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Kruys is an old Dutch Patrician family. Since the seventeenth century members of the Kruys family have been active in the Dutch National Cabinet, town councils, Royal Netherlands Navy command and the international business and trade community.


History

The name Kruys is derived from the Dutch word for 'cross' (Dutch: 'kruis'), which is one of the main elements in the family coat of arms. A common early spelling variant is 'Kruijs'.The Blue Book (Kruys)
(Blauwe Boekje), Nederland's Patriciaat (in Dutch).
The oldest known family member is Lambert Koeps (Kops, Coops), born in
Vriezenveen Vriezenveen (West Low German, Lower Saxon: t Vjenne, Venne, Vjenne, Vreeznven or Vreeinvenne'') is a town in the municipality of Twenterand in the Dutch province of Overijssel. The population was 13,800 on January 1, 2020. Until July 1, 2002, ...
in 1585 or 1586. His grandson Berend (1610–1682) was the first to carry the name Kruys. Claas Jansen Kruys (1667–1739) was church master and magistrate (
Schout In Dutch language, Dutch-speaking areas, a ''schout'' was a local official appointed to carry out administrative, law enforcement and prosecutorial tasks. The office was abolished with the introduction of administrative reforms during the Napoleon ...
) of Vriezenveen from 1709 to 1739, and
Jan Kruys Jan Kruys (1767–1830) was the first mayor of the town of Vriezenveen in Netherlands, the Netherlands. He was also the last magistrate () of the town. His detailed diaries spanning the period 1817–1830, have been preserved. Biography Jan K ...
(1767–1830) became the first Mayor of Vriezenveen from 1825 to 1830. Over the centuries Kruys family members have settled in
St Petersburg, Russia Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601,9 ...
(between 1720 and 1917), the former
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
(Indonesia), the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Canada and Australia.
Familiearchief Kruys
Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie (NIMH) (in Dutch).
The genealogy of the Kruys family has been recorded since 1914 in the Dutch Patriciate Blue Book (Blauwe Boekje), published by the Centrum voor familiegeschiedenis in The Hague. The Kruys family archives are kept at the Dutch Institute of Military History in The Hague and the Historical Museum in Vriezenveen.


Coat of arms

The Kruys family
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
has been in use since the nineteenth century, according to lacquer prints in the family. An early nineteenth-century stamp seal, owned by the family, in which the oak tree appears with the inscription "Magistrate of Vriezenveen", suggests that the oak tree is the original shield element of the coat of arms, and the left part is a nineteenth-century addition. The Kruys shield elements are, in gold, a green oak tree planted on loose soil. On the other side two cross sections: in blue, a silver Maltese cross and underneath, in silver, three blue crossbars. The crest consists of the cross from the shield, with silver and blue mantling. Some have suggested that the Kruys family coat of arms and the municipal coat of arms of the Dutch town
Vriezenveen Vriezenveen (West Low German, Lower Saxon: t Vjenne, Venne, Vjenne, Vreeznven or Vreeinvenne'') is a town in the municipality of Twenterand in the Dutch province of Overijssel. The population was 13,800 on January 1, 2020. Until July 1, 2002, ...
in the province of
Overijssel Overijssel (; ; ; ) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name comes from the perspective of the Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht, Episcopal principality of Utrecht ...
, have the same origin.


Notable members


Gerhardus Kruys (1838–1902)

