Cornelis Bicker van Swieten (25 October 1592 – 15 September 1654), heer (lord) van Swieten, was an

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

of the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...

during the

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...

. He traded in sugar, was a governor of the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company () was a Dutch chartered company that was founded in 1621 and went defunct in 1792. Among its founders were Reynier Pauw, Willem Usselincx (1567–1647), and Jessé de Forest (1576–1624). On 3 June 1621, it was gra ...

and director of the

Wisselbank The Bank of Amsterdam or Wisselbank () was an early bank, vouched for by the city of Amsterdam, and established in 1609. It was the first public bank to offer accounts not directly convertible to coin. As such, it has been described as the firs ...

. He was

schepen A schepen (Dutch, ; . ') or échevin (French, , ) or Schöffe (German, ) is a municipal officer in Belgium and formerly the Netherlands, where it has been replaced by the (a municipal executive). In modern Belgium, the ''schepen'' or ''échevin'' ...

, hoogheemraad of the

Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland The Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland is the oldest Water board (Netherlands), water authority in the Netherlands, having received commission to coordinate protection of the land from flooding in 1248 from Count William II of Holland, William II of H ...

and a counsellor of the

States of Holland and West Friesland The States of Holland and West Frisia () were the representation of the two Estates of the realm, Estates (''standen'') to the court of the Count of Holland. After the Dutch Republic, United Provinces were formed — and there no longer was a count, ...

at The Hague. Cornelis Bicker, together with his brother

Andries Bicker Andries Bicker (14 September 1586 – 24 June 1652) was a prominent burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam, politician and diplomat in the Dutch Republic. He was a member of the Bicker family, who governed the city of Amsterdam and with it the provinc ...

Andries and Cornelis Bicker at ''Letterkundig woordenboek voor Noord en Zuid''
/ref> and his cousin

Cornelis de Graeff Cornelis de Graeff (15 October 1599 – 4 May 1664), often named ''Polsbroek'' or ''de heer van (lord) Polsbroek'' during his lifetime, was an influential regenten, regent and burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam, statesman and diplomat of Holland an ...

, was one of the main initiators for a peace with Spain in the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...

and for the participation of the Dutch provinces in the

Peace of Münster The Peace of Münster, signed on 30 January 1648, was a treaty between Philip IV of Spain and the States-General of the Netherlands, Lords States General of the Dutch Republic. Negotiated in parallel to, but not part of, the Peace of Westphalia, ...

Life

Cornelis Bicker was the youngest son of

Gerrit Bicker Gerrit Pieter Bicker (1554–1604) was a Dutch merchant, patrician, and one of the founders of the Compagnie van Verre and its successor the Dutch East India Company. Family Born in Amsterdam, Gerrit Bicker was the son of Pieter Pietersz Bick ...

and Aleyd Andriesdr

Boelens Loen The Boelens (also ''Boel'') and Boelens Loen were a Dutch Republic, Dutch Patrician (post-Roman Europe), patrician family of Amsterdam. The family figured in the city's government lists between the years 1360 and 1680. They were considered to be ...

Johan Engelbert Elias Johan Engelbert Elias (18 August 1875 – 1 August 1959) was a Dutch historian known mostly for his important work on the history of Amsterdam's regency ("Vroedschap van Amsterdam"). He is considered the father of genealogical research in the ...

De Vroedschap van Amsterdam, 1578-1795, Deel 1, p 175
/ref> In 1617 Cornelis Bicker married Aertge

Witsen Witsen is a Dutch surname and may refer to: *Members of the Witsen family: **Cornelis Jan Witsen **Nicolaes Witsen **Willem Witsen Willem Arnoldus Witsen (13 August 1860 – 13 April 1923, Amsterdam) was a Dutch painter and photographer associat ...

(1599–1652)(1599–1652), daughter of merchant and burgomaster Gerrit Jacobsz Witsen. They had five children: # Margaretha Bicker van Swieten (1619–1697), ⚭ with Gerard van Hellemond and afterwards with Cornelis Geelvinck, burgomaster of Amsterdam # Alida Bicker van Swieten (1620–1702), ⚭ with Lambert Reynst, burgomaster of Amsterdam # Elisabeth Bicker van Swieten (1623–1656), ⚭ with her uncle and cousin

Andries de Graeff Andries de Graeff (19 February 1611 – 30 November 1678) was a regent and burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam and leading Dutch statesman during the Golden Age. He came from the De Graeff family, which, together with the Bicker family by marria ...

