Jacob Dircksz de Graeff

During the Dutch Golden Age, the De Graeff and Bicker families were very critical of the Orange family’s influence in the Netherlands. Together with the Republican-minded brothers and their cousins Andries, Cornelis and Jan Bicker, the family De Graeff strived for the abolition of stadtholdership. 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 and Andries de Graeff became the strongest Dutch regents during the First Stadtholderless Period.[4][5]

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  Overview of the personal family relationships of the Amsterdam oligarchy between the regent-dynasties Boelens Loen, De Graeff, Bicker (van Swieten), Witsen and Johan de Witt in the Dutch Golden Age
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  Descendants of Jacob Dircksz de Graeff and Aeltje Boelens Loen

Jacob Dircksz de Graeff was born in Emden, Lower Saxony, the Exile of his parents Dirck Jansz Graeff 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 to Aaltje Boelens Loen (27 February 1579 at Emden; † 29 August 1630 at Amsterdam), daughter of the politician Cornelis Andriesz Boelens Loen, descendant of Andries Boelens (1455–1519), a famous regent of Amsterdam. The couple had six children reaching adulthood:[6][7]

• Cornelis de Graeff (1599–1664), regent and burgomaster of Amsterdam, Dutch statesman
• Dirk de Graeff (1601–1637), Vroedschap and Schepen of Amsterdam
• Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek (1603–1656), married Jan Bicker; her daughter Wendela Bicker married Johan de Witt, while her daughter Jacoba Bicker married her full cousin Pieter de Graeff
• Wendela de Graeff (1607–1652), painted by Rembrandt für 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 Jacob Bicker and in 1648 to Pieter Trip
• Andries de Graeff (1611–1678), regent and burgomaster of Amsterdam, Dutch statesman

On September 18, 1610, Jacob Dircksz de Graeff acquired the High Lordship of Zuid-Polsbroek from Charles of Aremberg,[8] which was freely inheritable and sellable as an allod.[9] 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) of Sloten, Sloterdijk, Nieuwer-Amstel, Osdorp and Amstelveen,[10] but not the owner of these glories. Rather, the city of Amsterdam bought them in 1529 from Reinoud III van Brederode,[11] and then gave it in fief to one of their council members. He was also chieflandholder of the Zijpe- en Hazepolder, Watergraafs- and Wiemermeer.[12]

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  Full coat of arms as "Vrijheer van Zuid-Polsbroek"
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  Gravestone of Jacob and his father Diederik Jansz. Graeff at Amsterdam's Oude Kerk

Jacob de Graeff studied Classical language at Leiden University. In De Graeff was a merchant, and in 1598 became Schepen (alderman), from 1603 a member of the Vroedschap and in 1613–1638 mayor of Amsterdam six times.[13] He was first named as mayor of Amsterdam in 1611.[14]

During his councillorship in the States of Holland and West Friesland (1615–1617) De Graeff get sympathy with Oldenbarnevelt. In 1618, as regent-mayor of Amsterdam, Jacob de Graeff was deeply involved in the political crisis that engulfed the Oldenbarnevelt regime and brought about its fall.[13] Amsterdam was one of the Holland cities whose regents were partisans of the Remonstrants 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, Maurice of Nassau 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, Oldenbarnevelt and his chief supporters such as Hugo Grotius, Gilles van Ledenberg, Rombout Hogerbeets were arrested. Jacob de Graeff lost his political position in the government for some years. After the political collapse of the royalist Reinier Pauw in 1627 De Graeff returned to power again. During the late 1620s and the 1630s he controlled the city's politics in close cooperation with his nephew Andries Bicker.[13] Together with Bicker he was also the leader of the Arminian faction of the city.[3]

De Graeff died in Amsterdam and his tomb chapel can be found in the Oude Kerk floor, plots number 108 and 109. After his death his son Cornelis de Graeff and his cousins, the hardcore republican brothers Andries and Cornelis Bicker took over his role on the council.[4][5]