Gerhardus Kruys was born in Vriezenveen, on 21 August, 1838. His father, Claas Kruys (1802–1877), was Mayor of Vriezenveen. Gerhardus was chief of the Royal Netherlands Navy when he first became Minister of Navy. He served in the Mackay Government (from 31 March 1891-21 August 1891) and later in the Kuyper Government (1 August 1901–12 December 1902). During his career he was commander of the Navy in the Dutch East Indies and chief of the Navy Department in Batavia. In 1888 he became a member of a committee tasked with reviewing the Dutch defence legislation. In 1892 he was part of a committee that made recommendations to modernise the defence force. He advocated for the development of armoured ships and cruisers by the Royal Netherlands Navy. At the end of the nineteenth century, this led to the construction of HNLMS ''Piet Hein'' and other ships in the ''Evertsen'' class and the production of six protected cruisers in the ''Holland'' class. On 1 August 1894, Gerhardus was promoted to vice admiral. He was awarded Commander of the Order of the Lion of The Netherlands (Commandeur in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw). Gerhardus and his wife Elisabeth Gallas (1843–1919) had two daughters and seven sons. Six of his sons became Navy Officers, including vice admiraal Theodoor Louis Kruys (1884–1940). His grandson Gerhardus Kruys (1907–1982) was a captain in the Royal Netherlands Navy. Another grandson, Willem Jan Kruys (1906–1985) became vice admiral. A third grandson, naval lieutenant Gerhard Rudolph Kruys (1913–1941), died during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
at the age of 28.Submarine HMS K XVII
Submarines Survivors Foundation 1940–1945.
Gerhardus passed away 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 ...
on 12 December 1902, at the age of 64. He was buried at
Oud Eik en Duinen Oud Eik en Duinen is a cemetery in The Hague, the Netherlands, formerly called Eik en Duinen and also nicknamed "the Dutch Père-Lachaise". The cemetery is built around a chapel constructed around 1247 by William II of Holland in honor of his fa ...
cemetery.


Hendrik Kruys (1851–1907)

Gerhardus' half brother,
Hendrik Kruys Hendrik Kruys (1851-1907) was a Dutch trader and entrepreneur in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Biography Hendrik Kruys was born in Vriezenveen, Overijssel, on 10 December, 1851. His father Claas Kruys (1802-1877) was Mayor of Vriezenveen from 1852- ...
, was a successful trader and member of the ‘
Rusluie The Rusluie were a community of Dutch people, Dutch origin living in the city of Saint Petersburg in Russia, between 1720 and 1917. They originally came from the town of Vriezenveen, in the Dutch Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Overijs ...
’, a community of Dutch expats living in the city of
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
in Russia between 1720 and 1917. They originally came from the town of Vriezenveen in the Netherlands, and the community included several members of the Kruys family.Van assimilatie tot segregatie: de Nederlandse kolonie in Sint-Petersburg. 1856–1917
. Jelena Sergejevna van Wijngaarden-Xiounina. Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen 2007 (in Dutch).
According to a description in the diary of Hendrik's uncle Jacob Kruys (1812–1852), the 2,400 kilometres journey by covered wagon from Vriezenveen to Saint Petersburg led through
Osnabrück Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...
, Berlin and
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
, and took 15 days at the time. In 1868 Hendrik travelled to Saint Petersburg by train, where he became an apprentice at the Dutch firm Engberts & Co, selling linnen. In 1884 Hendrik started his own trading house
‘Java’
on Grosse Morskaya 38, where he sold Dutch Coffee and cocoa, as well as tea, spices, liquor and other products. As cocoa became more popular, Hendrik opened six more businesses in the Russian city. He was also the sole representative for Blooker's cocoa in Russia and made many sales trips across
European Russia European Russia is the western and most populated part of the Russia, Russian Federation. It is geographically situated in Europe, as opposed to the country's sparsely populated and vastly larger eastern part, Siberia, which is situated in Asia ...
. In his diary (archived at the Vriezenveen Historical Museum), Hendrik recorded many events and developments, including the beginning of the first
Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
: "A lot of commotion in the city and people shot by soldiers. Many shops were looted, but thankfully Java was not damaged." After the
revolution of 1917 The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...
the situation in Saint Petersburg worsened, which eventually signalled the end of the Dutch-Russian community. Hendrik and his wife Alida Boom (1861–1940) had one daughter and three sons. He passed away in Vriezenveen on 24 May 1907, at the age of 55.


Willem Jan Kruys (1906–1985)

