Johannes Klenck or Klenckius (Amsterdam, 5 March 1620 - Batavia early 1672) was a Dutch teacher in philosophy at the Athenaeum Illustre in Amsterdam.

Life

Johannes Klenck was the eldest son of a trader in Russian caviar

Caviar

Caviar, sometimes called black caviar, is a luxury delicacy, consisting of processed, salted, non-fertilized sturgeon roe. The roe can be "fresh" or pasteurized, the latter having much less culinary and economic value....

 and studied theology in Leiden. On the 24th of May 1644 he accepted a post on issues concerning morality. There he introduced debating with the students. In 1648 he was appointed professor of philosophy at the illustrious school of Amsterdam. He taught physics, metaphysics, logic, ethics and politics.

In July 1660 Louis of Nassau

Louis of Nassau, lord of den Lek and Beverweerd

Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd was a Dutch soldier. He was the illegitimate son of Margaretha van Mechelen and Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, and so a collateral member of the House of Orange-Nassau. He was a Lord of the heerlijkheid De Lek and Beverweerd...

 arrived in London; his country men Simon van Hoorn, curator of the Athenaeum, Michiel van Gogh and the catholic Joachim Ripperda arrived in November to present Charles II the Dutch Gift

Dutch Gift

The Dutch Gift of 1660 was a collection of 28 mostly Italian Renaissance paintings and 12 classical sculptures, along with a yacht, the Mary, and furniture, which was presented to King Charles II of England by the States-General of the Netherlands in 1660...

 , consisting of furniture, a yacht, 24 paintings, and twelve statues to celebrate the Restoration in 1661? The three envoys were assisted by 24 servants and a few clerks when they left Den Briel on 29th of October 1660.

Klencke, an expert on Grotius, may have accompanied them, to discuss 'unrestricted trade', and the Act of Navigation. On a yet unknown date, and with the help of a few other people, he offered the Klencke Atlas

Klencke Atlas

Klencke Atlas is one of the world's largest atlases. It is 1.75 metres tall by 1.9 metres wide when open , and so heavy the British Library reportedly had six people to carry it. It is a world atlas, made up of 37 maps on 39 sheets. The maps were intended to be removed and displayed on the wall...

 to the King. He was already appointed as a knight on 19 September 1660.

In 1669 the "nutty professor" (according to Vossius) left Amsterdam for Paris and London. In 1672 he died suddenly at Batavia as a notary.

Relatives

Ernst van Klenck, a merchant on Russia, married in 1660 a daughter of Pieter de Carpentier

Pieter de Carpentier

Pieter de Carpentier was a Dutch, or Flemish, administrator of the Dutch East India Company, and who served as Governor-General there from 1623–1627...

. In 1661 his brother Herman van Klenck was appointed as a Governor of Formosa

Governor of Formosa

The Governor of Formosa was the head of government during the Dutch colonial period in Taiwan, which lasted from 1624 to 1662. Appointed by the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies in Batavia , the Governor of Formosa was empowered to legislate, collect taxes, wage war and declare peace on...

, but never set a foot on the island when he noticed Fort Zeelandia

Fort Zeelandia

Fort Zeelandia may refer to either of three forts, two built by the Dutch and the other renamed by them:* Fort Zeelandia on Formosa * Fort Zeelandia at Paramaribo...

 was occupied by Coxinga. Coenraad van Klenck, a trader on Russia and member of the Amsterdam 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"...

, was an envoy to Russia in 1675. Their brother-in-law William Davidson of Curriehill

William Davidson of Curriehill

Sir William Davidson of Curriehill was a Scottish tradesman in Amsterdam, an agent and a spy for the King and a member of his Privy Council....

 invited Mary Stuart

Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange

Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau was the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland and his queen, Henrietta Maria of France...

 into his house in July 1660 and seems to have been a spy for Charles II. In 1660 he was rewarded with an appointment as conservator of the Staple in Veere

Veere

Veere is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands, on Walcheren island in the province of Zeeland.-Population centres :Aagtekerke , Biggekerke , Domburg , Gapinge , Grijpskerke , Koudekerke , Meliskerke , Oostkapelle , Serooskerke , Veere , Vrouwenpolder , Westkapelle...

.