Jacob Dircksz De Graeff
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Jacob Dircksz de Graeff, '' free lord of Zuid-Polsbroek'' (
Emden Emden () is an Independent city (Germany), independent town and seaport in Lower Saxony in the north-west of Germany and lies on the River Ems (river), Ems, close to the Germany–Netherlands border, Netherlands border. It is the main town in t ...
1571 –
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 ...
, 6 October 1638) was an illustrious member of the
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
patrician
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. He belonged to
States Faction The Dutch States Party () was a Republicanism, republican political faction, and one of the two main factions of the Dutch Republic from the early 1600s to the mid-1700s. They favored the power of the ''regenten'' and opposed the Orangism (Nether ...
and was an influential Amsterdam
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 ...
and
burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, ) is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or executive of a city or town. The name in English was derived from the Dutch . In so ...
(mayor) of the
Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...
. De Graeff was known for his "free-thinking", "republican" attitude but also for his "fame-seeking".Pieter C. Vies: (PDF; 2,7 MB) Together with his nephew
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 ...
, he campaigned for the recognition of the
Remonstrants The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his or ...
in Amsterdam. After the political collapse of
Reynier Pauw Reyer or Reynier Pauw, (Amsterdam, July 29, 1564 – February 19, 1636 ) was an Amsterdam regent of the Golden Age. Pauw was pensionary and eight times mayor of Amsterdam. He was involved in the Compagnie van Verre, the VOC, and the trial of Jo ...
in 1627, the management of the city government fell into the hands of the "Arminian clique" around De Graeff and Bicker, who contollef the city's politics in close cooperation to each other.Google
''Geschiedenis van Holland'', Part 2, book 2, from Eelco Beukers
/ref> This also gave new impetus to the republican "states party", which had been weakened since the murder of
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (; 14 September 1547 – 13 May 1619), Lord of the manor, Heer van Berkel en Rodenrijs (1600), Gunterstein (1611) and Bakkum (1613), was a Dutch statesman and revolutionary who played an important role in the Dutch rev ...
, and was able to determine Amsterdam politics up to the crisis of 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 ...
in 1672. However, De Graeff was not a principled anti-orangist, because he honored the legacy of his father,
Dirck Jansz Graeff Dirck Jansz Graeff, also Diederik Jansz Graeff, Lord of the manors Valckeveen and Vredenhof (Amsterdam 1532 – 27 July 1589), was a patrician, wholesaler, shipowner, politician and large landowner. He became an important figure of the Pro ...
, who was on friendly terms with William "the Silent" of Orange. His sons were influenced by their father's antagonistic attitude towards political issues. The proponents of the De Graeff family has shown they had an eye for national politics and tried to find some balance between the House of Orange and the Republicans. They were against too much influence of the church on political issues. In addition to his political activities, De Graeff also conducted scientific experiments and research and ran a chemical laboratory. He maintained a close collaboration with
Constantijn Huygens Sir Constantijn Huygens, Lord of Zuilichem ( , , ; 4 September 159628 March 1687), was a Dutch Golden Age poet and composer. He was also secretary to two Princes of Orange: Frederick Henry and William II, and the father of the scientist C ...
and via him also with
René Descartes René Descartes ( , ; ; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and Modern science, science. Mathematics was paramou ...
.


Biography


Political background

During the
Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...
, the De Graeff and Bicker families were very critical of the
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
family's influence in the Netherlands. Together with the Republican-minded brothers and their cousins
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 ...
,
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 ...
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 ...
, the family De Graeff strived for the abolition of
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 ...
ship. They desired the full sovereignty of the individual regions in a form in which the Republic of the United Seven Netherlands was not ruled by a single person. Instead of a sovereign (or stadtholder) the political and military power was lodged with the States General and with the regents of the cities in Holland. Jacob de Graeffs two sons
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 ...
and
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 ...
became the strongest Dutch regents during the
First Stadtholderless Period The First Stadtholderless Period (1650–72; ) was the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of Stadtholder was vacant in five of the seven Dutch provinces (the provinces of Friesland and Groningen (province), Groningen, ...
.Pieter C. Vie
Andries de Graeff (1611-1678) `t Gezagh is heerelyk: doch vol bekommeringen