Willem Jan Kruys is a grandson of minister and vice admiral Gerhardus Kruys. He was born in Pankalan Brandan, Sumatra, in the Dutch East Indies. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Willem Jan was commander lieutenant of the Dutch Destroyer HNLMS ''Tjerk Hiddes'', performing convoy escort duties in the Indian Ocean before joining the
US 7th Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of th ...
(1942), stationed in the
Port of Fremantle Fremantle Harbour is Western Australia's largest and busiest general cargo port and an important historical site. The inner harbour handles a large volume of sea containers, vehicle imports and livestock exports, cruise shipping and naval visits ...
, Western Australia.HNMS Tjerk Hiddes—Timor Ferry
Rear Admiral C. V. Gordon, United States Naval Institute Proceedings, February 1960.
In 1942 HNLMS ''Tjerk Hiddes'' embarked on a mission to remove Allied troops stranded on
Timor Timor (, , ) is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is Indonesia–Timor-Leste border, divided between the sovereign states of Timor-Leste in the eastern part and Indonesia in the ...
in enemy territory. When Timor yielded to the
Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
, Australian and Dutch troops had been cut off in the mountainous jungle, and embarked upon a guerrilla war against the Japanese. On 9, 15 and 18 December, the ''Tjerk Hiddes'' made three voyages to Timor and evacuated over a thousand Australian Forces, Dutch troops and civilians to Darwin in Australia. Willem Jan was awarded the
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
by President Roosevelt: "By his fearless determination, excellent judgment, and outstanding professional ability throughout this period, he brought to a successful conclusion an extremely difficult and perilous mission." The ''Tjerk Hiddes'' crew received the Dutch Cross for Important Military Operations (also known as the
Expedition Cross The Expedition Cross () officially known as the Cross for Important Military Operations () was a military decoration of Kingdom of the Netherlands. Created by royal decree on 19 February 1869, by King William III, the cross was awarded for partic ...
). He was closely involved in the 1949 Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference about the transfer of sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies. On 18 November 1953, Willem Jan became the first captain of the new Zeven Provinciën class light cruiser HNLMS ''De Ruyter''. On 4 September 1958, he was promoted to vice admiral, making him the third Admiral Kruys. After his retirement from the Royal Netherlands Navy he became director-general of the Dutch National Aviation Authority (
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 ...
: Rijksluchtvaartdienst) from 1962 tot 1971. Willem Jan was awarded Knight of the Order of the Lion of The Netherlands and Commander of the
Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau () is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has performed acts of special merits for ...
. From
King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...
he received the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
. Willem Jan and his wife Anna Troll (1911–1998) had one daughter and two sons. He passed away in
Bilthoven Bilthoven is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of De Bilt. It has a railway station with connections to Utrecht (city), Utrecht, Amersfoort and Baarn. It is home to the Ne ...
on 20 April 1985, at the age of 79.


Gerhard Rudolph Kruys (1913–1941)

Lieutenant Gerhard Kruys was 28 years old when he was reported missing in the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
in 1941. His father, naval captain Johannes Adrianus Kruys (1886–1974) was a son of minister Gerhardus Kruys. In the summer of 1937, Gerhard married Leonardie Bronkhorst in Surabaya, Java, in the Dutch East Indies. The following year they had a son, Rudolph Leonard Kruys (1938–1943). During World War II, Gerhard served on the HNLMS ''K XVII'', a submarine of the K XIV-class, built by the Rotterdam shipyard
Wilton-Fijenoord Wilton-Fijenoord was a shipbuilding and repair company in Schiedam, Netherlands from 1929 to 1999. Presently, the shipyard of Wilton-Feijnoord is part of Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam. Merger of Wilton and Fijenoord (1929) Wilton-Fijenoord had two ...
as a patrol ship to protect the Dutch East Indies. The ''K XVII'' patrolled the South China Sea and the Gulf of Siam (Thailand). The last contact with the ship took place on December 19, 1941. Gerhard and the crew of 36 disappeared at sea. The location of the ship and the nature of the disappearance were unknown for a long time. More than 40 years later, on May 2, 1982, the wreck of a submarine found on the seabed off the coast of
Tioman Tioman Island () is , off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, more specifically off the east coast of Rompin District, Pahang, Malaysia. It is long and wide and has seven villages, the largest and most populous being Kampung Tekek on the ...
Island in Malaysia was identified as the HNLMS ''K XVII''. Investigations revealed that the ship had sailed into a Japanese minefield, struck a mine and sank. In 1998 the wreck was photographed by a film crew from Singapore. In 2019, a scientific expedition discovered that the ''K XVII'' had disappeared. An imprint of the ship's hull in the seabed was all that remained.


