John Maurice of Nassau
Encyclopedia
John Maurice of Nassau (Dutch: Johan Maurits, German: Johann Moritz, 17 June 1604 – 20 December 1679) was count and (from 1674) prince of Nassau-Siegen.
He was born in Dillenburg
. His father was John VII of Nassau; his grandfather John VI of Nassau
, the younger brother of Dutch
stadtholder
William the Silent of Orange
.
John Maurice joined the Dutch
army in 1621, at a very early age. He distinguished himself in the campaigns of his cousin, the stadtholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
. In 1626 he became captain. He was involved in 1629 in the capture of Den Bosch. In 1636, he conquered a fortress at Schenkenschans
.
in 1636 by the Dutch West India Company
on recommendation of Frederick Henry. He landed at Recife
, the port of Pernambuco
and the chief stronghold of the Dutch, in January 1637.
By a series of successful expeditions, he gradually extended the Dutch possessions from Sergipe
on the south to São Luís de Maranhão in the north. He likewise conquered the Portuguese
possessions of Elmina Castle
, Saint Thomas
, and Luanda
, Angola, on the west coast of Africa. With the assistance of the famous architect, Pieter Post
of Haarlem
, he transformed Recife by building a new town adorned with splendid public edifices and gardens, which was called after his name, Mauritsstad.
By his statesmanlike policy he brought the colony into a most flourishing condition and succeeded even in reconciling the Portuguese settlers to submit quietly to Dutch rule. His leadership in Brazil inspired two Latin epics from 1647: Caspar Barlaeus'
Rerum per octennium in Brasilia et alibi nuper gestarum sub praefectura and Franciscus Plante's
Mauritias. The painters Albert Eckhout
, Frans Post
, and Abraham Willaerts
served as members of John Maurice's entourage.
He also established a city council in which Catholics
, Protestants, and Jews participated together. Besides this tolerance, he also encouraged Recife
's growth and imposed a kind of social housing project. His large schemes and lavish expenditure alarmed the parsimonious directors of the West India company, and John Maurice, refusing to retain his post unless he were given a free hand, returned to Europe in July of 1644.
in January 1648, he accepted from the elector
of Brandenburg
the post of governor of Cleves
, Mark
and Ravensberg, and later also of Minden. His success in the Rhineland
was as great as it had been in Brazil, and he proved himself a most able and wise ruler.
At the end of 1652 he was appointed head of the Order of St. John
and made a prince of the Empire
. In 1664 he came back to Holland; when the war broke out with England
supported by an invasion from the bishop of Münster, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Dutch States Army
. Though hampered in his command by the restrictions of the states-general, he repelled the invasion, and the bishop, Christoph Bernhard von Galen, nicknamed "Bommen Berend", was forced to conclude peace. His campaigning was not yet at an end, for in 1668 he was appointed first Field-Marshal of the States Army and in 1673 he was charged by stadtholder William III
to command the forces in Friesland
and Groningen
, and to defend the eastern frontier of the Provinces, again against Van Galen.
In 1675 his health compelled him to give up active military service, and he spent his last years in his beloved Cleves, where he died in December 1679.
The residence he built in The Hague
is now called the Mauritshuis
, and is now a museum of Dutch paintings.
Brazilian author
Paulo Setúbal
wrote a historic novel
about John Maurice and the Dutch settlement in Brazil, O Príncipe de Nassau ("The Prince of Nassau", translated into Dutch
by R. Schreuder and J. Slauerhoff
in 1933 as Johan Maurits van Nassau).
He was born in Dillenburg
Dillenburg
Dillenburg is a town in Hesse's Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis....
. His father was John VII of Nassau; his grandfather John VI of Nassau
John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg
Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg was a Count of Nassau in Dillenburg. Other names he had were Jan VI or Jan de Oude....
, the younger brother of 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...
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...
William the Silent of Orange
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...
.
John Maurice joined 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...
army in 1621, at a very early age. He distinguished himself in the campaigns of his cousin, the stadtholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
. In 1626 he became captain. He was involved in 1629 in the capture of Den Bosch. In 1636, he conquered a fortress at Schenkenschans
Siege of Schenkenschans
The Siege of Schenkenschans was one of the more important sieges of the Eighty Years' War. The capture of the strategically located fortress by the Spanish army of the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria opened up the Dutch Republic to a possible invasion...
.
Career as governor of the Dutch possessions in Brazil
He was appointed as the governor of the Dutch possessions in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1636 by the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
on recommendation of Frederick Henry. He landed at Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, the port of Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
and the chief stronghold of the Dutch, in January 1637.
By a series of successful expeditions, he gradually extended the Dutch possessions from Sergipe
Sergipe
Sergipe , is the smallest state of the Brazilian Federation, located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of the country. It borders on two other states, Bahia to the south and west and Alagoas to the north, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean...
on the south to São Luís de Maranhão in the north. He likewise conquered the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
possessions of Elmina Castle
Elmina Castle
Elmina Castle was erected by Portugal in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina Castle, also known simply as Mina or Feitoria da Mina) in present-day Elmina, Ghana . It was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, so is the oldest European building in existence below the Sahara...
, Saint Thomas
São Tomé
-Transport:São Tomé is served by São Tomé International Airport with regular flights to Europe and other African Countries.-Climate:São Tomé features a tropical wet and dry climate with a relatively lengthy wet season and a short dry season. The wet season runs from October through May while the...
