Mauritius of Nassau was an outstanding name in Brazilian history for having been governor of Pernambuco during the Dutch rule in the Northeast. Nassau, however, was German, of aristocratic origin, and for much of his life was a military man. In the 1630s, he was hired by the West India Company (WIC, its acronym in Dutch) and sent to govern the Dutch colony.
Nassau was known for performing a series of reforms in Pernambuco, especially in Recife. The erosion of Nassau's relationship with the WIC caused him to be removed from his position and, a few years later, he was sent away from Pernambuco.
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Youth and education in Mauritius de Nassau
Johann Moritz von Nassau-Siegen is the original name (in German) and birth name of whom we know as Maurice of Nassau. He born in Dillenburg, a city in present-day Germany, but which at the time was part of the Holy Roman Empire. your birth happened on June 17, 1604.
Maurice of Nassau was from an aristocratic family that belonged to the old feudal nobility, but which, at the beginning of the 17th century, was in decay. his father was called John VII, also known as the Count of Nassau-Siegen, and his mother, a Dane, was called Daisy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.
Maurício de Nassau was the first child of the couple João VII and Margarida, out of a total of 13 children. He also had twelve other siblings from John VII's first marriage. Mauricio de Nassau's creation was based on a Good education. This happened because, at that time, the aristocracies were losing old feudal privileges and, then, education was an important way to guarantee the wealth of these families.
Until the age of ten, Maurício de Nassau studied at his home with humanist tutors and, from ten to fifteen, he went through different places, studying in different schools. During this period, he studied in many countries, such as Switzerland, France and Germany itself, always founded in humanistic and Calvinist values.
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Military career of Mauritius Nassau
At the age of fifteen, Mauricio de Nassau returned to Siegen because his family was no longer able to pay for his studies, he was already studying at a very expensive school. From there, the German left looking to start his career in some trade and, therefore, moved to the Netherlands (we know it as Holland) to live with his uncle.
Maurício's uncle was called Willem Lodewijk van Nassau and had influence for his nephew to initiate your career asmilitary. Maurice of Nassau fought in two wars involving the Netherlands: the Eighty Years War, fought against Spain for independence, and the Thirty Years War, fought between Catholics and Protestants in Europe.
Nassau had a lot featured as a military, he was promoted from rank a few times and won important battles in the wars he fought. As a result, Nassau became an important and prestigious name in the Netherlands.
Coming from Maurício de Nassau to Brazil
In 1636, Maurice of Nassau received a offer to work in Brazil. This job opportunity referred to a vacancy made available by the West India Company, company responsible for the administration of the colony of the Dutch in Brazil – the Captaincy of Pernambuco. The fact that a territory occupied by the Portuguese ended up in the hands of the Dutch is explained by the Iberian Union.
THE UnityIberian it began in 1580, when the Portuguese throne was occupied by the king of Spain, making the colonies that were formerly of Portugal transferred to the Spanish. At the time, the Dutch and the Spaniards were at war and, in retaliation against the Spaniards, the Dutch decided to invade Brazil and take over the lucrative sugar trade.
Nassau's nomination to assume the position of governor general of the Dutch colony was very much a political choice than a choice of the WIC itself. That's because Nassau's family was influential and had many relatives in the Netherlands – in addition to Nassau doing great service in the Dutch army.
Nassau arrived in Brazil, in January 1637, and brought with him WIC staff and many scientists and artists – he was passionate about the sciences and the arts. Among the main measures taken by Nassau here in Brazil, the following stand out:
He set out to recover the local economy, looking for buyers for the local mills;
Extended Dutch dominance in the Northeast;
It promoted structural reforms in Recife;
It maintained a peaceful relationship with the indigenous people.
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Return of Mauritius from Nassau to Europe
Maurício de Nassau was governor-general of the Dutch colony in Brazil, between 1637 and 1643, a period in which he made many changes, but it was also a period marked by friction with the company that ran the Dutch business here, WIC. The economic difficulties WIC faced were crucial in determining Nassau's return to Europe.
In 1643 he was fired of his function and returned to the Netherlands, returning to live in Hague, and took with him a huge collection of items he acquired in Brazil, such as archeological artifacts and works of art. The failure of the WIC was also the Dutch failure, since, from 1640 onwards, the Iberian Union ended, and the Portuguese began to organize themselves to reconquer the Northeast. This mission was completed in 1654, the year in which Pernambuco was once again a land dominated by Portugal.
Death of Maurice of Nassau
After returning to Europe, Nassau resumed his military career and fought again for the Thirty Years War. His home in The Hague was right next to the political center of the Netherlands, which shows his interest in keeping an eye on the Dutch political scene. He continued to prosper in the army and rose to the rank of field marshal, one of the tallest in the Dutch army.
It was also governor of provinces of the Holy Roman Empire and received the title of prince from King Ferdinand III. On December 20, 1679, he died at Cleves. Maurício de Nassau never married and had no children.
Image credits
[1] commons
[2] Helissa Grundemann and Shutterstock