, statesman, burgomaster of Amsterdam # Maria Bicker van Swieten (1629–1653), ⚭ with Gerbrand Ornia # Gerard Bicker (I) van Swieten (1632–1716), Rekenmeester van Holland en West-Friesland ⚭ married three times: I. with his grand cousin Alida van Papenbroek (1633–1656); II. with his cousin Cornelia Bicker (1638–1665); III. with Jkvr. Catherine van Sypesteyn (1629–1709).

Career

In 1617 Cornelis Bicker and his wife settled at

Singel The Singel () is one of the canals of Amsterdam. The Singel encircled Amsterdam in the Middle Ages, serving as a moat around the city until 1585, when Amsterdam expanded beyond the Singel. The canal runs from the IJ bay, near the Central St ...

130 in Amsterdam, in a

canal house A canal house () is a (usually old) house overlooking a canal. These houses are often slim, high and deep. Canal houses usually had a basement and a loft and attic where trade goods could be stored. A special Beam (structure), beam or pulley in ...

which his family sold in 1767. In 1622 he became bewindhebber of the

and also held several directorships, such as of the

from 1625-1633. He was one of the investors in draining the

Bijlmer The Bijlmermeer (), or colloquially the Bijlmer (), is a neighborhood in the Amsterdam-Zuidoost borough ( Dutch: ''stadsdeel'') in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The other neighborhoods in Amsterdam-Zuidoost are Gaasperdam, Bullewijk, Venserpolder and ...

. In 1627 he chartered a ship on

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the ...

. In 1632 he bought the Swieten estate and manorhouse from Hugo Cuyk van Mierop - from these he later derived his noble title.Biography Cornelis Bicker Biography at ''Nieuw Nederlands Biografisch Woordenboek''
/ref> In 1634 he was appointed a captain in the

schutterij Schutterij () refers to a voluntary city guard or citizen militia in the medieval and early modern Netherlands, intended to protect the town or city from attack and act in case of revolt or fire. Their training grounds were often on open spaces w ...

(civic guard). In 1641 Jacob Bicker succeeded him at the Wisselbank. In 1628, 1635, 1637, 1638, 1642 he was appointed

. Cornelis Bicker was member even of the "Bickerse

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...

", which included his brothers

Andries Andries is a Dutch and Afrikaans masculine given name or surname equivalent to Andrew. Given name People with this name include * Andries van Artvelt (1590–1652), Flemish painter * Andries Beeckman (1628–1664), Dutch painter * Andries Bekke ...

Jacob Jacob, later known as Israel, is a Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions. He first appears in the Torah, where he is described in the Book of Genesis as a son of Isaac and Rebecca. Accordingly, alongside his older fraternal twin brother E ...

, Jan, and their distant cousins, the brothers Roelof, Jacob and Hendrick Jacobsz Bicker. They opposed the

stadtholder In the Low Countries, a stadtholder ( ) was a steward, first appointed as a medieval official and ultimately functioning as a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and ...

Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange Frederick Henry (; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from his older half-brother's death on 23 April 1625 until his ...

, who intended the centralize the five admiralties, which would cause the

Admiralty of Amsterdam The Admiralty of Amsterdam was the largest of the five Dutch admiralties at the time of the Dutch Republic. The administration of the various admiralties was strongly influenced by provincial interests. The territory for which Amsterdam ...

to lose influence. During the 1640s, the republican elite of the province of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

, the brothers Cornelis, Andries, Jacob and Jan Bicker,

Jacob de Witt Jacob de Witt, '' heer van Manezee, Melissant and Comstryen'' (7 February 1589 – 10 January 1674) was a burgomaster of Dordrecht and the son of a timber merchant. De Witt was an influential member of the Dutch States Party, and was in opposit ...

and the brothers

Amsterdam: a brief life of the city. By Geert Mak, Harvill Press (1999), p 123
/ref> and

advocated an end to the

with the Kingdom of Spain and a reduction in land forces. This ongoing state of war prevented the economic growth and social development of the

Republic of the United Netherlands The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...

. Also, this state of war strengthened the atadtholder's power as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, something the Republicans did not want. This intensified the conflict between them and the stadtholder

Frederick Henry of Orange Frederick Henry (; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from his older half-brother's death on 23 April 1625 until his ...

and the

Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...