Family

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff was born in
Emden Emden () is an Independent city (Germany), independent town and seaport in Lower Saxony in the north-west of Germany and lies on the River Ems (river), Ems, close to the Germany–Netherlands border, Netherlands border. It is the main town in t ...
,Biography of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff at Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 2 (1912), by P.J. Blok and P.C. Molhuysen
/ref> Lower Saxony, the Exile of his parents
Dirck Jansz Graeff Dirck Jansz Graeff, also Diederik Jansz Graeff, Lord of the manors Valckeveen and Vredenhof (Amsterdam 1532 – 27 July 1589), was a patrician, wholesaler, shipowner, politician and large landowner. He became an important figure of the Pro ...
and Agnies Pietresdr van Neck. He grew up in Emden and later in Amsterdam, at the house De Keyser in the Niezel, a small street not far from the Oude Kerk. In 1597 he married Aaltje
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 ...
(27 February 1579 at Emden; † 29 August 1630 at Amsterdam), daughter of the politician Cornelis Andriesz Boelens Loen, descendant of
Andries Boelens Andries Boelens (Amsterdam, 1455 – there, 1519), also: ''Boelenz'', ''Boelensz., Andries Boel Dircksz.'' or ''Andries Boelen Dircksz'', was an alderman and mayor of Amsterdam. In the period from 1496 to 1517 he was mayor fifteen times. The ter ...
(1455–1519), a famous regent of Amsterdam. The couple had six children reaching adulthood: *
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 ...
(1599–1664), regent and burgomaster of Amsterdam, Dutch statesman *
Dirk de Graeff Dirk de Graeff (Amsterdam, February 1, 1601 - April 26, 1637 ibid) was a Dutch Republic, Dutch 17th-century regenten, regent who belonged to the Dutch States Party, States Party. Biography Dirk was a scion of the De Graeff family and son of Amste ...
(1601–1637), Vroedschap and Schepen of Amsterdam * Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek (1603–1656), married her full cousin
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 ...
; her daughter
Wendela Bicker Wendela Bicker (Amsterdam, baptized 30 December 1635 – 1 July 1668) was the wife of Johan de Witt. She was one of the richest young female commoners of her time and she married one of the most influential republican politicians in the Netherla ...
married
Johan de Witt Johan de Witt (24 September 1625  – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch statesman and mathematician who was a major political figure during the First Stadtholderless Period, when flourishing global trade in a period of rapid European colonial exp ...
, while her daughter Jacoba Bicker married her full cousin
Pieter de Graeff Pieter de Graeff (15 August 1638 – 3 June 1707) was a Dutch Republic, Dutch Aristocracy (class), aristocrat of the Dutch Golden Age and one of the most influential pro-state, republican Amsterdam regenten, Regents during the late 1660s and the ...
*
Wendela de Graeff Wendela de Graeff (also ''Wijntje de Graeff'', September 22, 1607 – February 27, 1652) was a Dutch patrician and a member of the de Graeff family. Biography Wendela was the daughter of Amsterdam mayor Jacob Dircksz de Graeff and Aaltje Loen fr ...
(1607–1652), married to
Willem Schrijver Willem Schrijver (Leiden, 1608 – Amsterdam, October 17, 1661) was a Dutch patrician and politician of the Dutch Golden Age. Biography Willem was born in the city of Leiden, the son of the important philologist Pieter Hendricksz Schrijver, ak ...
(son of the important philologist
Petrus Scriverius Petrus Scriverius, the Latinised form of Peter Schrijver or Schryver (12 January 1576 – 30 April 1660), was a Dutch writer and scholar on the history of the Low Countries. Life and work He was born at Haarlem and was educated by Corneli ...
), painted by
Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...
for his painting Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph * Christina de Graeff (1609–1679), lady of Engelenburg (heiress to her uncle Pieter Dircksz Graeff) married in 1642 with her full cousin Jacob Bicker and in 1648 to Pieter Trip *
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 ...
(1611–1678), regent and burgomaster of Amsterdam, Dutch statesman