Jan Kruys (1767–1830)

Jan Kruys Jan Kruys (1767–1830) was the first mayor of the town of Vriezenveen in Netherlands, the Netherlands. He was also the last magistrate () of the town. His detailed diaries spanning the period 1817–1830, have been preserved. Biography Jan K ...
was the first Mayor of the town of
Vriezenveen Vriezenveen (West Low German, Lower Saxon: t Vjenne, Venne, Vjenne, Vreeznven or Vreeinvenne'') is a town in the municipality of Twenterand in the Dutch province of Overijssel. The population was 13,800 on January 1, 2020. Until July 1, 2002, ...
. He is grandfather of minister and vice admiral Gerhardus Kruys. Jan was born in Vriezenveen. His father, Claas Jansen Kruys (1731–1802), was a merchant at the firm Kruys, Engberts & Sons, exporting linen and other goods to
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, Frankfurt,
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
and Allicante. From 1781 tot 1789, Jan and his brother Johannes Kruys (1769–1806) worked with their father at the family business in St Petersburg. After eight years Jan left Russia and began a business in
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 ...
. He returned to Vriezenveen in 1799. In 1818 he became magistrate (Dutch:
Schout In Dutch language, Dutch-speaking areas, a ''schout'' was a local official appointed to carry out administrative, law enforcement and prosecutorial tasks. The office was abolished with the introduction of administrative reforms during the Napoleon ...
) of Vriezenveen and from 1825 the first Mayor of the town until his death in 1830. Between 1817 and 1830, Jan kept a detailed diary. The fourteen books are archived at the Dutch Institute of Military History (NIMH). In one of his entries he describes how in 1795, 2000 cavalry of the
French Revolutionary Army The French Revolutionary Army () was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1802. In the beginning, the French armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipment and their great nu ...
rode into Amsterdam, where he lived at the time, marking the proclamation of the Dutch
Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic (; ) was the Succession of states, successor state to the Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the acce ...
. He wrote: “A tree of liberty was planted in front of the town hall and people were out and about and cheering.” (transcription: Erik Berkhof, Frans Harwig) Jan was married to Anna Broers (1772–1793), who died in childbirth. Jan and his second wife Maria Johanna Ursinus Grevenstein (1774–1845) had six daughters and five sons. He passed away in Vriezenveen (Oosteinde 148) on 22 December 1830, at the age of 63.


Claas Kruys (1802–1877)

Claas Kruys was a merchant at the firm Jansen, Joost & Co in Saint Petersburg, before becoming Mayor of Vriezenveen in 1852. His term of office lasted until 1870. Claas was the son of Gerhardus Kruys (1771–1839) and Aaltje Winter (1777–1848), both from Vriezenveen. His father was the brother of Jan Kruys (1767–1830), the first Mayor of Vriezenveen. Claas married his cousin Jesina Juliana Kruys (1810–1847) on June 30, 1832. She was the daughter of Jan Kruys. They had seven children, including Gerhardus Kruys, who later became minister of Navy and vice-admiral. Jesina died at the age of 36. Claas remarried four years later, on February 8, 1851, to Frederika Bramer (1823–1899). They had a son, Hendrik Kruys, and a daughter Jesina Kruys, who died at the age of 5.Hendrik Kruijs (Biography)
Vereniging Oud Vriezenveen (in Dutch).
Claas died in Vriezenveen on March 20, 1877, at the age of 74.


Further reading

More information about members of the Kruys family: *
Jan Kruys Jan Kruys (1767–1830) was the first mayor of the town of Vriezenveen in Netherlands, the Netherlands. He was also the last magistrate () of the town. His detailed diaries spanning the period 1817–1830, have been preserved. Biography Jan K ...
(1767–1830) * Gerhardus Kruys (1838–1902) *
Hendrik Kruys Hendrik Kruys (1851-1907) was a Dutch trader and entrepreneur in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Biography Hendrik Kruys was born in Vriezenveen, Overijssel, on 10 December, 1851. His father Claas Kruys (1802-1877) was Mayor of Vriezenveen from 1852- ...
(1851–1907) * Theodoor Louis Kruys (1884–1940) * Willem Jan Kruys (1906–1985)


References

{{reflist Patrician families Dutch patrician families Dutch families Royal Netherlands Navy personnel of World War II Commanders of the Royal Netherlands Navy Admirals Royal Netherlands Navy admirals Royal Netherlands Navy personnel Military personnel from The Hague