist, and in contact with Nicolaes Witsen
Nicolaes Witsen
Nicolaas or Nicolaes Witsen was mayor of Amsterdam thirteen times, between 1682-1706. In 1693 he became administrator of the VOC. In 1689 he was extraordinary-ambassador to the English court, and became Fellow of the Royal Society. In his free time he was cartographer, maritime writer, and an...
. Christian Juncker published Ludolf's biography with a list of Hottentots-Latin words.
In 1660 he took part in an expedition to the Olifants river.
In February 1665 he was sent by Zacharias Wagenaer
Zacharias Wagenaer
Zacharias Wagner was a clerk, an illustrator, a merchant, member of the Court of Justice, opperhoofd of Deshima and the only German governor of the Cape colony...
on an expedition to look if Martin Vaz could be used by ships, and returned in May with charts. The Pimpel went on to Mauritius and Wreede was appointed by the captain as the new governor. For three months the twelve men on the island had been without rice or brandy. In 1668 his men no longer trusted him and Wreede went back to the Cape. Dirk Jansz Smient was appointed to replace him.
Wreede was sent to Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay is a natural harbour on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town. The town that developed on the northern shore of the bay, also called Saldanha, was incorporated with five other towns into the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality in 2000. The current population of...
were the French East India Company
French East India Company
The French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India....
had planned a base, after leaving Madagascar. On 6 June 1669 Georg Wreede took command of the post and brought with him a carpenter. They erected a VOC monogram on each of the five islands in Saldanha Bay. A month later Wreede was transferred. In October 1669 he was back on the island Mauritius.
He drowned during a reconnaissance expedition or fleeing to French Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
in a self built boat; five passengers survived the waves and the storm. He was replaced by Hubert Hugo
Hubert Hugo
Hubert Hugo was a merchant in Dutch Suratte, a privateer on the Red Sea, and governor of Dutch Mauritius from 1672 to 1677.-Life:...
.
In 1688 Olfert Dapper
Olfert Dapper
Olfert Dapper was a Dutch physician and writer. He wrote books about history and geography, although he never travelled outside Holland. Until today, his book Description of Africa is a key text for Africanists....
probably used Wreede's observations but did not mention his source.
Source
- Allister Macmillan, Mauritius illustrated: historical and descriptive, commercial and industrial facts, figures, and resources., London : W.H. & L. Collingridge, 1914