Feudality

On September 18, 1610, Jacob Dircksz de Graeff acquired the High Lordship of Zuid-Polsbroek from Charles of Aremberg, which was freely inheritable and sellable as an
allod Allod, deriving from Frankish language, Frankish ''alōd'' meaning "full ownership" (from ''al'' "full, whole" and ''ōd'' "property, possession"; Medieval Latin ''allod'' or ''allodium''), also known as allodial land or proprietary property, was ...
. Their acquisition increased the reputation and contributed to the aristocratization of the family, in which De Graeff and his heirs could be addressed as '' Vrijheer(en) van Zuid-Polsbroek'' ever since. De Graeff was also from 1604 Ambachtsheer (
Lord of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...
) of Sloten, Sloterdijk,
Nieuwer-Amstel Amstelveen () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands, with a population of 95,996 as of 202 ...
,
Osdorp Osdorp () is neighbourhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. A larger area was, from 1981 until 2010, a ''stadsdeel'' (borough) of Amsterdam and in 2010 was merged into the new borough of Amsterdam Nieuw-West Amsterdam Nieuw-West () is a Boroughs of Ams ...
and
Amstelveen Amstelveen () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands, with a population of 95,996 as of 202 ...
,Jacob Dircksz de Graeff at ''Historische Geslachtswapens''
/ref> but not the owner of these glories. Rather, the city of Amsterdam bought them in 1529 from
Reinoud III van Brederode Reinoud III van Brederode (4 September 1492, Brederode Castle, Santpoort – 25 September 1556, in Brussels), lord of Brederode and Vianen, burgrave of Utrecht, master of the woods and master of the hunt of Holland, member of the Council o ...
, and then gave it in fief to one of their council members. He was also chieflandholder of the
Zijpe Zijpe () is a former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. In 2013, Zijpe and Harenkarspel merged into Schagen. Population centres The former municipality of Zijpe consisted of the following small towns and villages: ...
- en Hazepolder, Watergraafs- and Wiemermeer. He also had the
tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...
in fief at Rietveld, Poldertienden (Oliviersblok), Groot-Rietveld, Klein-Rietveld, Tournooisveld, Oudeland and Bredeveld (Bredeveld).


Coat of arms

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff's coat of arms of origin was possibly still
divided Division is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic. The other operations are addition, subtraction, and multiplication. What is being divided is called the ''dividend'', which is divided by the ''divisor'', and the result is called the ...
(and not quartered) and showed the following symbols: * field 1 the silver shovel on a red background of their paternal ancestors, the
Herren von Graben Herren von Graben, also named ''von (dem) Graben'', ''vom Graben'', ''Grabner'', ''Grabner zu Rosenburg'', ''Graben zu Kornberg'', ''Graben zu Sommeregg'', ''Graben von (zum) Stein'', and ''ab dem Graben'' was the name of an old (Uradel) Austrian ...
* field 2 it shows a silver falcon on a blue background. The origin of the falcon lies in the possession of the Valckeveen estate (later the Valckenburg estate) in
Gooiland The Gooi ( ) is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by its green landscape, its historical charm, the wealth of its inhabitants and its villas. The Gooi is known in the country a ...
* helmet covers in red and silver * helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben) The personal coat of arms of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff (since 1610?) is quartered with a heart shield and shows the following symbols: * heart shield shows the three silver rhombuses on red (originally from the family Van Woerdern van Vliet) of the High Lordship Zuid-Polsbroek * field 1 (left above) shows the silver shovel on red of their paternal ancestors, the Herren von Graben * field 2 (right above) shows a silver falcon on a blue background. The origin of the falcon lies in the possession of the Valckeveen estate (later the Valckenburg estate) in Gooiland * field 3 (left below), same as field 2 * field 4 (right below), same as field 1 * helmet covers in red and silver * helm adornment shows an upright silver spade with ostrich feathers (Herren von Graben) * motto: MORS SCEPTRA LIGONIBUS AEQUAT (DEATH MAKES SEPTRES AND HOES EQUAL) Image:Wapen Jacob Dircksz de Graeff.jpg, Ancient coat of arms Jacob Dircksz de Graeff quartered Image:Grafzerk van Diederik Jansz Graeff.jpg, Gravestone of Jacob and his father
Diederik Jansz. Graeff Dirck Jansz Graeff, also Diederik Jansz Graeff, Lord of the manors Valckeveen and Voorschoten, Vredenhof (Amsterdam 1532 – 27 July 1589), was a Patrician (post-Roman Europe), patrician, wholesaler, shipowner, politician and large landowner ...
at Amsterdam's Oude Kerk


