Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek
Encyclopedia
Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek (Amsterdam
, August 28, 1833 – 27 June 1916, The Hague) was a successful Dutch diplomat
in Japan. From July 1863, he held the post of Consul General and Political Agent in Japan. He played a major part in the many negotiations between various Western countries and Japan. He represented Denmark, Sweden and Norway in Japan and temporally Prussia and Switzerland.
who became Netherlands' Ambassador at Tokyo and Governor General of the Netherlands Indies.
When he went to the Dutch Indies in 1853 he added 'van Polsbroek' to his name, probably to discern himself from a brother in the Colonial Army there. After having worked for the Netherlands Indian government in Batavia, he was appointed on Dejima
in June 1857 as assistant 2nd class to the Factory of Dutch Trade. In July 1859, at the time of the opening of the Japanese harbours to trade with foreign countries, he became acting Vice-Consul
at Kanagawa. In 1863, when the direction of the Japanese affairs changed from the Ministry of the Colonies to that for Foreign Affairs, he was appointed Consul General and Political Agent. In 1868 he became (titular) Resident Minister of The Netherlands in Japan. He ended his career as a diplomat in 1870 by refusing an appointment in Peking.
He was the first western diplomat, who presented his credentials to Emperor Meiji
in his new capital Tokyo in February 1869.
He was partner in Textor & Co., a trading company established at Dejima in 1858 with his colleague Carl Julius Textor.
He was one of the founders of the Yokohama Races (horse racing in Yokohama)
De Graeff negociated treaties for other European countries with Japan or aided their envoys: Belgium, Denmark, the Hanze cities, Switzerland and Sweden/Norway to mention a few
On leave in The Netherlands in 1870, when he was ordered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to Peking, De Graeff resigned from his position and became a Commissioner of the Netherlands Trading Society (Nederlandsche Handel-maatschappij) living at The Hague. He was a member of the government commission which received the Iwakura-Mission to The Netherlands in 1873.
In the 1870's he received the title of Jonkheer De Graeff and on that occasion he had to drop his self-styled addition to his name 'van Polsbroek'.
Dirk de Graeff died on 27 June 1916 at The Hague.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, August 28, 1833 – 27 June 1916, The Hague) was a successful Dutch diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
in Japan. From July 1863, he held the post of Consul General and Political Agent in Japan. He played a major part in the many negotiations between various Western countries and Japan. He represented Denmark, Sweden and Norway in Japan and temporally Prussia and Switzerland.
Biographie
Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek was born at Amsterdam on 28 August 1833 as a son of Gerrit de Graeff (IV.) Squire of Zuid-Polsbroek, Purmerland and Ilpendam and Carolina Ursulina Stephania Engels. He lived in Japan with his Japanese housekeeper Koyama Ochō with whom he had a son Pieter (Yokohama, 8 June 1861 - 7 August 1914, Bwool (Netherlands Indies). In 1872 he married Bonne Elisabeth Royer. One of his five children was the politician Andries Cornelis Dirk de GraeffAndries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff
Jonkheer Andries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff was a Governor General of Dutch East Indies and a Dutch minister for foreign affairs.-Family:...
who became Netherlands' Ambassador at Tokyo and Governor General of the Netherlands Indies.
When he went to the Dutch Indies in 1853 he added 'van Polsbroek' to his name, probably to discern himself from a brother in the Colonial Army there. After having worked for the Netherlands Indian government in Batavia, he was appointed 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...
in June 1857 as assistant 2nd class to the Factory of Dutch Trade. In July 1859, at the time of the opening of the Japanese harbours to trade with foreign countries, he became acting Vice-Consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
at Kanagawa. In 1863, when the direction of the Japanese affairs changed from the Ministry of the Colonies to that for Foreign Affairs, he was appointed Consul General and Political Agent. In 1868 he became (titular) Resident Minister of The Netherlands in Japan. He ended his career as a diplomat in 1870 by refusing an appointment in Peking.
He was the first western diplomat, who presented his credentials to Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
in his new capital Tokyo in February 1869.
He was partner in Textor & Co., a trading company established at Dejima in 1858 with his colleague Carl Julius Textor.
He was one of the founders of the Yokohama Races (horse racing in Yokohama)
De Graeff negociated treaties for other European countries with Japan or aided their envoys: Belgium, Denmark, the Hanze cities, Switzerland and Sweden/Norway to mention a few
On leave in The Netherlands in 1870, when he was ordered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to Peking, De Graeff resigned from his position and became a Commissioner of the Netherlands Trading Society (Nederlandsche Handel-maatschappij) living at The Hague. He was a member of the government commission which received the Iwakura-Mission to The Netherlands in 1873.
In the 1870's he received the title of Jonkheer De Graeff and on that occasion he had to drop his self-styled addition to his name 'van Polsbroek'.
Dirk de Graeff died on 27 June 1916 at The Hague.
Literature
- Graeff van Polsbroek, Dirk de (1987), Journaal van Jonkheer Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek, 1857-1870: Belevenissen van een Nederlands diplomaat in het negentiende eeuwse Japan. (ingeleid en geannoteerd door Herman J. Moeshart) Assen, Van Gorcum, ISBN 90-232-2257-1
- Graeff van Polsbroek, Dirk de, "Aanval in de Japansche wateren op de Nederlandsche stoomkorvet Medusa". Koloniale Jaarboeken, vol. jrg. 3.
- Edström, Bert, en Lars Vargö, red. Sverige och Japan: Diplomatiska dokument från tre sekler. Stockholm: Utrikesdepartementet, 2000.
- Ottosson, Ingemar: Svensk frihandelsimperialism: Det ojämlika fördraget med Japan 1868-1896, uit Historisk tidskrift, nummer 2 (1997), p 199–223
- Dr H.J. Moeshart, A List of Names of Foreigners in Japan in Bakumatsu and early Meiji (1850-1900) (Amsterdam 2010) p 102.