Opperhoofd
Encyclopedia
Opperhoofd is a Dutch
word (plural Opperhoofden) which literally means 'supreme head(man)'.
The Danish
equivalent Overhoved, which is derived from a Danish pronunciation of the Dutch word, is also treated here.
In modern Dutch, Opperhoofd remains in use for a native tribal chief
, such as a Sachem
of Native Americans. Despite the superlative etymology, it can be applied to several chiefs in a single native community.
However this article is devoted to its more former, historical use as a gubernatorial title, comparable to the English chief factor, for the chief executive officer of a Dutch factory in the sense of trading post, as led by a factor, i.e. agent.
The etymologically cognate title of Danish Opperhoved (singular) had a similar gubernatorial use (sometimes rendered in English as Station Chief
), notably in the Danish Gold Coast
(in present Ghana
), see Colonial Heads of Danish Gold Coast
. The German cognate is Oberhaupt.
(VOC), next in 1641, as the Dutch factory was moved by order of the Shogunate thereto, on Dejima
(Desjima in purist Dutch, or Latinized as Decima) Island, in Nagasaki Bay
. The trading post was maintained under the Dutch state after the 1795 end of VOC administration till on 28 February 1860 Dejima was abandoned. For a full list of its Opperhoofden, see VOC Opperhoofden in Japan
.
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...
word (plural Opperhoofden) which literally means 'supreme head(man)'.
The Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
equivalent Overhoved, which is derived from a Danish pronunciation of the Dutch word, is also treated here.
In modern Dutch, Opperhoofd remains in use for a native tribal chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
, such as a Sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
of Native Americans. Despite the superlative etymology, it can be applied to several chiefs in a single native community.
However this article is devoted to its more former, historical use as a gubernatorial title, comparable to the English chief factor, for the chief executive officer of a Dutch factory in the sense of trading post, as led by a factor, i.e. agent.
The etymologically cognate title of Danish Opperhoved (singular) had a similar gubernatorial use (sometimes rendered in English as Station Chief
Station Chief
Station Chief is a term for certain officials who are appointed as chief of a 'station', i.e. a stationary post, of various natures.-Colonial:...
), notably in the Danish Gold Coast
Danish Gold Coast
The Danish Gold Coast was a part of the Gold Coast , which is on the West African Gulf of Guinea...
(in present Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
), see Colonial Heads of Danish Gold Coast
Colonial Heads of Danish Gold Coast
- Colonial Heads of the Danish Gold Coast Settlements :The Danish Gold Coast was established on the eastern Gold Coast :*Fort Friedensborg * Fort Christiansborg* Fort Augustaborg * Fort Prinzenstein...
. The German cognate is Oberhaupt.
In Asia
The factory established on 20 September 1609 at Hirado by the Dutch East India CompanyDutch 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...
(VOC), next in 1641, as the Dutch factory was moved by order of the Shogunate thereto, 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...
(Desjima in purist Dutch, or Latinized as Decima) Island, in Nagasaki Bay
Ōmura Bay
is a bay of the East China Sea in the centre of the Japanese Nagasaki Prefecture.- Geography :The bay measures about north-to-south and east-to-west. The length of the shoreline is about and the surface area is about . This corresponds with about 8% of the total area of the prefecture...
. The trading post was maintained under the Dutch state after the 1795 end of VOC administration till on 28 February 1860 Dejima was abandoned. For a full list of its Opperhoofden, see VOC Opperhoofden in Japan
VOC Opperhoofden in Japan
VOC Opperhoofden in Japan were the chief traders of the Dutch East India Company in Japan during the period of the Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the Edo period.Opperhoofd is a Dutch word which literally means 'supreme head[man]'...
.
In Africa
- The Dutch Fort LijdzaamheidFort LijdzaamheidFort Lijdzaamheid is a Dutch-built fort located in the township of Apam, in the Central Region of Ghana.Commenced as a stone trading lodge in 1697, the lodge was later fortified to secure the Dutch state of Acorn, which was tenuously held between the two British-held territories of Fante & Agona...
(Lydsaamheid)http://www.vocsite.nl/geschiedenis/handelsposten/mozambique.html, was established by the Dutch East India CompanyDutch East India CompanyThe 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...
(VOC) in March 1721 as a naval support point at Delagoa Bay, near modern day Mozambique's capital MaputoMaputoMaputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
. It was subordinate to the Dutch Cape colony. The Dutch abandoned the post on December 27, 1730. - MauritiusMauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, since 1638 a Dutch colony under the charteredChartered companyA chartered company is an association formed by investors or shareholders for the purpose of trade, exploration and colonization.- History :...
VOC, was governed by an Opperhoofd/Commande(u)rCommandeurCommandeur is a title in French and Dutch , usually rendered in English as Commander, with different uses. The literal meaning is he who commands, parallel to Commandant. In most senses the German equivalent is Kommandeur....
until it was abandoned on 17 February 1710. In September 1715, the island was claimed for France and renamed Île de France by the passing French sailor Guillaume Dufresne D'Arsel.