Career


First political period

After the death of De Graeff's father in 1589, his father's friend Cornelis Andriesz Boelens Loen - whose daughter Aaltje he later married - acted as his provider.A.J. van der A
''Jacob de Graeff'' in: Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden. Deel 7
/ref> Jacob Dircksz de Graeff studied
Classical language According to the definition by George L. Hart, a classical language is any language with an independent literary tradition and a large body of ancient written literature. Classical languages are usually extinct languages. Those that are still ...
at
Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince of Orange as a Protestantism, Protestant institution, it holds the d ...
. During his student days he lived in the house of professor Rudolf Snellius. In 1591 he undertook a grand tour of France, Italy and Germany with his friend
Justus Lipsius Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips; October 18, 1547 – March 23, 1606) was a Flemish Catholic philologist, philosopher, and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatibl ...
and then lived in Geneva for three years in the house of the Calvinist preacher
Giovanni Diodati Giovanni Diodati or Deodati (3 June 15763 October 1649) was a Genevan-born Italian Calvinist theologian and translator. His translation of the Bible into Italian from Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources became the reference version used ...
. In 1597 De Graeff returned to Amsterdam and in the following year he became
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'' ...
(alderman) and from 1603 a member of the
Vroedschap The ''vroedschap'' () was the name for the (all male) city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a ''vroedman'', literally a "wise man". An honorific title of the ''vroedschap'' was the ''vroede vadere ...
. The following year he became ambachtsheer of
Amstelveen Amstelveen () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands, with a population of 95,996 as of 202 ...
,
Nieuwer-Amstel Amstelveen () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands, with a population of 95,996 as of 202 ...
, Sloten, Sloterdijk and
Osdorp Osdorp () is neighbourhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. A larger area was, from 1981 until 2010, a ''stadsdeel'' (borough) of Amsterdam and in 2010 was merged into the new borough of Amsterdam Nieuw-West Amsterdam Nieuw-West () is a Boroughs of Ams ...
on behalf of the city of Amsterdam. After his death, his son Cornelis de Graeff received this fiefdoms. As early as 1610, De Graeff brought the Protestant preacher Johannes Cornelisz Sylvius to Amsterdam. In 1611 he was also elected one of the four
burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, ) is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or executive of a city or town. The name in English was derived from the Dutch . In so ...
s (mayor) of Amsterdam for the first time. That year he was also present at the meeting of Prince Maurits of Oranje and Frederick Hendrik of Oranje in the
Beemster Beemster () is a former Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The Beemster is the first polder in the Netherlands land reclamation, reclaimed from a lake, the water extracted by windmi ...
area newly retaken from the Spanish. In 1612 he became a
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
in the Amsterdam Civil Guard. When the
Remonstrant The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his ori ...
Simon Episcopius Simon Episcopius (8 January 1583 – 4 April 1643) was a Dutch theologian and Remonstrant who played a significant role at the Synod of Dort in 1618. His name is the Latinized form of his Dutch name Simon Bisschop. Life Born in Amsterdam, in 16 ...
was summoned before the mayors in 1613, De Graeff was one of his most ardent opponents, although he later maintained an intimate relationship with him and the Remonstrants. He was friends with burgomaster
Cornelis Hooft Cornelis Pietersz. Hooft (1547 – 1627 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch statesman and Amsterdam regent during the Golden Age. Life and work Hooft Was a member of the patrician Hooft family, the son of the merchant Pieter Willemsz Hooft, and grandson ...
