Leopold Willem Ras
Encyclopedia
Leopold Willem Ras was a Dutch
merchant-trader and diplomat.
Ras travelled from Europe to work in East Asia with the Dutch East Indies Company (or Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in Dutch).
Ras was sent to Japan as a records keeper/bookkeepr or warehouseman. At this point in Japanese history, the sole VOC outpost (or "factory") was situated on Dejima
island in the harbor of Nagasaki
on the southern island of Kyushu.
Ras became acting Opperhoofd
or chief negotiant and officer of the VOC trading post. His role had to change after the death of Dejima's chief official, Gijsbert Hemmij. In 1798, Hemmij died at Kanegawa near Edo during the return journey to Nagasaki after a formal audience at the shogun's court in Edo
.
The difficulties Ras confronted were exacerbated by a fire which destroyed the VOC warehouse and other structures on Dejima.
In 1847, Ras died in the Banda Islands
, which are part of the Dutch East Indies
.
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...
merchant-trader and diplomat.
Ras travelled from Europe to work in East Asia with the Dutch East Indies Company (or Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in Dutch).
Ras was sent to Japan as a records keeper/bookkeepr or warehouseman. At this point in Japanese history, the sole VOC outpost (or "factory") was situated on Dejima
Dejima
was a small fan-shaped artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634. This island, which was formed by digging a canal through a small peninsula, remained as the single place of direct trade and exchange between Japan and the outside world during the Edo period. Dejima was built to...
island in the harbor of Nagasaki
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
on the southern island of Kyushu.
Ras became acting Opperhoofd
Opperhoofd
Opperhoofd is a Dutch word which literally means 'supreme head'.The Danish equivalent Overhoved, which is derived from a Danish pronunciation of the Dutch word, is also treated here....
or chief negotiant and officer of the VOC trading post. His role had to change after the death of Dejima's chief official, Gijsbert Hemmij. In 1798, Hemmij died at Kanegawa near Edo during the return journey to Nagasaki after a formal audience at the shogun's court in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
.
The difficulties Ras confronted were exacerbated by a fire which destroyed the VOC warehouse and other structures on Dejima.
In 1847, Ras died in the Banda Islands
Banda Islands
The Banda Islands are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about south of Seram Island and about east of Java, and are part of the Indonesian province of Maluku. The main town and administrative centre is Bandanaira, located on the island of the same name. They rise...
, which are part of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
.
External links
- De VOC site: Dejima history, opperhoofden