, and Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, Angola, on the west coast of Africa. With the assistance of the famous architect, Pieter Post
Pieter Post
Pieter Jansz Post was a Dutch Golden Age architect, painter and printmaker.-Biography:...
of Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, he transformed Recife by building a new town adorned with splendid public edifices and gardens, which was called after his name, Mauritsstad.
By his statesmanlike policy he brought the colony into a most flourishing condition and succeeded even in reconciling the Portuguese settlers to submit quietly to Dutch rule. His leadership in Brazil inspired two Latin epics from 1647: Caspar Barlaeus'
Caspar Barlaeus
Caspar Barlaeus was a Dutch polymath and Renaissance humanist, a theologian, poet, and historian.-Life:...
Rerum per octennium in Brasilia et alibi nuper gestarum sub praefectura and Franciscus Plante's
Franciscus Plante
Franciscus Plante was a Dutch poet and chaplain.Plante studied theology at Oxford. In October 1636 he traveled as personal chaplain with John Maurice of Nassau to the Dutch colony in Brazil, returning together in 1644...
Mauritias. The painters Albert Eckhout
Albert Eckhout
Albert Eckhout was a Dutch portrait and still life painter.Eckhout was among the first European artists to paint scenes from the New World. In 1636, he traveled to Dutch Brazil, invited by count John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen. There, he painted portraits of natives, slaves and mulattos...
, Frans Post
Frans Post
Frans Janszoon Post was a Dutch painter. He was the first European artist to paint landscapes of America. In 1636 he traveled to Dutch Brazil at the invitation of Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen.- Biography :...
, and Abraham Willaerts
Abraham Willaerts
Abraham Willaerts was a Dutch Baroque painter, mostly of marine and harbor scenes.Willaerts was born in Utrecht, the son of the painter Adam Willaerts. He trained with his father, becoming a member of the Utrecht guild of painters in 1624, and studied under Jan van Bijlert in Utrecht and with...
served as members of John Maurice's entourage.
He also established a city council in which Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, Protestants, and Jews participated together. Besides this tolerance, he also encouraged Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
's growth and imposed a kind of social housing project. His large schemes and lavish expenditure alarmed the parsimonious directors of the West India company, and John Maurice, refusing to retain his post unless he were given a free hand, returned to Europe in July of 1644.
Return to Europe
He was shortly afterwards appointed by Frederick Henry to the command of the cavalry in the Dutch army, and he took part in the campaigns of 1645 and 1646. When the war was ended by the Peace of MünsterPeace of Münster
The Peace of Münster was a treaty between the Dutch Republic and Spain signed in 1648. It was a landmark treaty for the Dutch republic and one of the key events in Dutch history; with it, the United Netherlands finally became independent from the Spanish Crown...
in January 1648, he accepted from the elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
the post of governor of Cleves
Duchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
, Mark
Mark (county)
The County of Mark was a county and state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle. It lay on both sides of the Ruhr River along the Volme and Lenne Rivers....
and Ravensberg, and later also of Minden. His success in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
was as great as it had been in Brazil, and he proved himself a most able and wise ruler.
At the end of 1652 he was appointed head of the Order of St. John
Order of St. John (Protestant Continental Europe)
The Bailiwick of Brandenburg of the Chivalric Order of Saint John of the Hospital at Jerusalem , or simply the Order of Saint John , is the German Protestant branch of the Knights Hospitaller, the oldest chivalric order, which generally is considered to have...
and made a prince of the Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. In 1664 he came back to Holland; when the war broke out with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
supported by an invasion from the bishop of Münster, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Dutch States Army
Dutch States Army
The Dutch States Army was the army of the Dutch Republic. It was usually called this, because it was formally the army of the States-General of the Netherlands, the sovereign power of that federal republic...
. Though hampered in his command by the restrictions of the states-general, he repelled the invasion, and the bishop, Christoph Bernhard von Galen, nicknamed "Bommen Berend", was forced to conclude peace. His campaigning was not yet at an end, for in 1668 he was appointed first Field-Marshal of the States Army and in 1673 he was charged by stadtholder William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
to command the forces in Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
and Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, and to defend the eastern frontier of the Provinces, again against Van Galen.
In 1675 his health compelled him to give up active military service, and he spent his last years in his beloved Cleves, where he died in December 1679.
The residence he built in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
is now called the Mauritshuis
Mauritshuis
The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis is an art museum in The Hague, the Netherlands. Previously the residence of count John Maurice of Nassau, it now has a large art collection, including paintings by Dutch painters such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter and Frans...
, and is now a museum of Dutch paintings.
Brazilian author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Paulo Setúbal
Paulo Setúbal
Paulo de Oliveira Leite Setúbal was a Brazilian writer, lawyer, journalist, essayist and poet.He occupied the 31st chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1934 until his death in 1937....
wrote a historic novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
about John Maurice and the Dutch settlement in Brazil, O Príncipe de Nassau ("The Prince of Nassau", translated into Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
by R. Schreuder and J. Slauerhoff
J. Slauerhoff
Jan Jacob Slauerhoff, who published as J. Slauerhoff, was a Dutch poet and novelist. He is considered one of the most important Dutch language writers.-Youth:...
in 1933 as Johan Maurits van Nassau).