, and competed with him on a committee on the city of Amsterdam's expansion plans against "self-seeking" land speculators Frans Hendricksz Oetgens van Waveren and Bartholt Cromhout. De Graeff himself owned much land within the city and ensured that his land was conveniently located for the new roads and canals in the new
Jordaan The Jordaan () is a neighbourhood of the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is part of the Boroughs of Amsterdam, borough of Amsterdam-Centrum. The area is bordered by the Singelgracht canal and the neighbourhood of Frederik Hendrikbuurt to the ...
area. At this time, a powerful
Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...
faction under
Reynier Pauw Reyer or Reynier Pauw, (Amsterdam, July 29, 1564 – February 19, 1636 ) was an Amsterdam regent of the Golden Age. Pauw was pensionary and eight times mayor of Amsterdam. He was involved in the Compagnie van Verre, the VOC, and the trial of Jo ...
crystallized in the Vroedschap, to which De Graeff and his ally Hooft kept their distance, and thus diminished their own influence. During his councillorship in 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, ...
(1615–1617) De Graeff get sympathy with
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (; 14 September 1547 – 13 May 1619), Lord of the manor, Heer van Berkel en Rodenrijs (1600), Gunterstein (1611) and Bakkum (1613), was a Dutch statesman and revolutionary who played an important role in the Dutch rev ...
. There he became acquainted with the preacher Johannes Uytenbogaert and adopted the thesis of the Remonstrants as his own. This attitude brought him politically to the side of the state advocate Van Oldenbarnevelt and
Hugo Grotius Hugo Grotius ( ; 10 April 1583 – 28 August 1645), also known as Hugo de Groot () or Huig de Groot (), was a Dutch humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian, jurist, statesman, poet and playwright. A teenage prodigy, he was born in Delft an ...
, whose socio-political position he prolonged as the local representative of Amsterdam. The city was one of the Holland cities whose
regents 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 ...
were partisans of the
Remonstrants The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his or ...
and had agitated for the Sharp Resolution of 1617 which authorized city governments to raise private armies, called ''waardgelders''. The Counter-Remonstrants (enemies of the Remonstrants) opposed this, and 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 ...
,
Maurice of Nassau Maurice of Orange (; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death on 23 April 1625. Before he became Prince of Orange upo ...
viewed this policy as a challenge to his authority as commander-in-chief of the States Army. On 23 August 1618, by order of the States-General and forced by François van Aerssen, Oldenbarnevelt and his chief supporters such as Grotius,
Gilles van Ledenberg Gilles van Ledenberg (c. 1550 – 28 September 1618) was a Dutch statesman. He was secretary of the States of Utrecht from 1588 until his arrest for treason in 1618, together with Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. He committed suicide to prevent forfeitu ...
,
Rombout Hogerbeets Rombout Hogerbeets (Hoorn, 24 June 1561 — Wassenaar, 7 September 1625) was a Dutch jurist and statesman. He was tried for treason, together with Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, Hugo Grotius, and Gilles van Ledenberg during the political crisis of ...
were arrested. De Graeff was therefore expelled from the government after Oldenbarnevelt's disempowerment and his subsequent beheading in 1618, on the initiative of the stadholder
Maurits of Orange Maurice of Orange (; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death on 23 April 1625. Before he became Prince of Orange upon ...
and the Amsterdam regent Reynier Pauw. His place had been taken by Pauw's protegee,
Albert Burgh Albert Coenraadsz Burgh (1593 – 24 December 1647) was a Dutch physician who was mayor of Amsterdam and a councillor in the Admiralty of Amsterdam. Biography Burgh was born into a rich brewer's family. He studied medicine in Leiden in 161 ...
. De Graeff lost his political position in the government for some years.


