Jan Van Riebeeck Birthday & Fun Facts

Jan Van Riebeeck Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Jan Van Riebeeck

Place Of Birth

Culemborg, Netherlands

Age

406 years old

Birth Date

April 21 1617

Jan Van Riebeeck Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Education & Qualifications

Current Partner

Maria Scipio

Children

Abraham van Riebeeck

Famous explorer Jan van Riebeeck was born on April 21, 1619, in the Dutch Republic in Culemborg, Netherlands. In 1652, the Dutch established Cape Town, South Africa. Because he was an explorer, he gained notoriety and recognition. He was employed by the Dutch East India Company and performed surgical procedures as an assistant surgeon. In Cape Town, a statue of Riebeeck and his wife was built.

What was Jan Van Riebeeck’s net worth?

The net worth of Jan Van Riebeeck is not known.

How much did Jan Van Riebeeck earn per year?

The annual earnings of Jan Van Riebeeck are not known.

How tall was Jan Van Riebeeck?

The height and weight of explorer Jan Van Riebeeck are not known.

How old was Jan Van Riebeeck?

Jan Van Riebeeck was born on April 21, 1619, and died on January 18, 1677, at the age of 57.

Son of a surgeon, Van Riebeeck, was born in Culemborg. He was born at Schiedam, where he wed Maria de la Queillerie, aged 19, on March 28, 1649. On November 2, 1664, she died in Malacca, which is now a part of Malaysia, at the age of 35. Most of the couple's eight or nine children did not live through infancy. Their Cape Town-born son Abraham van Riebeeck eventually served as the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.

Who was Jan Van Riebeeck’s partner?

Maria de la Quellerie, Jan Van Riebeeck's first wife, passed away in Malacca at 35 in 1664. She had been traveling to her husband's last job. On March 10th, 1667, he wed Maria Isaacks Scipio. They stayed together until his passing.

Best Known For…

One of the earliest Europeans to enter South Africa was Jan Van Riebeeck. He set off from Cape Town as a sailor. The history of South Africa was substantially touched by his presence there. As a surgical assistant, Jan worked for the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), often known as the Dutch East India Company. His initial job with the corporation was traveling to Batavia, following which he went on to sail to Japan, where he was granted a trade station. Later, it was determined that he was using the station for personal benefit. As a result, the Dutch government removed him from his post. He found Table Bay close to the Cape of Good Hope on one of his expeditions from Indochina. He saw the bay's potential as a place where sailors might obtain new supplies. Jan van Riebeeck organized a second expedition for 1651 in accordance with the numerous recommendations that had been made concerning the same.

He travelled along with his wife, son, and 82 other men and eight other women. The De Goede Hoop and the Rejiger, two more ships, were brought with them. The Jan Van Riebeeck ships arrived at their destination in April 1652 and began to dock. Work had started at the Fort of Good Hope within the first week of arrival. The station aimed to provide the sailors with fresh water, produce, meat, and other groceries. Additionally, the station's goal was to offer the sailors who would halt their medical care.

Jan van Riebeeck holds great cultural and historical significance for South Africa because of his role throughout the Apartheid era. He is revered as the founding father of the Afrikaner people. As a result, up until 1994, his likeness was frequently found on banknotes and stamps. After South Africa became a republic in 1961, Bartholomeus Vermuyden's portrait was substituted for what was considered Van Riebeeck's.

What awards did Jan Van Riebeeck win?

In the past, April 6 was referred to as Van Riebeeck's Day. This was then renamed Founders' Day until being completely abolished by the ANC government in 1994 after democratic elections. He was formerly acknowledged as the country's founding father, and from the ’40s through 1993, his likeness appeared on several stamps and paper money. The South African Reserve Bank redesigned the money during this time with non-political designs. The Cape Town Coat of Arms, adopted in 1869 during the British administration, paid homage to the Cape's founding father. In his specially commissioned drawing, artist Charles Fairbridge imitated the three gold rings of Riebeeck's Coat of Arms.

• After the 1994 elections, the African National Congress administration removed the holiday celebrated on April 6 as Van Riebeeck's Day and then as Founders' Day.
• Although he is no longer depicted on official money or stamps, sculptures of him and his wife still stand on Cape Town's Adderley Street.
• Jan Van Riebeeck served as the General of the Dutch East Indies between 1665-1677.
• The Van Riebeeck family coat of arms served as the inspiration for Cape Town's coat of arms.
• His book 'The Secret Letters Of Jan van Riebeeck' was published by Penguin Books, London, in 1992. The book was well-received by readers from across the world.
• Jan Van Riebeeck started an important tradition wherein he banished a native translator named Autshumato to Robben Island. The punishment was meted about for committing crimes against the Dutch East India Company. Over the years, the island has been home to many political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela.
• Jan Van Riebeeck was married to Maria de la Quellerie, and the couple became parents to eight children. His son Abraham Van Riebeeck followed in his footsteps and managed to get the post of the Governor-General of the East Indies.
• Jan Van Riebeeck was in charge of the important trading post of Tonkin in Vietnam. But the Dutch authorities called him back from the post as it was discovered that he had been conducting trade from his personal account.
• On the instructions of Jan Van Riebeeck, the early settlers embarked on the Cape to build a fort and set up a flag as a signal to passing ships. But the wet winters in the Cape were very difficult for the early settlers as they lived in wooden huts at that time.
• Jan Van Riebeeck had been an assistant surgeon before becoming an administrator in the Dutch East India Company.
• Jan Van Riebeeck had been married twice, first to Maria van Riebeeck and then to Maria Isaacks Scipio.

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