Hollands. In 1647 he became a deputy for

East Friesland East Frisia () or East Friesland (; ; ; ) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia and to the west of Landkreis Fries ...

at the States General. In February 1651 he was sent to the

States of Holland The States of Holland and West Frisia () were the representation of the two Estates (''standen'') to the court of the Count of Holland. After the United Provinces were formed — and there no longer was a count, but only his "lieutenant" (the stad ...

for three years. He was burgomaster of Amsterdam in 1646, 1650 and 1654. Cornelis Bicker was buried in Amsterdam's Nieuwe Kerk. During the 1640s, the influence of Andries Bicker, his family and the city grew even greater as the end of the Eighty Years' War drew nearer. Amsterdam's trade interests pointed in the direction of peace and she was able to push through under Bicker's leadership. The position of the Bicker family was then more powerful than any generation of mayors before or after them. In 1648, due to the immense political pressure from the entire ''Bicker-De Graeff Clan'' the United Netherlands entered into peace negotiations with Spain in order to end the Eighty Years' War with the

Attack on Amsterdam

After the peace treaties and the reduction of the land forces, the political opposition to the House of Orange and in particular to the new stadtholder William II, who wanted to make the city of Amsterdam docile in 1650 by means of a coup d'etat, deepened. In May 1650 he supported a proposal that suggested military cutbacks to encourage peace efforts. On 30 July 1650 the brothers Andries (old-burgomaster) and burgomaster Cornelis Bicker activated the militia to defend against an attack on Amsterdam by the new stadholder William II after being warned of William's approach by a postman travelling from Hamburg to Amsterdam, who passed on the news to Bicker's nephew (via his brother, the former burgomaster Andries) Gerard Bicker, then the bailiff or drost of

Muiden Muiden () is a city and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It lies at the mouth of the Vecht (Utrecht), Vecht and is in an area called the Vechtstreek. Since 2016, Muiden has been part of the new municipality ...

. Gerard set off for Amsterdam immediately and after receiving the news Cornelis and Andries together with burgomaster Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen raised the bridges, shut the gates and deployed artillery. The attack failed but after the attack burgomaster Cornelis de Graeff passed on a message from William II that Cornelis and Andries must resign from their posts on the town council. However, they were restored to them on 22 November the same year afterwards William died shortly of smallpox.

Cornelis Bicker in art

Bicker commissioned a large-format portrait of himself and his family from Cornelis van der Voort in 1618. Cornelis Bicker also appears as a captain in a 1638 militia group portrait by

Joachim von Sandrart Joachim von Sandrart (12 May 1606 – 14 October 1688) was a German Baroque art-historian and painter, active in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age. He is most significant for his collection of biographies of Dutch and German artists the '' ...

, commissioned by the Kloveniersdoelen to mark the visit of

Maria de Medici Marie de' Medici (; ; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV. Marie served as regent of France between 1610 and 1617 during the minority of her son Louis XIII. Her mandate as regent ...

and now in the

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...

in Amsterdam. Another painting of Blick dates to 1654 and is attributed to

Govert Flinck Govert (or Govaert) Teuniszoon Flinck (25 January 16152 February 1660) was a Dutch painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Life Born at Kleve, capital of the Duchy of Cleves, which was occupied at the time by the United Provinces, he was apprenticed by ...

- this work was praised by

Vondel Joost van den Vondel (; 17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) was a Dutch playwright, poet, literary translator and writer. He is generally regarded as the greatest writer in the Dutch-language literature, Dutch language as well as an important f ...

. His wife was also painted by David Bailly.

Bicker family

Coat of arms Cornelis Bicker van Swieten

The

Bicker family Bicker (also: Bicker van Swieten) is a Dutch patrician family, it has been a patrician family since 1390. The family has played an important role during the Dutch Golden Age. They led the Dutch States Party and were at the centre of the oligarch ...

was one of the oldest patrician families of Amsterdam and belonged to the leading

oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a form of government in which power rests with a small number of people. Members of this group, called oligarchs, generally hold usually hard, but sometimes soft power through nobility, fame, wealth, or education; or t ...