Natural sciences

After his interim retirement from politics, De Graeff dedicated himself to scientific experiments and research. He ran a chemical laboratory in Amsterdam together with his friend Pieter Jansz Hooft. There they tried to invent a perpetual motion machine. There are claims that
Cornelis Drebbel Cornelis Jacobszoon Drebbel (; 1572 – 7 November 1633) was a Dutch engineer and inventor. He was the builder of the first operational submarine in 1620 and an innovator who contributed to the development of measurement and control systems, opti ...
presented this device to the court of the English King
James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334 ...
and it was accidentally broken by the queen. In the field of science and natural history, De Graeff and Hooft maintained a close collaboration with
Constantijn Huygens Sir Constantijn Huygens, Lord of Zuilichem ( , , ; 4 September 159628 March 1687), was a Dutch Golden Age poet and composer. He was also secretary to two Princes of Orange: Frederick Henry and William II, and the father of the scientist C ...
and via him also with
René Descartes René Descartes ( , ; ; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and Modern science, science. Mathematics was paramou ...
. He was also a scholar of the Amsterdam
Latin School The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Other terms used include Lateinschule in Germany, or later Gymnasium. Latin schools were also established in Colon ...
.


Second political period

After the death of Maurits of Oranje in 1625 and the political collapse of the orangist Reynier Pauw in 1627 Jacob Dircksz de Graeff returned to power again. In 1628 he was re-elected burgomaster and in 1630 re-elected Vroedschap. During the late 1620s and the 1630s he controlled the city's politics in close cooperation with his nephew
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 ...
. Together with Bicker he was also the leader of the
Arminian Arminianism is a movement of Protestantism initiated in the early 17th century, based on the Christian theology, theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic supporters known as Remo ...
faction of the city. In contrast to Pauw, both took a liberal stance. In the early 1630s, the state party, weakened since Oldenbarnevelt's execution, was revived by them. Together, De Graeff and Andries Bicker led the city to its temporary peak of power in the years that followed. Both were remonstrants and helped the religious minority to gain relative recognition. De Graeff was also known as a very liberal ruler who did not hide his religious convictions and republican sentiments. Altogether he was burgomaster of Amsterdam six times. During this time, De Graeff was repeatedly offered the post of Gecommitteerde Rad der Holland und West-Friesland in The Hague, which he never accepted. In 1631, he initiated the political career of his protégé Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen at the Vroedschaper elections. Furthermore, in 1632 he was appointed to the hoofdingeland van de Watergraafs- en Wienermeer. Jacob Dircksz de Graeff was one of the wealthiest residents of Amsterdam; his cash assets at the time of death totaled 270,000
guilders Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' (" gold penny"). This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Rom ...
. He died in Amsterdam and his tomb chapel can be found in the Oude Kerk floor, plots number 108 and 109. The poet and writer
Joost van den 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 as well as an important figure in the history of Wes ...
wrote an obituary for him with "De titel maakt alleen geen Graef". After his death his son
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 ...
and his nephews, the hardcore republican-minded brothers Andries and
Cornelis Bicker Cornelis Bicker van Swieten (25 October 1592 – 15 September 1654), heer (lord) van Swieten, was an Amsterdam regent of the Dutch Republic during the Golden Age. He traded in sugar, was a governor of the Dutch West India Company and director of ...
took over his role on the
council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
. His granddaughter
Wendela Bicker Wendela Bicker (Amsterdam, baptized 30 December 1635 – 1 July 1668) was the wife of Johan de Witt. She was one of the richest young female commoners of her time and she married one of the most influential republican politicians in the Netherla ...
married the important statesman Grand pensionary
Johan de Witt Johan de Witt (24 September 1625  – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch statesman and mathematician who was a major political figure during the First Stadtholderless Period, when flourishing global trade in a period of rapid European colonial exp ...
.


Trivia

* Jacob Dircksz de Graeff is also portrayed as a 'goed schutter en groot liefhebber van de jacht' (good marksman and a great lover of hunting) who also kept a 'tal van jachthonden' (a multitude of hunting dogs). Furthermore, the Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren reports that De Graeff "reed veel te Paard en hanteerde met vaardigheid den degen" (practiced a lot and tried to improve his fluency with the dagger) * In
The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
and
Amstelveen Amstelveen () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands, with a population of 95,996 as of 202 ...
there are two ''Jacob de Graef(f)laans'' named after him * Dirck Jansz Graeff play a role in the historic roman ''Krone der Welt'' by Sabine Weiß.''Krone der Welt'' by Sabine Weiß
/ref>


Notes


Literature

* Elias, Johan E. (1903–1905) ''De vroedschap van Amsterdam, 1578-1795'', p. 266 * Lademacher, Horst ''Phönix aus der Asche? Politik und kultur der niederländischen Republik im Europa des 17. Jahrhunderts'', Münster (2007, Waxmann Verlag), p. 228 * Israel, Jonathan I. (1995) ''The dutch Republic - Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall - 1477-1806'', Clarendon Press, Oxford, * Burke, P. (1994) ''Venice and Amsterdam. A study of seventeenth-century élites.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Graeff, Jacob Dircksz De 1636 deaths 1570s births Nobility from Amsterdam Dutch people of the Eighty Years' War Jacob Dircksz, Graeff de Mayors of Amsterdam 17th-century Dutch politicians Lords of Zuid-Polsbroek Lords of Sloten Lords of Amstelveen People from Emden Burials at the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam Remonstrants