. The Bickers were the most powerful family in Amsterdam and decisively determined the fortunes of the city.Geschichte der Niederlande: Von der Seemacht zum Trendland, by Christoph Driessen (2022)
/ref> They were a major trading family involved in the pelt trade with

Muscovy Muscovy or Moscovia () is an alternative name for the Principality of Moscow (1263–1547) and the Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721). It may also refer to: *Muscovy Company, an English trading company chartered in 1555 *Muscovy duck (''Cairina mosch ...

and supplying ships and silver to Spain. Laurens Bicker was one of the first to trade on Guinea and seized four Portuguese ships in 1604. The Bicker-

De Graeff De Graeff (; also: '' De Graef'', ''Graef'', ''Graeff'', ''Graaff'', ''Graaf'' and ''De Graeff van Polsbroek'') is a Dutch Nobility, noble family. The family divided into different lines, in Holland, Prussia (Germany) and South Africa including ...

family-faction became the strongest competitor in the years after the Dutch uprising. They controlled Amsterdam's city government and the province of Holland for half a century. Both families were powerful and influential between the earlier 17th century and the

Rampjaar In Dutch history, the year 1672 is referred to as the (; Disaster Year). In May 1672, following the outbreak of the Franco-Dutch War and its peripheral conflict the Third Anglo-Dutch War, France, supported by Münster and Cologne, invaded a ...

1672 during the height of the Republic's power.Biography of Andries Bicker on DBNL
/ref> Through their work on the Amsterdam City Council and the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

, the Bickers gained enormous influence on politico-economic self-determination in the young

due to the city's position of economic power within the Republic.Familial State: Ruling Families and Merchant Capitalism in Early Modern Europe, by Julia Adams, p 99 (2005)
/ref> Gerrit was a wealthy patrician, politician (burgomaster in 1603), international grain merchant and beer brewer.Abraham Jacob van der Aa, Biographisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden (BWN), (1878), volume 1-2, p 517
/ref> and threw his work in the Amsterdam Vroedschap and as one of the founders of the East India Company, he was able to launch the careers of his sons, grandchildren and nephews. Cornelis' oldest brother

ruled the city administration for a long time and was mainly supported and carried by him and their other two brothers

and

Jan Bicker Jan Gerritsz. Bicker (August 1591–May 1653) was a general contractor, shipping magnate, mayor (burgomaster) and a member of the Bicker family, influential regenten from Amsterdam. De Bickers were part of the '' staatsgezinde partij'' (the re ...

, his uncle

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff Jacob Dircksz de Graeff, ''Free and high fief of Zuid-Polsbroek, free lord of Zuid-Polsbroek'' (Emden 1571 – Amsterdam, 6 October 1638) was an illustrious member of the Dutch Republic, Dutch Patrician (post-Roman Europe), patrician De Graeff fam ...

and his cousin

. The Bicker brothers had a firm grip on world trade, trading on the East, the West, the North and the Mediterranean.

References

Bibliography

* Jonathan I. Israel: ''The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall: 1477-1806''. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1995, *
Cornelis Bicker - Biography on DBNL
* Kernkamp, G.W. (1977) ''Prins Willem II 1626-1650'' * P. Burke: ''Venetië en Amsterdam. Een onderzoek naar de elites in de zestiende eeuw''. 1974 * J.E. Elias, De Vroedschap van Amsterdam 1578-1795, deel 1 (Haarlem 1903), p. 175 * Zandvliet, Kees ''De 250 rijksten van de Gouden Eeuw - Kapitaal, macht, familie en levensstijl'' (2006 Amsterdam; Nieuw Amsterdam Uitgevers)

External links

* ttp://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/retroboeken/vdaa?source=aa__001biog02_01.xml&page=521&view=imagePane Biography Cornelis Bicker at ''Biographisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden''
Letterkundig woordenboek voor Noord en Zuid
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bicker, Cornelis Dutch West India Company people from Amsterdam Businesspeople from Amsterdam Municipal councillors of Amsterdam Mayors of Amsterdam 17th-century Dutch people 1592 births 1654 deaths

Cornelis Cornelis is a Dutch language, Dutch form of the male given name Cornelius (name), Cornelius. Some common shortened versions of Cornelis in Dutch are Cees, Cor, Corné, Corneel, Crelis, Kees (given name), Kees, Neel and Nelis. Cornelis (Kees) an ...

Dutch people of the Eighty Years' War (United Provinces)